Travel: Majorca, Spain

The Torrent de Pareis demands not only an early start - it was 6:30am on a warm September morning - but a full stomach to tackle its 11km of downhill boulder hopping.

Out beyond the imposing wooden gate that separates our hotel, the dreamy Can Roses, from the ancient streets of Soller, the sounds of a town awaking from slumber were all around us.

In the main square, with its imposing 15th-century Gaudi-esque church, a group of elderly men was arguing outside an early-morning caf, talking loudly and gesticulating through the cigarette smoke as had generations before them. From the pastilicceria on the corner, the smell of freshly-baked lamb pies wafted deliciously down the cobbled alleyways.

Our rendezvous point was outside the neat frontage of Tramuntana Tours, a company that specialises in guiding walkers through the majestic mountain ranges that define the northern reaches of this beautiful Balearic island.

A few moments later our international band of eight - including two Swedes and three Germans - trooped along behind Justin, our guide for the day, to the mini-bus that was to take us for 45 minutes up the violently twisting coast road to Escorca, the start point for what is billed as Majorca's most impressive walk.

As the sun rose, we headed steadily down the rocky switchback that leads down to the start of the Torrent proper - a gorge walk that descends through the narrow passage between sheer limestone cliffs before reaching the sea at Sa Colobre.

It may not be a long-distance route but what it lacks in length it makes up for in the drama of its scenery and the thrill of plunging through the remains of what was once a cave roof, towering hundreds of feet above, before it collapsed in a morass of giant boulders.

With its stunning beaches, elegant resorts, verdant plains and charming towns, Majorca has always been a more varied destination than given credit for.

Now, its hidden corners are being opened up, especially to those who travel on foot. For most of that morning, we nine were the only travellers down the Torrent, which, as its name implies, is under several feet of water for much of the winter.

On our visit, it was dry except for one or two ponds in which a few rare tadpoles were clinging precariously to life. It's even rarer, Justin explained, for them to make it to the frog stage, as he emptied a few crumbs from his baguette on to the pond surface to give them a helping hand.

We needed the occasional helping hand too to get around and down the biggest boulders that had lodged like small houses in the bottom of the gorge. Footholds and handholds were polished to diamond smoothness by a multitude of hands, feet and backsides over the years, so a rope was fixed up for the short abseils needed to get back safely to the canyon floor. Eventually the gorge widened and we began to meet the occasional inquisitive walker tempted into the mouth from the cove beyond.

Suddenly we emerged into a mass of humanity decanted from the coaches and ferry boats that bring the hordes to Sa Colobre the easy way. We made our way through the tide, smug in the knowledge that we had earned our right to down a cold beer in the cove-side caf.

We saluted our day with a glass of wine back at Can Roses, our own oasis of tranquillity despite being only three minutes' walk from Soller's central plaza.

It's a guesthouse with its own extraordinary Tardis effect; one second you are walking up the tiny streets of the old town, the next you are through the wooden door and in a courtyard that once belonged to the nouveau riche in a town made wealthy by fertile groves of oranges, lemons and olives, all fed by the mountain streams that pour down from the heights of the Sierra de Tramuntana range above.

Bought by Brigitte Richter, a German photographer, in 1979 from the old Majorcan family that built it in 1904, Can Roses has the biggest garden in the old town with totally unblocked views to the nearby mountains from the Balinese-style open huts on which guests can relax.

In the 30 years since she came to the area for the light, Brigitte, with the help of her daughter Anna, has transformed the old merchant's house. Now it's a stylish boutique hotel with a set of quirky rooms arranged around the courtyard that overlooks the palms, lemon trees, lawns and pools, acting as a private escape route to total relaxation.

This is one of the most beautiful spots in a town that is the essence of old-style Majorcan charm. The sun penetrates hidden corners of the garden until late in the evening and even then it's difficult to make a case for moving indoors as the setting sun creates a light show of oranges and pinks on the soaring peaks above.

Sumptuous breakfasts are taken on the large tables at the head of the garden, where it is impossible not to mingle with your fellow guests. It doesn't matter that the hotel does not do lunches or dinners because the plaza, with its range of open-air restaurants to suit all tastes and price ranges, is just a short stroll.

Children play together on the marbled piazza in front of the church while their parents dine just a few feet away. Every half an hour the tram that connects Soller with its port literally rattles through with a cheery toot-toot. Just four euros will buy you a ticket in wood-panelled splendour down to the sea.

Soller may be the centrepiece of this fertile bowl below the mountains but it would be a mistake to think its satellite villages hold no attractions. One bright morning we took the quiet back road to the hamlet of Binnibaris and within moments were striding up one of the ancient cobblestoned paths the olive farmers built to make it easier to tend their groves and which still connect the mountain villages.

At the old town house we branched off to Fornalutx and its old Jesuit churchyard where the wealthier families of the area have their still well-tended family graves.

As we approached the village, the hush of the churchyard was in stark contrast to the buzz coming from the central square. Here we chanced upon the village fiesta in full flow; on the steps outside the church, the village band of teenagers in crisp white shirts were playing stirring tunes to their elders gathered in their Sunday best on the terrace of the caf. When the youngsters had finished playing, the oldies descended en masse on the trestle tables groaning with food for a mid-day feast.

We had missed the bull-run conducted earlier in the week-long party but heard the fireworks set off on the hills above the village two days later as dusk approached. It shattered the peace and frightened the pigeons lodging in the Can Roses greenery but within moments the peace had been restored.

FACTBOX

Hotel Can Roses reopens in April. Reservations on 0034-630-072633 or go to www.canroses.com for more information. Standard doubles from 170 euros per night and family suites from 235 euros per night. Soller-based Tramuntana Tours at [email protected] has a wide range of guided excursions by foot, bike, sea kayak or boat. 0034 971 632423.

Flights from Scotland to Palma, Majorca are operated by Jet2.com, Easyjet and Ryanair.

This article was first published in Scotland On Sunday, 12 December, 2010