There are only three major areas of sand dunes in Mallorca and, thankfully, these three localities are pretty well protected. The dunes of Es Comú de Muro are part of an Area Natural de Especial Interés (ANEI, Natural Area of Special Interest) adjoining the Parque Natural de s’Albufera de Mallorca. The dunes extend for some 3 km from Port d’Alcúdia to Can Picafort and are densely populated with Aleppo pines and other dune vegetation. The dunes separate the seawater seaside beaches from the freshwater wetlands of Albufera where birds nest, eels breed and hares, snakes and tortoises hide. The Es Comú de Muro area makes for some splendid walks and hikes in pretty much isolation and solitude. Parts of the Natural Area are currently subject to a rehabilitation programme attempting to halt the gradual erosion of the dunes system. In these parts of the dunes, one is restricted to the boundaries of the delineated walkways. Even though I had a saunter in the dunes of Es Comú in February, I would rather recommend a stroll in the dunes during the more moderate temperatures of Springtime (March to May), before the weather gets too hot, and again, from September to November, after the Summer heat has cooled off a bit.

The other two locations of Mallorcan sand dunes, the Dunas de Son Real near Santa Margalida and the Es Trenc-Salobrar de Campos area near Platja d’Es Trenc, are equally recommended and are likewise protected, but do not afford the same amount of walkways amongst the dunes as the Muro ones.

The photo was taken near Can Picafort, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: February 11th, 2010. The time was 16:48:17.