Stone and Water

Residual stones from the fields are worked without any mortar or cement to build, among other things, walls delimiting plots and properties. This technique, called piedra seca (dry stone), has been used since time immemorial and is one of the riches of the Serra de Tramuntana.

The maximum expression of the use of dry stone is the terraces (or dry-stone walls), which are essential for expanding or enabling cultivation areas and utilizing water. Difficult accessibility means that cultivation, mainly of olive trees, is carried out using traditional techniques.

Barracas (huts) are easily constructed temporary dwellings, featuring dry stone walls, a single opening, and a roof made of logs and reeds. In the Serra de Tramuntana, we primarily find huts used by charcoal burners (carbonero) and brush clearers (rozador).

One of the most important activities was charcoal making (carboneo), the conversion of forest wood into charcoal. This was done in a carbonera, a circular platform delimited by stones. Good quality charcoal was obtained from holm oak and wild olive wood.

Lime production was also a prosperous economic activity in the Serra de Tramuntana, thanks to the abundance of limestone and its use in construction, medicine, and hygiene. To obtain lime, dry stone kilns were built on sloping ground.

When it snowed, snow collectors (neveros) acted quickly to gather the snow in the casas de nieve (snow houses). These consisted of an elliptical or rectangular hole in the ground, covered with a stone wall and a paved floor. It was a scarce and prized product for medicine and gastronomy.

The utilization of water, a scarce resource in the Serra de Tramuntana, led, even during the period of Arab rule, to the construction of a complex system of traditional water engineering to capture and extract groundwater, and to conduct, distribute, and store it.

The network created by humans blends harmoniously into the landscape. The various hydraulic elements enable efficient management of water for crops. Control of the watercourse and the force of the water makes it possible for the watermills to operate.

Possessions are large estates that were, for centuries, a key part of the traditional agricultural economy. They include a small built nucleus: the casas de possessió (estate houses). They originate from the distribution of land among the nobles who participated in the Catalan conquest of Mallorca.

The almazara (oil mill) is the place where olives are transformed into oil. It brings together the elements for the three main tasks: milling, pressing, and storage. Almost all possessions had one. More than 600 have been located in Mallorca, most of them in the Serra.

In the late 19th century, nature began to be understood as a source of beauty and inspiration, beyond a resource for survival. One of the great promoters of the network of paths and viewpoints for enjoying the Serra de Tramuntana was Archduke Ludwig Salvator.

To defend themselves against attacks, a network of towers, watchtowers and castles was established. They communicated with each other using a system of fire and smoke signals. The most important fortifications were the rock castles of Alaró and Castell del Rei, in Pollença.

The coast is very rugged and access to the sea is not easy (with the exception of Sóller and Andratx). This is why, in many places, we find slipways and small constructions, known as escars, which are used to store fishermen's boats and tools.

Hidden among mountains and forests is also an archaeological legacy that reveals human activity in the Serra de Tramuntana as early as prehistory. Caves, remains of necropolises, and Talayotic structures can be found.

Ramon Llull was the first to promote the hermit life from the Serra de Tramuntana. Since then, numerous religious people have settled in different places to lead a life away from society, focused on contemplation and prayer.