Guide to the most beautiful gardens of the Balearic Islands

PALMA DI MAJORCA, - Nature is at its maximum splendor and the Balearic Islands invite visitors to discover the wonderful flower gardens, to go trekking, pedaling and strolling through the wetlands of the archipelago, perfect at this time of year too. for bird watching.

On Mallorca, the main island of the archipelago, you can stroll through the Sóller Botanical Garden, which has been open to the public for thirty years with the aim of conserving the most endangered, rare and exclusive species of flowers on the islands.

The Garden, which houses collections of plants, seeds and herbaria also for scientific research purposes, has an area of ​​9,500 square meters, divided into 6 collections: flora of the Balearics, flora of the Canaries, flora of the Mediterranean islands and their areas of flu, medicinal plants, ornamental collections and a collection of traditional varieties of fruit trees and vegetables.

The area is designed on stone terraces (marges), made with a dry stone method that allows to host the maximum number of species possible and to offer different micro-habitats.

There are many other green places on the island to be discovered in spring;

among these the gardens of Alfábia stand out, a mix of landscapes - romantic, tropical and English - in which you can observe a multitude of floral species, shrubs and trees, some of which are indigenous, skilfully integrated into this natural environment.

The Alfábia estate, which dates back to the 13th century, is home to more than 200 palm trees of three different species, an abundance of ancient rose bushes, wisteria over 400 years old, a large number of orange and lemon trees, centenary olive trees and cycads, as well as to the singular tree Plater de Sa Clastra.

Another historic place in Mallorca is the Raixa estate, located at the foot of the Serra de Tramuntana, which with its magnificent gardens is the result of the neoclassical reforms carried out between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century by Cardinal Despuig,

Majorcan enlightenment.

The estate has an area of ​​520 thousand square meters, of which 4,500 correspond to the buildings and the rest consists of gardens, cultivation areas and woods.

Raixa is famous above all for the gardens that surround the house and extend along the southern slope of sa Muntanyeta;

in the lower part are the vegetable garden, the "dels Tarongers" garden, the "de la Galeria" garden with a central fountain and the "d'Entrada" garden with a small pond.

In Menorca it is possible to circumnavigate the island on foot or by bicycle through the Camí de Cavalls 360, a tour in stages along the GR 223, an ancestral path of 185 kilometers that runs along the Menorcan coast.

It can be covered on foot, running or mountain biking and each mode offers three possible variations: the whole loop, the northern half or the southern half.

Finally, the islands of Ibiza and Formentera allow you to do bird watching in the Ses Salines Natural Park, a green area rich in ponds, biodiversity, beaches with crystal clear waters and an exceptional backdrop.

The Natural Park is located right between the two islands, from the south of Ibiza to the north of Formentera, and includes their marine and terrestrial reserves, including the stretch of sea that separates them.

Accessible from both islands, in the park of Ibiza you will find the ancient salt ponds and the beautiful beaches of Ses Salines, Es Cavallet and Es Codolar.

On the Formentera side, on the other hand, there are jewels such as s'Estany Pudent, s'Estany des Peix, Ses Salines and spectacular beaches such as Punta Prima or S'Espalmador.

Ses Salines, in particular, is a paradise for birdwatchers:

The Tourist Strategy Board of the Balearic Islands offers all the information to the sites: illesbalears.travel, safetourism.illesbalears.travel, illessostenibles.travel