Located near the North West coast of Majorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain is the town and municipality of Sóller and some say, "the most beautiful location on the island". It is easy to see why this is said as Sóller (along with the village of Fornalutx and hamlets of Biniaraix and Binibassi) sits in a vast bowl-shaped valley surrounded by mountains. Typically the Port (Port de Sóller) is located approximately 3km away from the actual town and this provides visitors with two distinctly different places to explore.

Sóller is most famous due to its famous tramway, the Orange Express, which links the town to the Port and this is a must do ride for anyone visiting the town. The highlight of the journey is the trip through the middle of Plaça Constitució, the main square and focal point of Sóller town. At times, the tram passes so close to people eating their meals in one of the numerous restaurants or cafés that you feel that you could reach out and grab something from the table!

Sóller is an average sized town with a population of just 13,000 and many expats choose to live here. The town is linked to by the historic railway named the Ferrocarril de Sóller (another must-do journey) or you can choose to drive there. The quickest way into Sóller is through the toll tunnel which costs 4.45 euros for a typical car (one way) or you can take the very windy road up and down the mountain, which will add 7 km to your journey and an extra hour. If you have the time, the drive to Sóller via Estellencs and Banyalbufar is stunningly beautiful and this way you can also fit in a trip to Valdermossa or Deia.

As with the majority of the island, the present day economy of Sóller is based around tourism and foreign residents with the agricultural economy based around citrus and olive groves becoming less important due to very cheap imports from mainland Spain

The main meeting point within Sóller and the place to "people watch" is the main square called the Plaça Constitució which is surrounded by cafés and has a fountain in its centre. On a beautiful sunny day, this really is somewhere where you can sit down, relax and watch the world go by. Facing the East side of the square is the church of Sant Bartomeu and the ajuntament (Town Hall) and the Banco de Sóller, all of these being very impressive buildings in their own right. From the Plaça, you can take any of the numerous cobbled and narrow streets to explore the town, which has some fantastic shops to explore.

The town has a French feel to it with many of the buildings reflecting the Art Nouveau styles and this is due to the fact that they were built by emigrants returning to the town wealthy at the beginning of the 20th century.

Sóller is only 30 minutes drive time away from Palma Airport and the main tourist resorts in Calvia. People come to Sóller from all over the world to enjoy the town, port and surrounding mountain range, the 'Serra de Tramuntana'. This mountain range offers those who enjoy outdoor pursuits, a wealth of opportunity with fantastic walks, difficult mountain climbs and excellent cycle routes. The area also caters for artists, photographers, ecotourists and anyone who enjoys a peaceful and beautiful location.

 

Port de Sóller Video