Rolling hills, endless olive groves and romantic hilltop villages – the Serra de Llevant mountains in the east of the island offer an unbeatable snapshot of rural Majorca. You'll visit an aloe vera farm, a weekly country market and a cave system in one great day. Elisabeth, one of our expert guides, says, ‘When I have visitors from home, I take them to the same places visited on this tour – this is the authentic Majorca.'
Kick off with a morning visit to a farm near the village of Santa Margalida. It specialises in cultivating organic aloe vera – a cactus-like plant renowned for its medicinal and healing properties. It's used as a key ingredient in products for treating sunburn as well as other ailments. Learn all about these uses during a guided tour of the plantation, which employs locals and contributes to the regional economy. Then it's off to hilltop Arta to visit the market. Criss-crossed with narrow cobblestone streets of limestone homes with coloured shutters, it's a joy to explore. Elisabeth says, ‘Arta is a beautiful village, and you'll find lots of local delicacies at its farmers' market. And the Sant Salvador Sanctuary offers amazing views over the surrounding countryside.'
After free time for lunch, we'll head to the coast to visit the Arta Caves in the afternoon. The setting is hard to beat – a headland overlooking a charming bay. Inside, you'll explore the labyrinth of caverns, with the stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by a sophisticated lighting system.
