Sights in Escorca

Escorca lies in the northwest of Mallorca, nestled in the steep mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana, which are especially wild and rugged here. The municipality has a stretch of the rugged northwest coast with sheer cliffs and deep bays into which torrents plunge. The famous serpentine road MA-2141 runs through the area, descending from the mountains to the coast at Sa Calobra. The only settlement that resembles a place is Lluc, with its monastery and the small hamlet of Sa Calobra.

The name Escorca probably derives from an old Roman word meaning “place of the watch.” After the Christian reconquest of Mallorca, the area featured in the legend of the Black Madonna of Lluc. In the 13th century a shepherd boy discovered a dark statue of the Virgin that kept returning to the same spot until a chapel was built there. Later the Templars were granted large estates here in gratitude for their support in the conquest of the island.

Escorca is especially known for the Lluc monastery, an important pilgrimage site, and the surrounding manor houses such as Binifaldó or Albarca. The Serra de Tramuntana offers spectacular natural features like the Torrent de Pareis and is a paradise for hikers. Caves such as the Bell Cave and the Witches’ Cave, along with old watchtowers, bear witness to the region’s turbulent history.