What is there to do in Sóller Mallorca?
Sóller is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Mallorca.
It is a coastal village in the Tramuntana mountains and because of its uniqueness, authenticity and beauty, it is a genuine paradise for hikers, cyclists, visitors and families who come to Sóller to start a journey into the past and discover true Mallorca.
Its location and uniqueness make this coastal town a site worth seeing.
With narrow streets, stone houses, surrounded by the majestic and impressive mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana, the valley of Sóller is also known as the Valley of Orange Trees.
A few kilometres separate the village of Sóller from its port, so that the traveller can enjoy the mountains and the beach almost at the same time.
Where is it?
Sóller is situated in the northwest of Mallorca, in a valley surrounded by mountains. It borders the municipalities of Deià, Fornalutx, Bunyola and Escorca.
Due to the difficulties of moving to other parts of the island, the Solleriks traded for many years by sea with France, where they exported oranges, lemons and olives, and from there they brought a French flavour that is still very present in the aesthetics and character of the people.
HOW TO REACH SÓLLER?
Palma Airport is 35 kilometres from Sóller and one of the busiest airports in Spain with the best connections to important European cities.
There are several ways to get to Sóller from Son San Joan airport: The fastest but not the cheapest way is by taxi, it takes about 30 minutes and costs you about 45 euros.
You can also take a bus from the airport. Line 1 connects you to Palma in only 15 minutes and costs 3 euros.
Once in Palma, you should walk about 400 meters to the central bus station, where you can catch a 210 or 211, which takes you to the centre of Sóller in 30 minutes.
Another way to get to Sóller from Palma is to take the over one hundred year old train at Plaza de España station.
What can you see in SÓLLER?
THE SOLLER TRAIN
One of the most important activities you can do in Mallorca is an impressive train trip to Sóller.
Travelling with it means feeling that you have been transferred in time. Its jolt takes you back to 1912, when it was inaugurated.
In the Sóller train, you can appreciate the wooden wagons that have been carefully maintained, pampered and restored by craftsmen.
This centuries-old railway daily connects the capital of Mallorca, Palma, with the centre of Sóller. This is one of the most beautiful excursions on the island for couples or families, and it is a great attraction for children.
A journey through time takes you through the Serra de Tramuntana, where you can admire the hundred-year-old olive trees that adorn the mountains.
Since 1912 the route has passed through the Serra d’Alfabia: 496 metres high, thirteen tunnels, several bridges, a viaduct (five arches give this viaduct its name) and numerous bends.
During the one hour journey the traveller enjoys a magnificent view, a unique landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, which leads through numerous tunnels, bridges and a viaduct and ends with an impressive view of the beautiful valley of Sóller.
The trains stop along the way so that you can capture your experiences with the camera in particularly beautiful places.
Tram Soller - Puerto de Soller
You can take the tram directly from the same stop as Sóller station.
This beautiful old tram was inaugurated in 1913 and runs in less than half an hour between the village of Sóller and the port.
The route goes through orange and lemon plantations, always overlooking the mountains arround the valley, to the port of Sóller.
On the last part of the route the tram borders the beach and runs along the pedestrian promenade full of bars and restaurants where you can eat the best paellas and fresh fish.
Can Prunera
Can Prunera is almost at the end of Calle de la Luna.
Discover a museum of modern art where you can visit changing exhibitions and the Juli Ramis Palau room, where there is a permanent exhibition.
It is a gigantic Mallorcan house with a noble staircase and three floors, built in 1909.
The house has been restored to its original splendour. Here visitors will find period furniture, stained glass, paving and gardening in keeping with the original design.
Church of San Bartolomé
On your arrival in Sóller, in the Plaza de la Constitución, you will find the Cathedral, the impressive parish church of Sant Bartomeu.
It is a Baroque building whose modernist façade, designed in 1904 by the architect Joan Rubió, dominates the square.
The tower, built in 1236, has been enriched throughout history with several important buildings, the neo-Gothic bell tower, remains of Romanesque portals and windows around its foundations. You can also see part of the walled fortress built in the 16th century after the attack and plunder of the village by the Turks in 1561.
