Mines In Northern Majorca.

[The Old Ruminator]

Wandering the hills above Cala Sant Vicenc near Pollenca I came across three mines high up near the summit. I have not been able to find anything about them online and not having a torch could not fully explore. If anyone is up that way have a look as it beats sitting in a deckchair all day.

A track leaves the main road down to Cala Sant Vicenc and wanders up the hillside until the first mine is met after an hours walk. You pass beyond a gate marked " Privado " but nobody takes notice. The track ends at the first mine but a loose path leads up a gulley passing two more mines. The middle one is almost blocked by a collapse. There are snakes in these hills but possibly not too dangerous.

The scree slope is where the first mine is. The track can be seen below.

P9050136 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

The first mine which after 100m meets two airshafts.

P9020088 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

P9020076 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

P9020083 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

View from the third mine.

P9020093 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

P9020094 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Incredible dry stone walling on the track.

P9020105 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Small monument at the gate.

P9020106 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Cala Sant Vicenc

P9050140 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

[Roger W]

Wandering the hills above Cala Sant Vicenc near Pollenca I came across three mines high up near the summit. I have not been able to find anything about them online and not having a torch could not fully explore. If anyone is up that way have a look as it beats sitting in a deckchair all day.

A track leaves the main road down to Cala Sant Vicenc and wanders up the hillside until the first mine is met after an hours walk. You pass beyond a gate marked " Privado " but nobody takes notice. The track ends at the first mine but a loose path leads up a gulley passing two more mines. The middle one is almost blocked by a collapse. There are snakes in these hills but possibly not too dangerous.

https://www.affordablemallorca.com/insights/the-snakes-on-mallorca

[Alex]

Lots of caves in Mallorca too, nice to explore in winter when the outside temp is 15c and inside its 24! Found a few on a map and explored them, great fun.

[Allan]

Hi
They aren't mines but gun emplacements (shore battery) from the time of the Spanish Civil War, which were built by prisoners of war.
As far as I know, the emplacements were not completed and no guns installed.

[Robert Scott]

The plaque translated from Catalan reads "in the memory of Republican prisoners who, being faithful to democracy and freedom, were forced - between 1937 and 1940 - to open paths like this"

[The Old Ruminator]

Gosh. Thanks for the info folks.

[Fulk]

Very interesting; if they were gun emplacements, I would have expected them to be pointing out to sea (not that I know anything about military tactics and strategy); yet TOR's picture 5 appears to be pointing inland. (I believe that Mallorca was held by the Nationalist rebels, who would not have had to shell inland Mallorca, but might have wanted to take precautions against a sea-borne attack.)

Still, we're going there in a few weeks' time and might check it out. Have you any other recommended activities in that part of the island, TOR?

Viva la República, viva la democracía (well it's dead in the UK, ain't it?).

[Allan]

If I remember rightly, the passages lead into chambers which were excavated to form magazines.  The shells would then have been hauled up the shafts to the guns, each gun position having its own magazine and shaft.
The passages lead in from the landward side, for protection and concealment.
Only one of the underground installations looked anywhere near finished in terms of excavation.
The site is worth visiting if only for the impressive sea views.

[The Old Ruminator]

I would have done the boat trip around Formentor Fulk but the sea was a bit rough. The waves pick up very quickly in the north-facing bays.

P9060155 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

These are Mesozoic limestones and conglomerates at the north end. Very sharply worn with deep gullies and cave type appearances but none seem to go very far.

The high cliffs of Formentor at sunset.

P9040119 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

Possible botryoidal type stal in a crevice.

P9050149 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

An old man looking for caves.

P9050148 by Nicholas Chipchase, on Flickr

[mikem]

More near Magaluf, but this website seems to include other underground options:
http://www.mallorcadaysout.com/3.7.html

[Fulk]

Robert Scott:

The plaque translated from Catalan . . .

Or is that Mallorcan?

[mch]

Recently returned from a week in Menorca and found what turned out to be a similar gun emplacement to the ones described by the OP. In a small rocky headland to the east of Santo Tomas a passage runs for some way to a small air shaft then down some steps to a further length of passage into an arched chamber with two slits overlooking the bay, presumably for a couple of heavy machine guns. At the back of the chamber an opening comes out high in the side of a sea cave.

[Fulk]

Did you visit the Pareis Gorge, TOR? If not, it's well worth a visit:

[Fulk]

I think that someone in the Mallorcan Highways Department has a sense of humour: