Mallorca's Refuges Break Their Overnight Record in 2025

Mallorca's Refuges Break Their Overnight Record in 2025

On the island's mountains and in its valleys you now hear backpack rustling more often than car horns in the mornings: in 2025 the seven public mountain huts operated by the island council together recorded around 43,200 overnight stays. That's roughly seven percent more than the year before and a new record for the refuges.

Nearly 270 sleeping places are available in total — from simple dormitories to rooms with views over the Tramuntana. The most-booked refuge this year was So n'Amer, known for its view into the Lluc valley and for the short paths that lead from there to old dry stone walls and secluded viewpoints, and many visitors returned when the refuges re-opened after the summer pause.

Why it matters

When people experience the island on foot, whether in groups or alone, more happens than just leisure. Such overnight stays spread visitors away from the coast, bring income to small mountain villages and keep paths and infrastructure in focus. On the ascent you can smell pine resin, hear distant church bells from Lluc and meet hikers who collect wood to relight their headlamps after a long day. This is a different Mallorca than the postcard beaches — and apparently a desired destination for many guests.

The figures also show that nature-based travel has potential to extend the season. Hikers stay longer, shop locally and use services on site. Small bars, craft shops and public parking spaces benefit when huts are well visited. For places near the refuges, this is a welcome complement to the summer business.

Simple everyday life at the huts

A typical morning at a refugi: early fog in the valleys, the smell of coffee, the quiet clatter of cookware. Volunteers and hut wardens welcome guests, explain the next stages, refill water containers. Many hikers plan their stages via the island council's official booking pages, others use spontaneous nights under the starry sky. Despite the increased demand, the refuges remain no hotels — the communal togetherness, the sharing of stories and the simple infrastructure are part of the appeal.

Where it can lead

The news of the record year is a positive signal for sustainable rural tourism. Those who come to the mountains under their own steam tend to show respect for paths and flora. That does not mean everything is perfect, but it opens opportunities: better trail markings, additional transport connections to popular starting points, seasonal offers for locals and school groups — all measures that can secure the experience without overburdening nature.

For many Mallorcans this is not an abstract statistics topic. It means weekends when roads to the Tramuntana come alive, as when the refuges were full over the Constitution long weekend; it means employment for hut wardens, craftsmen and small restaurateurs; it means that quiet Mallorca also becomes visible economically.

Looking ahead

The 2025 record invites continued care for the hiking offer: reliable reservation systems, clean and accessible huts, information points in villages and more initiatives for locals. And finally there is something very personal: the huts remind us that an evening above the valley, a simple meal with strangers and sleeping under a Milky Way sky sometimes make a holiday more than any luxury address.

Conclusion: More overnight stays in the refuges mean not only fuller mattresses but also livelier signs of life in Mallorca's mountain landscapes. For hikers, for villages — and for an island that rediscovers its diversity.