Sant Elm, where the Tramuntana begins: three ideas for autumn

On Mallorca’s south-western tip, Sant Elm faces the island of Sa Dragonera with the Serra de Tramuntana at its back. Once the summer heat fades, this small coastal village becomes one of the quietest gateways to the island’s countryside.

Walk the Dry Stone Route

The Serra de Tramuntana has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, listed as a cultural landscape. Its signature trail is the GR 221, the Ruta de Pedra en Sec or Dry Stone Route, which starts in Port d’Andratx and crosses the range to Pollença.

Sant Elm sits on its opening stages. From the village, paths climb towards La Trapa through pine woods, dry-stone terraces and sea views. Autumn and winter are good months to walk it: temperatures are mild and the trails are quieter. The Consell de Mallorca runs a network of mountain refuges along the route, which can be booked in advance.

Cross to Sa Dragonera

Around 700 metres offshore, Sa Dragonera is an uninhabited island that has been a protected nature park since 1995, together with the islets of Es Pantaleu and Sa Mitjana. Its long, jagged outline, said to resemble a sleeping dragon, is Sant Elm’s best-known view.

Boats leave from the village jetty for a crossing of about 15 minutes to Cala Lledó, home to the park’s information centre. Waymarked paths lead from there to the lighthouses. The park is open all year, except on days when the sea makes landing impossible.

Westward sunsets

Sant Elm faces west, so the sun sets over the sea and the island. The clifftop viewpoints and the Torre de Cala en Basset watchtower are popular spots to watch it. The village is linked to Palma by bus route 100, via Andratx.

Living here

Sant Elm brings together sea, mountains and a small-village pace, less than an hour’s drive from Palma. Taylor Wimpey España builds new homes in Sant Elm and nearby Paguera. Explore our developments in Mallorca.