GR221, the Dry Stone Route, Kraig Adams's way

All distances and climbing in this guide come from my own GPS recordings, measured the same way for every day. My films round the distance down to 80 miles. My old write-up gave higher climbing figures, because apps count climbing differently. Distances along a day ("at 9.9 miles") are from my GPS file for that day.

Each day in this guide has the numbers, my notes from the trip, the trail, where to get off, links to that day in my films, and a map with an elevation profile. "Time to allow" is my own estimate from my old write-up, for a steady hiker with breaks. My recorded time, with stops and filming, is beside it.

The trail is signed "Ruta de Pedra en Sec GR 221" at junctions. I left the official line in a few places, like the high route from Cúber over Coll des Prat on Day 4. The GPX files follow me, not the official stages.

The GR221 runs along the Serra de Tramuntana, the mountain range on Mallorca's northwest coast. UNESCO lists the range as a World Heritage cultural landscape. The route mostly follows old footpaths restored by the island council, the Consell de Mallorca, through terraces, olive groves and villages. That's where the "dry stone" name comes from.

What I did

I flew into Palma de Mallorca. It was my first time on the island. Technically I'd passed by on a cruise ship the year before. I took the bus from the airport into Palma and bought stove fuel, which was very easy. From there it was a 15-minute walk to the next bus, and within the hour I was at the trailhead in Port d'Andratx. I'd picked up groceries on the way: avocado, banana and some noodles and pasta.

Buy your food and fuel before you start. Options get less consistent once you're on the route.

Your options

Palma airport to Palma. EMT city bus line A1 runs from the airport terminal to the center of Palma.

Palma to Port d'Andratx. TIB bus 101 runs from the Estació Intermodal in Palma to Port d'Andratx, via Andratx. Timetables are at tib.org.

Starting at Sant Elm instead. TIB bus 121 links Andratx, Port d'Andratx and Sant Elm, which is the end of the first official stage.

Getting home

What I did

I finished the walk in Pollença and took the bus to Port de Pollença for the ending shot at the sea. I had an extra day before my flight, so the next day I rented an e-bike and rode up to the Formentor cliffs. It was the nicest e-bike I've ever been on. Then I took the bus for an hour back to Palma, got a hotel for about $115, one of the cheapest I could find, and flew home the next morning at 9:00.

Don't book a flight for the day you finish. Sleep in Palma or near the airport, then take EMT bus A1 to the terminal.

Your options

Buses. TIB bus 301 runs from Port de Pollença through Pollença, Sa Pobla and Inca to the Estació Intermodal in Palma (timetables). Bus 301 links Pollença and Port de Pollença all year, and bus 231 does too from late March to October; bus 334 runs from the port out to Formentor in summer.

What I paid

These are the costs I recorded from March 2026. I didn't keep a full record of everything else.

Doing it with refuges

Here's what a refuge night cost in 2026 at the Consell's prices:

A bed, dinner and breakfast comes to €29 a night, or €33.50 with sheets. On the official 9-stage plan you'd use five refuges (Can Boi, Muleta, Tossals Verds, Son Amer and Pont Romà), so about €145 to €170 for those five nights. Add hotels in Sant Elm, Estellencs and Esporles for the first three nights, plus food and drinks in towns.

Where to sleep

What I did

Because the huts weren't open yet, I carried my tent. I slept three nights in it, after Days 1, 2 and 4, and one night in a hotel in Deià after Day 3 to shower and charge my batteries. The hotel was about $150.

I'd heard it's hard to find spots for tents on this trail, and it is. There aren't many clearings, flat areas or soft grass. Finding somewhere to sleep became the main focus at the end of each day. Camping on forest land here needs authorization, so I don't mark my spots or recommend them.

Refuges

The Consell de Mallorca runs a network of refuges for GR221 hikers, in old houses, an olive mill, a telegraph station and a former slaughterhouse. The five main ones have dorms, showers, meals and Wi-Fi.

