Wo beginnt die Wanderung zum Castell?

Ihr habt zwei Möglichkeiten: für die längere Strecke parkt ihr unten am Fuß des Weges (39.714299, 2.800935) und geht die gesamten Serpentinen zu Fuß. Für die kürzere Runde müsst ihr die Serpentinen (Achtung eng!) mit dem Auto fahren und könnt oben am Restaurant parken (39.729289, 2.788621).

Wie schwer ist die Tour auf den Alaró?

Vorausgesetzt, die Ausdauer für die Länge der Strecke ist gegeben, ist die Runde recht einfach zu gehen. Vom Charakter erinnert sie an die Strecke auf den Puig de Maria: erst asphaltierte Serpentinen und dann in Stein gehauene Stufen. Für Kinderwägen allerdings nicht geeignet, für Kinder aber sicherlich.

Wie lange dauert die Wanderung auf den Alaró?

Von unten solltet ihr mit rund 4 Stunden rechnen – Pausen und Fotogelegenheiten sind da noch nicht mitgerechnet. Die obere Runde sollte etwa knapp 2 Stunden dauern.

Kann man sich unterwegs verlaufen?

Kaum, da man überwiegend einem Weg folgt, der dazu noch hier und da ausgeschildert ist. Dennoch macht es natürlich Sinn, unsere Karten zu verwenden und sich zu tracken!

Ist der Zugang beschränkt?

Hier und da gehen private Wege von der Route ab, der Wanderweg selbst ist aber frei und kostenlos zugänglich.

Gibt es unterwegs Wasser oder Einkehrmöglichkeiten?

Ja! Am Restaurant Es Verger auf halber Höhe und auch in der Hosteria auf dem Gipfel. Allerdings gilt das nicht ganzjährig, es macht also Sinn, sich vorher auf den Webseiten zu informieren.

Was sind die Highlights der Runde?

Highlights wäre ein großes Wort – aber dafür, dass die Runde nicht gerade eine Abenteuerrunde ist, bietet sie durchaus einiges an. Dazu zählt natürlich die Ruine des Castells, aber auch der Blick Richtung Palma und auf die höchsten Gipfel des Tramuntanas.

Was ist aus unserer Sicht noch zu beachten?

Das wichtigste ist wohl dass man sich mit dem Auto nicht vertun darf: Die Serpentinen sind zwar gut asphaltiert, aber sehr eng. Wer nicht gut rangieren kann oder Mühe hat, rückwärts zu fahren, sollte sein Auto am besten unten stehen lassen!

Castell d’Alaró hike

Route overview Castell d’Alaró

ca. 13 km
ca. 700 hm
4 hours
moderate
mostly sunny

This tour takes you to Castell d’Alaró above Alaró — one of the routes where you reach a great viewpoint without big effort. Here you’ll find the route, an interactive map and a GPX track, plus our honest assessment of effort, navigation, and sensible variants (e.g., whether you park lower down or drive up closer). If you want to hike independently on Mallorca, this is a great fit: map in the browser, GPX as a backup — done.

Highlights of the Castell d’Alaro hike

Even though this loop is not exactly an adventure hike, it still offers something impressive. The castle is only rudimentarily preserved, but you can still get a sense of its former dimensions. The view is phenomenal as well. In one direction you can see Palma Cathedral, and in the other direction you get a view of the highest peaks of the Tramuntana: Penyal des Migdia, Sa Rateta, Tossals Verds, Massanella, Tomir and many others — a lot of bang for the buck!

What to keep in mind

Basically not much — the hike is an extended variant of the hike to Puig de Maria. The paths in the upper section are rocky, but overall easy to walk. Strollers are not usable here, however.

starting point

The regular starting point for the hike is the roadside parking area below the summit ( 39.714299, 2.800935).

Since the first part of the switchbacks is paved, you can alternatively drive up as far as the restaurant Es Verger and shorten the loop considerably ( 39.729289, 2.788621). The ascent is well paved, but the road is narrow. Two cars definitely do not fit side by side here, and you may need to reverse to pass. If you’re unsure about that, it’s better to park lower down.

Want more tours like that?

Then take a look at our overview of all hikes on Mallorca! This route is part of our hikes in the Tramuntana m ountains.

This route was also featured in our Best of Mallorca guide to Tramuntana hikes.

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CASTELL D'ALARO - SHORT ROUTE GUIDE

01.

Roadside parking area and start of the hike.

02.

Shortly after the parking area, we turn right and take the path that leads up to the castle. The direction is clearly signposted.

03.

A short time later we join the Camí des Castell and follow the GR-221 trail. From here on, we simply follow the switchbacks that wind visibly up the mountain.

04.

Again and again there are shortcuts through the switchbacks for hikers, either marked by such posts or simply recognizable as paths. Our track goes up via the switchbacks and—where possible—down via the paths, but of course everyone can choose their own preferred way to combine this.

05.

At one point there is a passing place for cars — this is irrelevant for hikers, only for those who want to drive to the upper parking area.

06.

View of the alternative parking area. Up to here the switchbacks are paved and, in principle, easy to drive.

07.

Here we turn sharply right to avoid entering private property.

08.

Here the path turns into roughly cut stone steps leading up to the castle. There is also a small parking area here, but it is mainly intended for servicing the site.

09.

Here we turn left to reach the castle. On the way down, we then follow the direction towards Alaró.

10.

Here we rejoin the paved switchbacks. To reach the upper parking area, we need to turn right. To return to the lower parking area, we turn left and follow the switchbacks downhill.

Frequently asked questions about the Castell d’Alaro hike

WHERE DOES THE HIKE TO THE CASTLE START?

You have two options: for the longer route, park down at the foot of the path ( 39.714299, 2.800935) and walk the entire set of switchbacks. For the shorter loop, you need to drive up the switchbacks (caution: narrow) and can park up by the restaurant ( 39.729289, 2.788621).

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE HIKE TO THE castle?

Assuming you have the endurance for the length of the route, the loop is quite easy to walk. In terms of character, it is reminiscent of the hike to Puig de Maria: first paved switchbacks and then steps cut into the rock. It is not suitable for strollers, but fine for children.

HOW LONG DOES THE HIKE TO the castle TAKE?

Starting from the lower parking area, you should plan around 4 hours — breaks and photo stops are not included in that. The upper loop should take just under 2 hours.

CAN YOU GET LOST ON THE WAY?

Hardly, as you mostly follow one path that is also signposted here and there. Still, it of course makes sense to use our maps and track the route.

IS ACCESS RESTRICTED?

Here and there, private paths branch off from the route, but the hiking trail itself is freely and publicly accessible

IS THERE WATER OR ARE THERE PLACES TO STOP FOR FOOD ALONG THE WAY?

Yes! At the restaurant Es Verger halfway up, and also at the hostelry at the summit. However, this is not available year-round, so it makes sense to check the websites in advance.

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LOOP?

“Highlights” is a big word — but for a loop that is not exactly an adventure hike, it does offer quite a lot. This includes, of course, the castle ruins, but also the view towards Palma and of the highest peaks of the Tramuntana.

Anything else to keep in mind?

The most important thing is probably not to mess up with your car: the winding roads are well paved, but very narrow. If you’re not good at maneuvering or have trouble driving in reverse, it’s best to leave your car at the bottom!

Weather on the Castell d’Alaro hike

We provide a 24-hour forecast for planning your Castell d’Alaro hike — including temperature, rain, sunshine, cloud cover, plus wind speed and wind direction, for both the start point and the destination.

Check the Weathermap FAQ for more details about the weather data!

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