The route of the snow houses

The cases de neu (snow houses) are the deposits in which the inhabitants stored the snow at least since the 16th century. There are still more than 40 of these constructions on Mallorca, scattered on the majestic summits of the Serra de Tramuntana. 

You can discover them following the "Voltes d'En Galileu" path, a route that crosses the Son Massip Public Estate and will allow you to contemplate nine snow houses, declared Assets of Cultural Interest (BIC) – a route that is part of the Long Distance Trail GR-221, the Pedra en Sec Route. 

On the estate, located at the foot of the Mola de Son Massip, you can also see buildings such as barracks and old stone walls that will tell you about the hard life on the snowfields: men picking up the snow with shovels, throwing it into the snow houses and then pressing it with their feet. As soon as the snow was transformed into ice,  it was cut into pieces and then transported by mules and carts to Palma, where it was used in hospitals or ice cream parlors.