2026 prices at Can Boi, Muleta, Tossals Verds, Son Amer and Pont Romà: €14 per person for a dorm bed with a shower (€9 up to age 16), breakfast €5.50, lunch €13, dinner €9.50, packed lunch €8, sheets €4.50 and a towel €2. Breakfast is 8:00 to 9:00 (to 9:30 at Muleta), dinner at 20:30, and checkout is before 10:00.

Coma d'en Vidal is different: its page says you book the whole refuge (24 beds), by phone, though the Consell said in 2025 that a group can book a single room, so ask. For one or two hikers it isn't practical.

Booking. Book online through the Consell's refuge booking portal. You can check each refuge by date, or search availability for the whole route at once. Questions: +34 971 173 700 or xarxaderefugis@conselldemallorca.net. The two-bed room at Tossals Verds can only be booked by email to that address.

Towns

Every town I walked through has hotels: Port d'Andratx, Sant Elm, Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Esporles, Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller and Pollença. On the main route there's no Consell refuge between Port d'Andratx and Esporles that you can book for one person (Galatzó is off the route, on a variant from Es Capdellà), so plan hotels for those first nights.

Official camping

Near Lluc there are three official camping areas run by the Balearic forestry agency (IBANAT): Sa Font Coberta, Es Pixarells and Marjanor. You need a reservation. I walked past Sa Font Coberta at the start of Day 5. Details are on the Serra de Tramuntana page of the Balearic government.

Copy-and-paste booking email

English

Subject: Booking request, [number] beds, [date]

Hello,

I'd like to book [number] beds for [number] people on the night of [day, date]. We are walking the GR221 and will arrive on foot from [previous town or refuge].

We would like dinner and breakfast. Dietary needs: [none / vegetarian / gluten-free].

Could you please tell me:

• the total price per person
• how to pay and your cancellation terms
• the latest arrival time
• whether we can refill water there

Name: [your name]

Phone: [with country code]

Thank you very much!

Español

Asunto: Solicitud de reserva, [número] plazas, [fecha]

Hola:

Quisiera reservar [número] plazas para [número] personas la noche del [día, fecha]. Estamos haciendo la GR221 y llegaremos a pie desde [pueblo o refugio anterior].

Queremos cena y desayuno. Necesidades alimentarias: [ninguna / vegetariano / sin gluten].

¿Podrían indicarme, por favor:

• el precio total por persona
• cómo pagar y las condiciones de cancelación
• la hora máxima de llegada
• si podemos rellenar agua allí

Nombre: [tu nombre]

Teléfono: [con prefijo internacional]

¡Muchas gracias!

The refuges

All of these are run by the Consell de Mallorca. Book through the refuge booking portal, +34 971 173 700, xarxaderefugis@conselldemallorca.net. The prices were listed in September 2026. Can Boi, Muleta, Tossals Verds, Son Amer and Pont Romà each have toilets, hot showers, electricity, heating and Wi-Fi, and sell meals. Doors close at 22:00 from November to March and 23:00 from April to October.

Can Boi (Deià). +34 971 636 186. An old house with an olive mill inside, on Carrer des Clot 5 in Deià. 32 beds in four dorms. I walked right past it at the end of Day 3, but I stayed in a hotel.

Muleta (above Port de Sóller). +34 971 634 271 or +34 971 630 042. A former army telegraph station near the Cap Gros lighthouse. 30 beds in one dorm. It's on the official stage 5 from Deià. I walked from Deià straight to Sóller and didn't pass it.

Tossals Verds. +34 971 182 027. 19th-century buildings at 1,720 ft (525 m) on a public estate. 42 beds, including one two-bed room that you book by email only. The official stage 6 ends here. My high route from Cúber didn't pass it.

Son Amer (above Lluc). +34 971 517 109. On a hilltop above the Lluc valley, at 1,740 ft (530 m). 52 beds. I passed it early on Day 5.

Pont Romà (Pollença). +34 971 534 444. In the old town slaughterhouse near the Roman bridge in Pollença. 38 beds in five dorms. The last refuge before Port de Pollença. The Calvari steps (365 of them) are close by.

Coma d'en Vidal (above Estellencs). +34 971 173 700. 24 beds, and you must book the whole refuge, so it's for groups. No meals. I walked past it on Day 2.