THE TRAIN STATION
Built on the former property of Ca’n Mayol (1606), you can stroll through the hall, along the platforms and hear the train guard announcing departures with his hunting horn, you feel transported back in time to the years 1911-1912, when the train was built and inaugurated.
On the façade is the tombstone dedicated to Don Jerónimo Estades, the patron of the Sóller Railway.
The Calle de la Luna
Don’t miss a visit to Calle de La Luna, which can be reached from the same square. It is a shopping street where you will find the best food and all kinds of handicrafts typical of the island.
Make sure you visit the Casa de la Luna, whose façade dates back to the fifteenth century, a typical folk building with a marès figure (a limestone typical of the island) representing a moon.
Bank of Sóller
Also on the Plaza de Constitución is another modernist building by Joan Rubió and Bellver.
El Banco de Sóller was founded in 1899 as a financial institution with the aim of preserving the property of returning emigrants who had emigrated to France and America to seek their fortune.
This building is characterized by its decorative elements and forms a unit with the church of San Bartolomé.
The municipal market
An obligatory visit to the town market, built by architect Francesc Cerdó and inaugurated in 1952.
It is a functional building with a polygonal floor plan with several entrances and a portico corridor where you will find all kinds of local products, oranges and tomatoes from Soller and fresh fish directly from the boats in the port of Sóller.
THE BALEARIAC NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM AND THE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF SOLLERS
It was in 1985 that this modernist palace housed the Natural History Museum.
Here you will find exclusive and permanent exhibitions on the zoology, botany and geology of Mallorca.
The outdoor botanical garden is a reference point for the collection of plants native to Mallorca, the Mediterranean and other Spanish islands such as the Canary Islands.
Port of Sóller
The port of Sóller is the largest on the north-west coast of Mallorca.
There are two beaches, one on each side of the bay. Playa de’n Repic, with golden sand, is 270 metres long, has parasols and sunbeds for rent and is very popular with families with small children.
Playa des Través is the closest beach to the harbour, where you can rent pedal boats, paddle boards or kayaks.
The tram runs directly along this beach, where you will find numerous restaurants where you can enjoy the most characteristic dishes of Mallorcan gastronomy.
What to do in Sóller?
North coast
The port is also the starting point for the best maritime excursions in the north of Mallorca.
This is an essential activity if you want to observe the natural beauty of the Serra de Tramuntana from the sea and bathe in crystal clear turquoise waters while enjoying an authentic Mediterranean experience.
Several boats from Barcos Azules depart daily from the port quay and make excursions to nearby bays such as Sa Calobra, Torrent de Pareis, Cala Tuent or sa Foradada.
You can also opt for an of-route charter and visit the more exclusive spots on board a comfortable boat.
Excursions in Sóller
In Sóller there are numerous hiking trails and excursions available.
In fact, walking is one of the most popular attractions for people who visit the valley of Sóller.
One of the easiest excursions is a walk to the neighbouring village of Fornalutx. 7 kilometres separate the two municipalities, which should be included in every list of “Activities in Mallorca”.
Also worth a visit is the hiking path that connects Deià to Sóller. It takes about 4.5 hours to complete this hike, which has no equal.The name “camino de los pintores” is only a suggestion of what the hiker will find.
The itinerary allows you to see examples of the houses of the Tramuntana mountain range with their olive groves and orchards.
Torre Picada
If you are looking for an easier but no less impressive excursion, we recommend you to go to Torre Picada. This is an old watchtower northeast of the port of Sóller and was part of the defensive system to protect the island from attacks.
To get to Torre Picada, you must follow a small path that begins at Calle Bélgica in the port of Sóller.
The tower stands on a cliff from which you can enjoy a fantastic view of the coast and the Mediterranean.
Sóller: a paradise for walkers and hikers
Another great attraction that will offer you unforgettable pictures is the climb to the Barranc de Biniaraix.
The excursion begins at the small village of Biniaraix, a popular architectural ensemble of unique beauty where the visitor feels as if they have returned to the past.
The ravine, declared a cultural heritage, offers spectacular cliffs with a stone path that crosses several bridges and follows the famous “Pedra en sec” route.
