Sa Volta des General walk to Port des Canonge

The Camí de sa Volta des General is an easy walk from the outskirts of Banyalbufar to Port des Canonge. The outward walk takes around 70 minutes, with spectacular sea views along the way. At the end, you will find an old fishing harbour and an unusual landscape of reddish cliffs.

The Serra de Tramuntana never stops surprising us with its many walking routes, plenty of them suitable for families with children.

This is an easy walk, with a few small changes in elevation and a descent towards the harbour. It is a little longer than the walks we usually recommend for younger children. The outward walk takes us around 70 minutes, but you also need to allow for the return along the same path, uphill this time. It is worth explaining this to the children before setting off.

The path is a mixture of dirt and stones, with some surfaced sections towards the end. We do not recommend taking a standard pushchair. Walking boots are a good idea, as the path tends to get muddy after rain.

Sa Volta des General walking route

We start at the bend on the Ma-10 known as sa Volta des General, shortly before Banyalbufar when coming from Esporles, around kilometre 85.5. The start is signposted and there is a small parking area. We recommend arriving early, before ten in the morning, to find a space. If it is full, another option is to park in a designated area at the entrance to the village.

We were struck by how many people were doing the walk. It is an enjoyable route, marked by the wooden waymarkers you will see on many paths in the Serra de Tramuntana.

Before setting off, it is worth stopping for a moment to admire the beautiful view of Banyalbufar and its characteristic terraces. A real postcard view.

The walk begins with a gentle descent, which is the general pattern of the route. Along the way, we can see traces of what looked like old stone paving. Around us, pines and holm oaks provided welcome shade on some stretches.

As we head downhill, the sea is on our left and the distinctive outline of Sa Foradada soon comes into view. But there is more to the walk than the sea: we also come across the remains of a lime kiln and a charcoal burner’s hut, as well as huge boulders and rock formations with vertical layers.

At the bottom of the descent, we first reach Son Bunyola beach, which has pebbles rather than sand. Here we can already see the cliffs with their characteristic reddish colour. The rough red rocks along this stretch of coast are sandstone, also known locally as gres, and form part of very ancient terrain. Tracks and fossil remains of reptiles that lived before the dinosaurs have been documented in the area.

We cross the beach and, after a short climb, reach a large open area. Walking across it brings us to a traditional Mallorcan fishing harbour: Port des Canonge. This pebbly cove, with washed-up plant material along the shore, tends to get busy in summer. Here we can find a shady spot for lunch or enjoy a well-earned swim if the season allows. We return along the same route, uphill this time :).

Sa Volta des General: walk details