Mallorca walking vacation in the Balearic Islands, Spain
Highlights
Palma | Walking in Tramuntana Mountains | Puerto Sóller | Cala Deiá | Deiá | Biniaraitx | Es Cornadors | Valldemossa to 'S'Atalaia Vella' path | Cala Tuent | Stay in Lluc Monastery | Muleta de Binifaldo |
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.com
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Small group vacation
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, traveling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week vacation, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travelers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your vacation time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your vacation.
Solo travelers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those traveling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travelers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travelers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travelers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Story: The first British woman to climb Manaslu, Valerie climbed Everest for her 50th birthday. She’s spent fourteen Christmas Days trekking to Everest Base Camp, and is involved insetting up Responsible Tourism initiatives in the Himalayas.
Story: Roshan has led over 130 trips – he adores showing travelers around Sri Lanka. He won the company Leader Award in 2010, but his career highlight was working on their Tsunami Project – which earned him a responsible tourism award.
Responsible tourism
Mallorca walking vacation in the Balearic Islands, Spain
Carbon reduction
Your vacation will help support local people and conservation. We must also reduce CO2. Learn about the CO2 emissions of this vacation and how to reduce them.
Environment
Activity:
Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a walking trip. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem in certain places and therefore our trip leaders encourage clients to stick to advised routes in order to minimise this. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although this tour actively encourages guests to talk to local people, visit local cafes and restaurants, use markets to purchase traditional gifts and crafts. Also in visiting landmarks like the Lluc monastery, we are contributing to their upkeep.
Water:
Water is a really important issue with walking trips and whilst we must stay hydrated, it is also vital that we have a system for providing clean water without causing lots of waste with plastic bottles. We suggest that instead of repeatedly buying bottled water, guests should re-fill a singular bottle. In the Mallorcan mountains, there are plentiful springs at which you can re-fill.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
Community
Accommodation & Meals:
We spend the first part of the week in a locally staffed hotel in Puerto Soller and the remainder in the beautiful Lluc Monastery. Staying in the monastery is particularly special- it promotes Spanish culture and they engage in energy saving practises. Being blessed with a Mediterranean location, this area is rich in locally sourced or grown produce and so meals will be made generally with ingredients fresh from the area. Breakfasts and packed lunches include things like fresh fruit, tomatoes, peppers, olives, cheeses, bread and ham. Where meals are not provided, we encourage locals to engage with locals and support small businesses by eating at community restaurants.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
3 Reviews of Mallorca walking vacation in the Balearic Islands, Spain
Reviewed on 24 May 2019 by Nicola HUBBARD
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Summiting the mountains & seeing the beautiful views & wildlife
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared to be challenged. The slopes are steep
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we ate locally & stayed in non chain hotels
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
9/10
Reviewed on 23 Oct 2018 by Sheila Scott
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Our excellent guide and the group dynamic - even the frequently disappointing wet weather did not spoil the experience.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Go with an open mind and be prepared for last-minute changes to the itinerary due to adverse weather. In October, take a waterproof poncho - just in case!
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes - we filled our water bottles daily, usually from springs, so we did not buy plastic water bottles. Our guide bought locally all the ingredients for our picnics, and we ate in small local venues; we used public transport whenever possible. The guide was very knowledgeable about flora and fauna and took us to a small museum about the Serra de Tramuntana, where we learned about the local environment.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very good - we learned a lot about the local environment, culture and cuisine; the walks were varied and interesting, and having two centers (hotel and monastery) added an extra dimension.
Reviewed on 30 Oct 2017 by Cherry Shelton-Mills
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Discovering that Mallorca is far more than a package vacation destination. Stunning scenery in the mountains along the coast and friendly people.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Would be hard walking in the height of summer due to heat
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
As far as the first hotel goes, not so sure. No obvious arrangements for recycling. Staff were local. Second hotel at monastery is local, recycling bins in room. Food appeared to be local. Guide was local and passionate about his country and the environmental protection. Money from tourism goes to protect the area.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A great trip with good walking, a couple of days a bit tougher but nothing that people with good fitness levels couldn't manage. No scrambling fortunately!
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