Castell de Santueri

From inside the walls the whole of south-eastern Mallorca lies open: the plain with its scattered villages, the ridges of the Serra de Llevant, and the sea beyond them. Only the outer wall of the castle stands, and it runs along the rim of the crag. That makes a walk round the inside a full 360-degree circuit, with the view turning as you go.

The castle feels remote. The road up twists through the hills with views of its own, and at the top the place is quiet, rarely crowded, with wind and birds and not much else. Come for the rock, the walls and the long view.

• Bring cash: the ticket is paid in cash; cards are not accepted.
• No facilities: there are no toilets and nothing to drink at the castle, and none nearby. Bring water.
• Mostly walls: the outer wall is most of what survives. The reason to come is the view and the walk round the top.
• Footwear: the paths inside the walls are unpaved and uneven; wear shoes with grip.
• The road: the drive up is narrow and twisting, and meeting an oncoming car on it is awkward. Take it slowly.

Castell de Santueri is a drive. The road up is narrow and twists through the hills, with views opening on the way; an oncoming car is a real problem on it, so go slowly and watch the bends. At the top a free car park sits beside the entrance, and there is free roadside parking as well, so what remains on foot is only the walk round inside the walls.

The nearest bus stop, Es Carritxó, lies about 2 km away in a straight line.

Best: a clear weekday, when the view reaches the coast.

Avoid: weekends, when the castle is closed, and the middle of a summer day.

The view is the whole point, so haze or low cloud takes most of the visit away, and on an exposed hilltop with nothing to drink on sale the summer midday heat tells quickly.