New GR 226 Route: Discover Eastern Mallorca on Foot and by Bike

New GR 226 Route: Discover Eastern Mallorca on Foot and by Bike

A new trail network draws a red line across the east of the island, as covered in East Mallorca GR 226: New Long-Distance Trail Between Opportunity and Strain. Bright red wooden signs bear the inscription "East Mallorca GR 226" and lead from Cales de Mallorca to Cala Mesquida over a total of 104.8 kilometres.

The route is divided into four stages: Cales de Mallorca–Manacor (25 km), Manacor–Son Carrió (23 km), Son Carrió–Artà (23.2 km) and Artà–Cala Mesquida (22.6 km). Officially, each stage is estimated at around six hours on foot. There are also two spurs: to Son Macià (3.3 km) and to Costa dels Pins (7.7 km). If you only want to explore a section, you can combine stages or ride by bike.

I tested the route on a cool January morning; Palma showed 13°C and scattered clouds; in the plain behind Manacor there were still damp spots from a night with frost. The station in Manacor has its own bustle with the regular whistling of trains, the clatter of suitcases and the smell of freshly brewed coffee — yet you will search in vain here for a signpost for the GR 226. Mapping apps like Wikiloc are helpful in such cases.

The paths run over dirt tracks, gravel roads and small country lanes. In some sections you encounter guardrails and winding carriageways, where safety measures have been put in place. Along fields you see goats and olive groves, needles rustle in the pine forests, and in the villages a church bell rings occasionally. The route is fundamentally suitable for cyclists; a mountain bike or a sturdy trekking bike is advisable.

Work to open the trail began in early July 2025. Since then, overgrown paths have been cleared, signs installed and spots made safer where thorns or dense scrub once blocked the way. The total cost amounted to €915,000; the project was created as a joint effort of the five eastern municipalities under the tourism brand "East Mallorca" as an umbrella, as reported in GR 226: El nuevo sendero de Gran Recorrido en el este — ¿oportunidad o carga para el Llevant?.

What I particularly appreciated on my stages: the silence between villages, the brief encounters with farmers standing at the field edge in jackets and wellies, and the simple, wide views that repeatedly unfold. In Son Carrió, an official stage town, accommodation options are smaller than on the coast; if you plan to stay here you should book early. Hotels in the coastal towns are plentiful; in small inland villages the offer is more moderate.

If you start from Palma, you can conveniently take the train to Manacor. Bike transport is possible and makes joining the second stage very relaxed. The spurs are also practical if you want a shorter round or only to walk a single stage.

A few personal tips: plan sun protection and enough water — even in winter the sun on open fields can be unpleasant; good shoes are essential, potholes and gravel await both hikers and cyclists; and a small tool kit and puncture repair kit for the bike never hurts. You hear more birds in the morning; in the afternoon a light breeze often blows from the sea, pleasantly cooling the trail.

Why this is good for Mallorca: the GR 226 opens up part of the island that was rarely the target of longer hikes. The route brings visitors into contact with everyday local life — bakeries, small plazas, farm driveways — and distributes tourism away from the overcrowded coast. For municipalities this means a chance to enliven the year more sustainably, spread incomes and interest guests in local products.

Of course, the infrastructure is still modest and this trail is not a pilgrim path with huts at every corner. But that is precisely its charm: less mass tourism, more room for discovery. A sunny morning in Son Servera, the clatter of a bicycle chain on the camí, a cup of hot Mallorcan café con leche — these are scenes that stick with you.

Outlook: the official opening is still pending; those who go now will experience the route freshly signposted and without the crowds of the high season. For municipalities this means balancing better accessibility with landscape protection. For day trippers and hikers it means: try new routes, travel respectfully and use local services.

If you plan a stage: check the maps beforehand, choose start and end points according to accommodation options and bear in mind that some sections run along busy roads. A mountain bike makes many passages more comfortable. And: take time for a coffee stop in Manacor, for the view at Artà and for a walk at the end in Cala Mesquida — that way the tour becomes more than just a line on the map.

Practical facts

Total length: 104.8 km. Official stages: 4. Estimated duration per stage on foot: approx. 6 hours. Spurs: Son Macià (3.3 km), Costa dels Pins (7.7 km). Cost: €915,000. Marking: "East Mallorca GR 226" on red signposts. Work start for opening: July 2025. Bike transport on the train to Manacor possible.