Climb to the Puig de Maria sanctuary

The hill that rises south of Pollença, at 330 m, has a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin on its summit, with a church, refectory, guesthouse and a view over the bays of Pollença and Alcúdia. The town council's official route adds up to 4.31 km and about 287 m of ascent on a dirt track: an hour and a half in total. It rates it medium difficulty: short, but with a steep slope.

From Camí del Puig, beside the Palma road

The path starts on Camí del Puig de Maria, south of the town, beside the Palma to Port road. The track runs almost entirely in the sun up to the walls of the old monastery. The town council does not publish where to park: if you come by car, ask at the tourist office or set off on foot from the town.

A vow against the Black Death

In 1348 the Black Death reached Mallorca and killed one in five people. That year permission was given to build a chapel here as a plea for protection; according to tradition, locals had found an image of the Virgin on the hill, drawn by some lights. The chapel was finished in 1355. In 1362 three nuns came up and founded an enclosed community, and in 1371 the monastery was consecrated, surrounded by walls and a tower to watch for attacks from the sea. In the 15th century it had its best period, with daughters of noble families among the nuns. In 1564 the bishop closed it because many nuns did not accept the reforms of the Council of Trent, and they moved to Palma. It reopened in 1638, no longer with a religious community.

The refectory and the Virgin of the altarpiece

The church mixes the original Gothic, an 18th-century Baroque renovation and the Neo-Gothic restoration of the end of the 19th century promoted by the poet and priest Miquel Costa i Llobera. On the main altarpiece is the 14th-century image of the Virgin, and the refectory is one of the best preserved of its kind. Up there is also a small museum on the life and customs of the place in different periods.

Sleeping in a cell

The sanctuary has a guesthouse with 12 cells for an overnight stay, run over time by different religious communities. The town council does not publish contact details or prices: ask at the Pollença tourist office, in Plaça Major, and book in advance.

Before you set off

Go up first thing or late in the afternoon, with water and a cap. From the top you see Pollença, the bays of Pollença and Alcúdia, the Serra de Tramuntana and the Albufera de Pollença. At the foot of the hill, among vines and olive trees, is the hotel Son Brull; in the town, the Calvari is the other climb, shorter and by steps.