Mallorca favourites: Sa Foradada

Elliot would probably disagree with this, seeing as I grumble about it every time he suggests it, but Sa Foradada IS actually one of my favourite places in Mallorca.

About a 5-minute drive from Deià (in the north of the island), getting to Sa Foradada means a 45-minute hike down a winding gravel road. It's easy and I usually do it in flip flops, but the 35-degree heat definitely makes it a bit more challenging.

Here are some photos from the top of the mountain, pre-hike. You can see the winding road on the side of the tip of the island that is basically the last 10 minutes of the walk. (That's my sister and her boyfriend on a recent European sojourn from their travels through Africa.)

The start of the walk involves climbing over an iron gate (the only cars allowed on the road are those belonging to the restaurant owners at the bottom). This sign makes sure you're heading the right way:

There are plenty of olive trees during the first 10 minutes of the hike. 

Ever eaten a raw olive picked off a tree? I don't recommend it.

There are also loads of sheep during the first 15 minutes. They roam the dry land eating grass and they run away from you if you approach them. The big collars around their neck have big cowbells around them.

And then, once you get to the bottom, we usually go eat at the family-owned restaurant first. This man, who is in his 70s, has owned the restaurant for over 40 years, and still spends his summer days cooking paella for appreciative tourists.

My favourite paella in the world.

See? We have brought quite a few people here—at least four different groups of visitors, that I can think of—but Sa Foradada remains a favourite. 

After lunch, there's a little rocky cove where you can sunbathe (though to be honest, it's not the most comfortable as there's no sand...). Usually, though, I end up splashing around in the tide, trying to avoid being smashed over the rocks. 

Last time we went, we climbed up the side of the small mountain, but I got a bit scared once we got to the very tip of the cliff and had to hang on to the peak-marker. My palms were very sweaty (and they're getting sweaty now just thinking about it again)!

It doesn't look so scary here (I just look flipping ridiculous), but Elliot is taking the picture about 2 feet away from the edge of a 100m-high cliff. I won't be doing this part again!