It was the rain that clinched it. Showers we can cope with, especially when broken by a glimpse of blue or even a rainbow. And a fine drenching mist can give a romantic, gauzy haze to a landscape. But for almost a month we had been obliged to abandon our weekend hikes in the face of dispiriting, relentless downpours. This was meant to be fun, we reminded ourselves as footpaths turned to mudslides and the rain rattled deafeningly against our waterproofs.
Back home after another amphibious trek in the Chilterns, our socks steaming on the radiator, we went for a walk on the web. And that is how, the following weekend, we came to be hiking in glorious sunshine among the mountains and wildflower meadows of Majorca's Serra de Tramuntana.
We had stumbled across the website of the Leeds-based company Alternative Mallorca and found that there were several options for a four-night break in the island's mountainous north - the best base for walking. There were some pretty casitas high in the hills but we decided that on our short break hiking was to be the focus and self-catering, with the associated chores of shopping and cooking, was not an option.
Similarly, although rural isolation would be our preference for a longer holiday, on an extended weekend we wanted access to amenities and a range of restaurants and bars to greet us at the end of a foot-sore day. The Hotel Salvia, in the heart of the old town of Sóller seemed appealing: only six rooms, peaceful, mountain views, yet minutes from the central square and with the unexpected bonus of a heated outdoor swimming pool. It wasn't cheap - what four-star hotel is? - but at this stage it seemed like a necessity, not a luxury.
A call to Alternative Mallorca confirmed our choice. The company took care of flights and arranged car hire. As we gave our credit card numbers to the saleswoman on Wednesday she said, "You won't regret it. The Hotel Salvia's very special." Mere sales speak? By Friday afternoon, after a morning flight from damp, dreary London, we were able to test her claim. Squinting in the Majorcan sunshine, half an hour from Palma airport, we found the Salvia down a series of serpentine side streets. Our room, off a central courtyard, was suite-sized, furnished with handsome antiques, and its windows opened on to flower-filled gardens with a view of the pool and the mountains beyond. Suddenly, the walking seemed less important. Why not lounge around the hotel for four days instead? Willpower prevailed and 20 minutes later, over tapas outside the cathedral in Sóller square, maps spread before us, we planned our first, late afternoon, stroll.
Sóller is, apparently, known as the citrus garden of Majorca. Here was another claim that will never be challenged under any trades description legislation. The scent of the orange and lemon groves, as we followed an old pilgrim's route beyond the village of Biniaraix, had an almost narcotic intensity. Three hours later, with an enticing view of the gorge ahead, we set off back to the hotel. The sunset turned the mountains an exuberant pink and it was dusk by the time we reached the Salvia. We watched the moon rise as we swam and, by the poolside, enjoyed a crepuscular glass of Cava. Dinner, arranged by the hotel, was a 20-minute tram ride away in a friendly harbourside fish restaurant in the Porto Sóller.
The next morning, after a swim and breakfast under the bougainvillea, we bought bread, wine, Majorcan mountain cheese and quince paste, filled our water bottles and returned to Porto Sóller. By day the port proved to be a busy family resort. Even this early in the year, it gave a foretaste of the heaving beaches (3.5m visitors from Britain, at least the same number from Germany) of high summer. A stream of sightseers' cars wound along the harbour road to the lighthouse. The cliff-top car park was full; good for local business though not an auspicious start to a rural ramble. But 20 yards from the car park, through a metal gate, a footpath led us away from the crowds through low, aromatic shrubs and clumps of wild euphorbia, under shady stands of pine and along the cliffs towards Deya. After an exultant hour, we scrambled up rocks to find the perfect picnic spot: a limestone eyrie with a dizzying view of the coastline stretching for miles and shimmering in the heat haze. No visible tourists (apart from ourselves), no hotels or apartments in sight, high rise or otherwise; it was possible to imagine we were in a prelapsarian Mediterranean paradise, a time before the British invasion of the island was spearheaded by Robert Graves.
