Sa Foradada walk from Son Marroig

The walk to Sa Foradada is a classic among walks in Mallorca, above all for its views. The route is easy to follow, but remember that the outward leg is downhill and you return uphill along the same path. We went with three girls, two aged 9 and one aged 12, who managed the climb without much trouble in an hour. Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria documented this whole area extensively in his work Die Balearen, originally published between 1869 and 1891.

Getting to the start at Son Marroig

From Palma, head to Valldemossa and then take the Ma-10 towards Deià. Several kilometres beyond Valldemossa, you will find the turn-off for Son Marroig, where the walk begins. The estate lies in the municipality of Deià.

Parking beside Son Marroig is paid, using a parking meter, in both summer and winter. Spaces are limited, and charges and operating hours vary by season. From there, walk towards the house. On the right is the Son Marroig viewpoint, also known as El Galliner, with a bar area that gets very busy on summer evenings as people gather to watch one of the best sunsets in Mallorca.

The view of Sa Foradada from here is spectacular. You can come just for a drink and the scenery, without doing the whole walk.

From the house, follow the signs towards Sa Foradada until you reach a green gate with steps to cross over it. This is also how the access is described on the Son Marroig website. You are entering a private estate, so follow its instructions and leave gates as you find them. The route begins through a beautiful olive grove where, with a little luck, you may see sheep and donkeys. On our visit they came over and we even got to stroke them; do not chase or feed them.

After a few minutes, you reach a viewpoint overlooking Sa Foradada, with another wonderful view of the distinctive rock and even a stone table for a snack. It is perfect for a day when you only fancy a short stroll, or for showing the scenery to visitors who would rather skip the full walk :).

The descent to Sa Foradada

From here, the path heads downhill. Stay on the track rather than taking shortcuts. There is plenty to catch your eye along the way: near the start are the rock cavities of Ses Caves, on the Son Marroig estate, with unusual shapes sculpted by erosion. Further down, take the right-hand branch at the junction towards Sa Foradada.

As you descend, several more viewpoints bring you ever closer to the famous rock. Eventually you reach a small landing stage and a rocky stretch of coast, where you can swim if sea conditions allow. We found jellyfish on our visit, which put paid to the swim we had been looking forward to.

Here you will find the well-known Sa Foradada restaurant, famous for its paellas. We stopped for coffee on our visit; there was homemade cake too. Boat trips also bring visitors to the landing stage to eat in this area. The restaurant has toilets for its customers. If you want to eat, it is best to book directly with the restaurant.

More adventurous walkers may try climbing to the top of Sa Foradada, but this climb is separate from the walking route and we do not recommend it as a family activity. There is no defined path to the top, and the descent involves awkward sections of scrambling. The detour can take around 30 minutes, but walking to the landing stage already lets you enjoy the rock without tackling it.

Returning to Son Marroig

After a pleasant stop, some sandwiches and a coffee with magnificent views, we headed back uphill along the same path.

To sum up: the descent can take around 50 minutes at a good pace with children. We took just over an hour because we stopped for photographs several times. The climb back also took us an hour, less than expected, with several breaks to catch our breath. We would not recommend this walk in the height of summer because of the heat on the climb. Bring water and footwear with a good grip: the return leg is where most of the effort comes in.

Sa Foradada walk: practical information