Galatzó (on the Galatzó variant from Es Capdellà). +34 971 074 616. 50 beds, meals. It's off the main route I walked.

What I carried

My 2026 kit

This trip was special because I carried everything for the whole trip on my back. I didn't store a bag in any hotel.

Hiking

• Pack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 55. It might have been a little overkill. Without some of the food, I could have overstuffed my 35-liter pack, but rolling the top of this one down worked out.
• Tent: Nemo Hornet, the same tent I've used for six years. It's been all around the world with me.
• Quilt: Hyperlite 40-degree quilt. More than enough. The temperatures were perfect.
• Sleeping pad: the same Therm-a-Rest I bought when I started hiking six years ago, plus an inflator to blow it up.
• Liner: a silk liner
• Pillow: I forgot mine, for the first time ever, and had to wrap up clothes every night. It was a little uncomfortable.
• Stove: Jetboil Stash, new for this trip. Lighter and wider than my old one. I liked it.
• Water: 1-liter Katadyn BeFree filter bottle plus an extra 1-liter bottle. The extra liter was for sure needed.
• Puffy: for the cold mornings waking up in the tent
• Socks: two pairs of Bombas, one for hiking and one kept clean for towns and the airport
• Shoes: Oboz Katabatic LT GTX
• Sunglasses: goodr
• Clean clothes: a clean shirt, underwear and socks for town, plus hiking pants

Filmmaking

• Camera: Sony ZV-E1 with a Sony 16-35mm f/4 lens, SmallRig legs with a Joby ball head, and a Sennheiser MKE 400 shotgun mic

Other

• Stakes: a new cheap set, and I broke about half of them. Don't buy the cheapest ones.
• Light sun hoodie: for in between, when I still wanted some warmth and sun protection while moving
• Sun hoodie and shorts: for everything else

The production gear and all its batteries were the heaviest extras. If I'd just been hiking, not making a video, that weight reduction would have been massive. Other than bringing the silk liner and forgetting my pillow, I was very efficient with the gear on this trip.

Packing list

• Water: at least 2 liters of capacity, plus a filter or tablets
• Food for the long stretches between towns (Day 2 and Day 4 especially)
• Sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
• Warm layer, light gloves and a rain jacket for cold mornings and the high pass
• Light hoodie or sun shirt, shorts and hiking pants
• Headlamp
• Phone, charging cable, power bank and a European plug adapter
• Small first-aid and blister kit, and your medications
• Sleeping-bag liner and a towel for refuges (or pay for sheets and towels)
• Toiletries
• A trash bag
• Cash in euros and a card
• Booking confirmations and this guide, saved offline
• For an official camping area: tent, strong stakes, pad, quilt or sleeping bag, and a pillow

Not to walk the signposted route. Refuge beds need a booking, and camping, fires and drones need authorization (below).

My March. I hiked March 20 to 24, 2026. It was early in the hiking season and none of the huts were open yet. The temperatures were perfect. I needed my puff jacket and gloves on the cold mornings, and shorts and a sun hoodie the rest of the day. Day 3 was a lot clearer than Day 2, with not a cloud in the sky, and much hotter in the direct sun. I was sweating off my sunscreen on the climbs. Day 4 was the cloudiest I'd seen it. It was cold and windy up high for the first time, and there was no visibility over the pass. On Day 5 the weather was much better again.

I like early spring island hikes. Before this one I'd done the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira.

Crowds. In March the trail was quiet. On Day 4 there were a lot of people up high near a parking lot, and on the last day I saw more hikers than on any other day. Cyclists were everywhere on the paved roads.

Other months. I've only hiked it in March. Spring and autumn are the usual walking seasons. Summer is hot on the open ridges, water is harder to find, and fire rules are strict. In winter the days are short, the refuge doors close at 22:00 (November to March), and cold, wind and fog on the high ground are more likely.

Fire season. In the Balearic Islands the high forest-fire risk period runs from May 1 to October 15. In 2026 that meant no fire within 50 m of forest land or in recreation areas. The rest of the year, the Balearic government says making fire on forest land needs authorization. Cook in towns, at refuges or at official camping areas, and ask before using a stove anywhere else.

