Sóller

Cradled in an orange grove-covered valley, the Balearic village of Sóller serves as a refreshing inland respite during a visit to Mallorca. The river-cut town is crisscrossed by a maze of old world streets that surround the main Plaça de Constitució, where you’ll find cafés, City Hall and San Bartomeu Church, whose original construction dates back to the 13th century.  Other attractions include the Railway Station, with its exhibitions dedicated to works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. Then there’s the Jardi Botanic, a botanical garden that blooms with native flora and fauna and is also home to a Modernist mansion now occupied by the Museum of Balearic Natural Sciences.  Perhaps the town’s most notable attraction, however, is the vintage train and tram system, which has been making the journeys to and from Palma and the port of Sóller for about a century. The train carves up and over the mountains to Palma, while the tram–nicknamed the Orange Express–chugs through the many fruit-filled orchards that blanket the fertile valley.

Practical Info

From Palma, Sóller is best reached by the aforementioned train, as arriving by car requires a toll to shortcut the mountains via tunnel, or, alternatively, a long twisting and turning drive up and over said mountains. Taking the more vintage mode of transport–from either Palma or the port– provides a great way to enjoy the scenery, as well as the historic railway itself.