Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ins are all that remain of the last redoubt of Christian warriors who could only be starved
out by Muslim conquerors around 911, eight years after the latter had invaded the island.
The views, from Palma to Badia de Alcúdia, are something special.
If the two-hour walk doesn't appeal, you can cover most of the climb by car. The first
4.2km to nearby Es Verger restaurant are paved but have their fair share of potholes. The
road deteriorates (but should be OK if it hasn't rained - ask at the restaurant for the cur-
rent state of the road) for a further 1.2km beyond the restaurant to a parking area at the
base of a path that leads (in 15 minutes) to the ruins. Once there, you'll see several stone
arched doors and parts of the walls of what was once clearly a major fortress.
Another minute's walk uphill brings you to the
Ermita de la Mare de Déu del Refugi
,
a decrepit 17th-century chapel that locals still visit to give thanks for miraculous events.
If you can't bear to leave, bed down at the Refugi S'Hostatgeria (
Click here
)
.
Eating
Es Verger
SPANISH €€€
( 971 18 21 26; Camí des Castell; mains €8-16; 9am-9pm Tue-Sun; )
On the zigzagging
road up to Castell d'Alaró, this gloriously rustic haunt is well worth the trek, bike ride or
gear-crunching ascent. The sheep hanging out in the car park are a menu give-away. In
his
Mediterranean Escapes
series of books, UK-based chef Rick Stein praises the lamb
as the moistest he has ever tasted - and right he is. Antonia fires up the wood oven every
morning to slow cook the lamb for three-and-a-half hours in beer, herbs, carrots and
onions until meltingly tender.
Traffic
MALLORCAN €€€
( 971 87 91 17;
www.canxim.com
; Plaça de la Vila 8, Hotel Can Xim; mains €12-22;
12.15-5.15pm & 8-11.30pm Mon & Thu-Sun, 8-11pm Wed)
The pick of the places on Plaça de la
Vila, this countrified restaurant rolls out Mallorcan specialities with a few innovative
twists. Meats such as rabbit and suckling pig are defintely the strong point, but the cod
with
sobrassada
and honey is terrific too. Choose between the terrace and the beamed,
tiled interior.
Getting There & Away
Buses and trains running between Palma and Sóller stop at Bunyola (the bus stop is at Sa
Plaça, and the train station a short walk west of the centre). From there local bus 221
