Last year’s 2016 Bird Watching and Country Walking Calendar Competition was a huge success. The Calendar Competition concentrated on the amazing birdlife to be found on the beautiful Island of Mallorca, particularly within the wonderfully scenic north of the Island where birders and hikers alike can base themselves in the ideally situated picturesque towns of Pollença or Port de Pollença and Port d’Alcúdia.
Bird Watching and Country Walking Magazines are both published in the UK and the 2016 Calendars, containing the winning photographs, were distributed free with the magazines where, within the UK, 65,000 copies were sold reaching an estimated audience of 250,000! The Calendar encouraged new, quality tourists to visit North Mallorca in addition to rekindling the interests of birders and walkers, some of whom returned to this magical archipelago.
A further 5,000 2016 Calendars were distributed in the Pollença and Port de Pollença region where a Centre for Bird Tourism had recently been re-opened.
This year both Bird Watching and Country Walking magazines are again publishing a Calendar following a photographic competition based around the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca. To view the winning entries, click here. In addition to the 2017 Calendars being given out with copies of the magazines, a further 7,000 Calendars will be available from the Tourist Information Offices in Pollença and Port de Pollença prior to Christmas.
The Serra de Tramuntana Mountain Range is the largest natural park and nature reserve on Mallorca and is well known for its beauty and spectacular scenery. It stretches from its most southern point on the west coast at Sant Elm to the most northern point on the north east coast at Cap de Formentor.
The region covers an area of 1000 square kilometres and has many mountains over 1000 metres high with the highest being Puig Major which overlooks the Cuber Reservoir. This reservoir is one of the main water supplies for the Island as well as a major destination for bird watchers and hikers. In 2011 the Tramuntana was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO and is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Balearics, whose visitors leave inspired by the extraordinary landscape and culture. Serra de Tramuntana is host to some of the most beautiful towns and villages on Mallorca with examples being Valldemossa, Fornalutx, Deià and Sóller.
For hikers wanting to ‘go it alone’ with just a guide book and a map, the Serra de Tramuntana is difficult to beat. GR 221, otherwise known as the ‘Dry Stone Route’, is an eight stage walking route starting from Port D’Andratx on the far west coast of Mallorca and finishing in Pollença in the northeast corner of the Island nearly 56 miles away as the crow flies. This is the longest hiking path within the Balearic Archipelago and keen walkers and hikers can spend seven days in the Tramuntana Mountains staying at a selection of refuges, guesthouses and hotels along the way or in one of the nearby amazing towns or villages. By visiting places of historical, cultural, scientific and natural interest along route GR 221 it is possible to cover a total distance of over 90 miles.
Whilst last year’s Calendar concentrated mainly on the bird life of the area, this year’s Calendar contains some stunning views from this iconic region as well as examples of indigenous and visiting birds.
Mallorca has always been renowned for producing some of the highest quality fruit and vegetables found anywhere in the world. This, coupled with the wonderful locally caught seafood ensures that the Island has a proud reputation for serving a wide variety of healthy, low in fat, delicious dishes to suit all palates. Over the past decade Mallorca has also deservedly gained a reputation for fine dining and as of 2016 there are seven Michelin starred restaurants on the Island, one of which carries two stars. Given the spectacular scenery and wonderful climate, it is not surprising that Mallorca has many renowned restaurants which are often visited by celebrities.
Deià, a beautiful village in the heart of the Serra de Tramuntana, has a great selection of restaurants, including Es Racó d’es Teix, which has held a Michelin star since 2002. The beach at Deià has two fish restaurants, both offering wonderful views out to sea. One of these, Ca’s Patro March, was used by the BBC for filming a sequence in The Night Manager, a hugely successful recent television series. The resort of Port de Pollença in the north of the Tramuntana offers an excellent choice of restaurants, many with great sea views, including IRU and Torre La Playa. Other popular restaurants are located in the main square, including the Italian restaurant Osteria N15. Bellaverde, the only vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the north of the Island is set in a garden sheltered by century old fig trees and is a true oasis in the centre of the town.
As one would expect there is a plethora of excellent hotels in the region to suit every pocket in addition to self-catering apartments, pensions, guest houses, family focused resorts and boutique hotels. The majority of these are located on the coast with fine examples in the ports of Alcúdia and Pollença; one of the more popular and oldest on Mallorca being the Hotel Miramar in Port de Pollença, voted one of the top 25 hotels in the whole of Spain by Trip Advisor in 2014.
Additionally there are some beautiful hotels in idyllic surroundings hidden in stunning countryside offering peace, tranquillity and luxury, many with spa facilities and fine dining restaurants.
The winners of the 2017 Amateur Photographic Competition have now been announced and the photographs chosen for inclusion in the calendar can be viewed now.
If these images ignite an interest in you as to what is on offer in North Mallorca away from the summer tourist season, why not visit our page on birdwatching where you will find further details on where to stay, where to eat and what to see, in addition to how to arrange and book your own itinerary.
