Miramar, Estate in Valldemossa, Spain

Miramar is a historic estate in the Serra de Tramuntana featuring traditional Mallorcan stone walls, wooden beams, and Mediterranean views. The property includes a church, gardens, multiple viewpoints, and an old oil mill building that serves as a starting point for walking through the grounds.

Miramar was founded in 1276 by King James II of Mallorca at the request of Ramon Llull, not as a language school but as a monastery housing a college of missionaries to teach Arabic and other Eastern languages. Llull spent nearly three years there teaching twelve friars and writing some of his works. In 1457 the first printing press in Mallorca was established at Miramar, where the island's first printed book was produced. Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria bought the estate in 1872; on his death it passed to his Mallorcan secretary Antoni Vives, whose descendants still live there.

The name Miramar, "sea view", was already used by Archduke Ludwig Salvator, who wrote in Die Balearen that no other place on earth could bear it more fittingly. The estate is still owned by the descendants of his Mallorcan secretary Antoni Vives, and a museum displays objects, documents and artworks linked to Ramon Llull and to the Archduke.

Visitors can explore the property via a walking route of about 45 minutes starting from the oil mill building. The paths lead through gardens and past several viewpoints, so wear comfortable shoes and allow extra time to stop and take in the views.

The Sa Torre des Moro gardens feature battlemented walls, ponds, and crosses, and the gates must be kept closed to prevent wild goats from entering. This unexpected security measure shows how close the property sits to open mountain terrain where wildlife roams freely.