The following day, we headed inland for a long ramble through the sweet, verdant Orient valley. Narrow paths between dry stone walls opened into meadows of Alpine lushness. This time, we picnicked in an olive grove. Apart from a scattering of sheep and a couple of mountain bikers, we were alone.
By Monday, our third and final walk had a lot to live up to. We started at the foot of Puig Major, the island's highest mountain, and skirted the Cuber reservoir - a placid lake in winter and early spring, a dried-up puddle in high summer. The path obligingly took us largely downhill for eight hours, through a wide valley, pine forests and fields of wild asphodel towards the Pic d'Ofre, with its views of the Majorcan plains spread out before us like some promised land. In the far distance were the coastal resorts which have, unfairly, landed the island with a reputation as a brash hedonists' haven. From our solitary, high vantage point, they could have been a string of remote fishing villages.
After our picnic, we took the cobbled pilgrim's path down the Cami d'Es Barranc gorge, where gnarled trees thrusting from the rock walls suggested a painting by Caspar David Friedrich's more cheerful Mediterranean cousin. There were Edenic views at every twist, which gave us the final satisfaction of following the route we'd glimpsed on our first night from outside Biniaraix. Back at the hotel, we had a valedictory swim and glass of Cava.
On Tuesday, after an efficient morning flight, I was back in the office. It was raining. The following weekend, we brought out the Gore-Tex and headed for the hills. There were nationwide flood alerts.
Way to go
Getting there: Alternative Mallorca (0113-278 6862) can offer four nights' B&B, two at the Hotel Salvia and two at the 40-room Hotel Costa d'Or at Llucalcari -for £609. Price is based on two sharing and includes flights from London Gatwick, airport taxes and car hire.
Recommended reading: The Rough Guide to Mallorca by Phil Lee (Rough Guides, £9.99). Walking in Mallorca by June Parker (Cicerone Press, £14.99).
Further information: from the Spanish National Tourist Office, 22-23 Manchester Square, London W1M 5AP (020-7486 8077), uk.tourspain.es, tourspain.co.uk, balearics.com.
Area code: 0034 971. Time difference: GMT +1hr. Flight time: 2hr 20min. £1 = 1.64 euros.
More walking options
ATG Oxford
(01865 315665)
Its Footloose brochure features independent walking holidays with fixed eight-day itineraries. A route manager meets you and arranges baggage transfer. An eight-day Unknown Umbria walk from Norcia to Spoleto costs from £465pp B&B with some evening meals.
Walks Worldwide
(01524 262255)
Everything from leisurely family strolls to some of the world's classic walks. A family-focused Spanish Alpujarras Explorer based in a guesthouse allows walking on farm tracks to the high Sierras from £550pp including flights, meals, local pick-ups and maps (children £390 from seven to 16, £290 for two to six).
Ramblers Holidays
(01707 331133)
Linked to the Ramblers' Association, it has been running escorted group holidays for 55 years. A 14-night holiday on Samos and Patmos costs from £682pp including flights and half-board.
Travelbag Adventures
(01420 541007)
A 10-day New Zealand West Coast Wilderness group trip - wading down rivers, hiking over mountains and camping on beaches - from Nelson to Queenstown from £288pp (flights from £830).
Inntravel
(01653 629010)
The Inn-Active Summer programme offers independent walking in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Britain with luggage transferred between inns noted for their food. A seven-night Galician pilgrimage from Santiago de Compostela costs £632 including flights.
Explore Worldwide
(01252 760100)
Walking holidays to everywhere from the Faroe Islands to Timbuktu. A 15-day Everest Teahouse Trek in Nepal costs £1299 pp inc flights, all transportation, accommodation, some meals and a tour leader.
Headwater
(01606 720199)
Walking and cycling holidays across Europe where you travel at your own pace from hotel to hotel. New this year is the eight night Best of the Black Forest Walk from £369 (self drive) and £569 (including scheduled air).
