‘Dry Stone’ or how a stone can make your life softer

Thinking about holidays in Mallorca make us think in words like: sun, party, beaches, fun... and images that we associate with “paradise”. But sometimes paradise need some help and, in Mallorca’s case, paradoxically, needs some stones in the way. Mallorcan people know that a stone in the way it is not an obstacle at all. This is why there is this philosophy based in the pedra en sec (dry stone) concept.

The dry stone technique uses the residual stone from the fields to make constructions without using any kind of cement or mortar. This is an obvious example of the natives’ ingenuity to overcome one of the major problems of the island: the shortage of water.

Thanks to this technique, centuries ago, walls and “marges” have been risen to limit plots, lime ovens, coal cellars, hydraulic systems from the 13^th century and  terraced slopes (fundamental procedure for the farming that consist of terracing the plots to create new croplands).

Hiking the “marges” in the Serra de Tramuntana

Travelling to Mallorca is the perfect excuse to go to the Serra de Tramuntana, named World Heritage by UNESCO in 2011. There is nothing better to do than renting a villa in the beautiful village of Pollença to enjoy the amazing tour of the Dry Stone Route. It is a route of opened and signposted 167 km (85 km of the main route and 82 km of variants). During this route, hikers can do 4 stages that join Pollença with Deià. During the tour, besides enjoying all the constructions based in the dry stone technique, hikers will be able to enjoy the amazing flora (Holm-oak wood, Hypericum balearicum, stramma …) and fauna (kestrels, ospreys, robins…) customaries of Mallorca.

So, besides sun, party and beach, for your next holidays in Mallorca, take advantage and hike this place of the island, not so known but beautiful as well. There’s a Spanish saying that goes literally “A stone gives fewer things” (meaning ‘better than nothing’). Discover how wrong it is and the many things a stone can give us.