Ermita de Bonany

On a clear day the island opens out around the hilltop: farmland of the plain below, Petra and Manacor close by, Palma far off to the south-west. That view is the reason cyclists ride up the road, and the reason anyone else comes.

It rarely feels busy. The church is plain from outside; inside, the ornate altar and the image of the Virgin hold the eye, and the place is quiet enough that people still come to pray. Around it there is space to sit, rest and unpack a picnic.

The name tells the story. The hermitage went up in the 17th century as thanks for a good harvest, a bon any in Catalan.

• The view needs clear air. On a hazy or cloudy day the distant towns vanish and the hilltop loses most of its point.
• Toilets stand beside the church and cost nothing, but there is no drinking-water point nearby. Bring water, especially if you walk up.
• The church is a place of prayer. Keep your voice down inside.
• Cyclists use the road to the top, so watch for them whether you drive or walk it.
• The walk up from Petra or Vilafranca de Bonany is a plain climb. The view at the top is the reward.

The road runs up to the hilltop, and the car park lies about 50 m from the church, with wheelchair-accessible spaces.

On foot, the climb starts in Petra or Vilafranca de Bonany. The old path (Camí vell de Bonany) has a guidepost about 480 m from the church.

The nearest bus stop, Vilafranca, is about 2.8 km away in a straight line, so arriving by bus means walking uphill from there. Carry water: there is none to fill up at the top.

Best: a clear, dry day, in the morning or late afternoon, when low light picks out the fields and towns across the plain.

Avoid: hazy summer days and low cloud, and the midday heat of summer if you are walking up.

The view is the reason to climb, and it needs clean air to reach the far side of the island.