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Artà’s crowning glory is its hilltop fortress, the view from which is one of Mallorca’s most characteristic sights: a jumble of tiles in every shade of brown.

The Moors chose another picturesque spot for their “Castle of the King”. The battered ruins we see today, high above the sea on a barren crag, are the remains of medieval embellishments made by Jaume I. It was not effective against pirates, who simply landed at nearby Cala Sant Vicenç, but it was the last stronghold to surrender to Aragonese invasions in the 14th century.

With Moorish origins and Christian additions, this castle never served its defensive purpose well, as raiders simply avoided it. It was demoted to merely a watchtower, and, in the early 18th century, abandoned altogether. Today, its ruins are a panoramic destination for hikers (see also Castell del Rei).

A popular walk leads to this remote, abandoned mountain castle north of Pollença (see also Castell del Rei).

This lofty castle was originally used by the Moors as a stronghold. It proved to be virtually impregnable – conquered only after extremely long sieges, with its unfortunate defenders eventually being starved out. The Christians refurbished the old structure and continued to use it for centuries.

The original castle was built a thousand years ago by the Moors and then refurbished following the “reconquest” by Jaume I in the 13th century. It’s little more than rubble now, but the lofty position certainly seems unconquerable enough. At the bottom of the trail is an excellent restaurant; from here you can follow well-beaten paths and dry-stone tracks along the cliff-face (see also Castell d’Alaró).

This remote castle was attacked several times over the centuries, each time proving its defences against everything except prolonged siege. Alfonso III finally took it in 1285. The two leaders of the patriots were burned alive by the king, who, in turn, was excommunicated by the pope (see also Castell d’Alaró).

The hostel is a 45-minute walk from the scenic castle. There are double and triple rooms, a communal room and snack bar, but facilities are otherwise modest: come prepared with whatever you might require.

Dominating the entire port, Palma Cathedral (known as Sa Seu) is a glowing man-made mountain of sandstone. The second largest Gothic cathedral in the world, it is also the symbol of the city and the island’s most visited building (see Sa Seu: Palma Cathedral).