Refuges. When I went in March, the huts weren't open yet. In September 2026 the Consell's refuge pages list beds every day with prior booking. Look at the booking portal for your dates before you plan your nights around them.

Water, weather and safety

Water

This is the thing to plan on the GR221. The route is dry, with very little running water to filter, and fountains don't always work. On my trip:

• Day 1: I filled up in Port d'Andratx. Sant Elm had a public drinking-water fountain.
• Day 2: nothing reliable for 15.7 miles (25.2 km) before Estellencs. I ran out and got a headache before Estellencs. Banyalbufar had a public drinking-water dispenser.
• Day 3: the first fountain I tried wasn't working, so I bought water at a supermarket. Valldemossa was the last refill before Deià.
• Day 4: I filled up in Sóller. After that it's about 19 miles (30 km) on my line to Lluc.
• Day 5: Lluc, then Pollença.

Carry at least 2 liters and fill up in every town, even if you're not empty. Camping means extra water for cooking, tea and breakfast. Treat water from springs and troughs.

Weather

Look at the forecast every evening. AEMET, Spain's weather service, has forecasts and warnings for Mallorca, including the mountains. The high ground on Day 4 is the most exposed part of the route. I pushed over Coll des Prat in wind and no visibility. If you're there in bad weather, stop at Cúber or go down to Tossals Verds instead. On clear days, sun and heat are the problem. I sweated off my sunscreen on the climbs on Day 3.

Emergencies

• 112 is the emergency number in Spain, including in the mountains.
• Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
• Stay on marked paths, carry enough water and food, and save strength for the way down.
• Get travel insurance that covers mountain rescue.

Rules in the mountains

• Camping and bivouacking on forest land need authorization all year.
• No fire on forest land from May 1 to October 15, and only with authorization the rest of the year.
• Drone flights need authorization.
• Almost 95% of the Serra de Tramuntana protected area is private land. Leave gates as you find them, since many estates have livestock, and keep dogs on a leash.

Going solo

I hiked the whole thing alone. It was quiet: only a handful of other hikers were doing the full traverse. I felt a bit lonely on the first night and missed my family. Talking to the camera gave me someone to talk to. Leave your itinerary with someone at home, check in when you have signal, and carry an offline map and a charged power bank.

How many days do I need? I did it in five: a short first afternoon and then four full days, some of them close to a marathon each. I had an extra buffer day in my plan and used it at the end for an e-bike ride. The official route is 9 stages between refuges and towns, and splitting my hardest day makes my plan six days. Both are in Other ways to do it.

When should I go? I went March 20 to 24. It was early in the season, and none of the huts were open yet. The weather was perfect for me: cold mornings, shorts in the day, and one cold, windy, foggy afternoon on the high pass. Open fires are banned on forest land from May 1 to October 15. See When to go.

Where do you sleep? The Consell de Mallorca runs a chain of hiker refuges along the route: Can Boi in Deià, Muleta near Port de Sóller, Tossals Verds, Son Amer above Lluc and Pont Romà in Pollença. A dorm bed was €14 (2026 price). The towns on the route have hotels. I slept in my tent three nights and in a hotel in Deià one night. See Where to sleep.

Do I need a permit? Not to walk the signposted route. Refuge beds need a booking, and camping, fires and drones need authorization (below).

Can I camp? Not freely. In the Serra de Tramuntana, camping and bivouacking on forest land need authorization all year, and almost 95% of the protected area is private land. There are official camping areas near Lluc that you reserve. I don't mark my tent spots in this guide, the maps or the GPX files. Plan your nights around refuges, hotels and official campsites.

Am I fit enough? This is not a casual hike the way I did it. My three long days took me about 10 to 11 hours each (9 hours 46 minutes to 11 hours 14 minutes), with stops and filming. Day 2 and Day 4 were the hardest: 23 miles each, with 4,732 ft and 6,151 ft of climbing. Before you commit to my plan, walk 20 miles with your pack two days in a row at home. If that's too much, walk the official stages. They run from 4.2 to 17.2 miles.

Is there water? Not much on the trail. I'd heard the Dry Stone Route is dry, and it is. There's very little running water to filter, so I got most of my water in towns and carried an extra 1-liter bottle for the long stretches. I still ran out on Day 2 and got a headache. Fill up in every town. See Water, weather and safety.

Is it easy to follow? Mostly, yes. The trail is very well marked, with little markers and signs at every junction. I thought you could almost follow it without a phone or a map. There are still sections where it can be unclear, so carry the GPX files and an offline map anyway.

What will it cost? My hotel in Deià was about $150 and my hotel in Palma at the end about $115. The rest was buses, food and flights. A refuge night in 2026 cost €14 for a bed, plus €9.50 for dinner and €5.50 for breakfast. See What I paid.

Is it OK to go solo? I hiked it alone. It was quiet: only a handful of other hikers were doing the full traverse. I talked to a group of German hikers on Day 3, and I saw more hikers on the last day. Leave your plan with someone at home, and read Water, weather and safety.

Can I fly a drone? Only with authorization. Drone flights in the Serra de Tramuntana protected area need authorization from the park, and crossing private land needs the owner's permission too.

I only have 2 or 3 days. Where should I go? Start in Sóller. If you have less time, the middle and northern sections give you the most for your time. See Other ways to do it.

Is there phone signal? Can I charge? I had signal in the towns: I FaceTimed my family from town stops on Days 2 and 3. Don't count on it in the mountains between towns. You can charge in hotels and refuges. By the end of Day 3 my power bank was dead and my camera batteries were running out, which is part of why I took the hotel in Deià. Bring a European plug adapter. I could have sworn I'd packed one and couldn't find it, and the guy at the hotel gave me two.

I walked the 5-day plan. I didn't walk any of these, so treat them as plans, not trip reports. The numbers for the official stages come from the Consell de Mallorca.

The official 9 stages

This is the route the refuge network is built around. Stages 1 to 3 end in towns without a bookable refuge, so plan hotels for those nights.

The official times are walking times without breaks. The Consell says stage 6 is easier and faster in the other direction, because of the climb from Sóller at 100 ft (30 m) to Coll de l'Ofre at about 2,950 ft (900 m). Stage 4 has a short section through a housing estate that's passable but not signposted.

My plan with Day 4 split

My old write-up says Day 4 is the day most worth breaking into two. Walk from Deià through Sóller and over Coll de l'Ofre to Cúber, then down to the Tossals Verds refuge for the night. The next day, climb over the high ground to Son Amer (official stage 7) and continue to Pollença, or stop at Son Amer. That turns my five days into six, with every night from Deià onward in a refuge.

A short trip from Sóller

If you have less time, start in Sóller. The middle and northern sections give you the most for your time.

1. Sóller to Tossals Verds, through the Barranc de Biniaraix and past Cúber (most of official stage 6)
2. Tossals Verds to Son Amer, over the high ground (stage 7)
3. Son Amer to Pollença (stage 8), and the bus or stage 9 to Port de Pollença

Sóller is on TIB bus 204 from Palma. From Pollença, bus 301 goes back to Palma.

Before you go, check these

These change every year. Everything else in this guide stays the same.

Where you'll sleep

• Refuge availability for your exact dates, on the Consell's booking portal
• Whether the refuges are open for your dates: the Consell lists them as open all year with booking, but they weren't yet when I went in March
• Hotels for the nights without a refuge (Sant Elm, Estellencs, Esporles)
• If you want to camp: a reservation at an official camping area near Lluc

Buses

• TIB timetables for bus 101 (Palma to Port d'Andratx) and bus 301 (Pollença to Palma) for your dates
• The A1 airport bus times
• The bus from any town you might bail out at

Prices

• Refuge prices (this guide uses the prices listed in September 2026)

Weather and conditions

• The AEMET forecast each evening, especially before Day 4
• Fire-season rules if you go between May 1 and October 15
• Which stages and variants are open, on the Consell's GR221 page

Your stuff

• This PDF, GPX files, offline maps and confirmations saved on your phone
• Travel insurance with mountain rescue
• Euros in cash and a European plug adapter