Mallorca Travel – A
Drive through the Tramuntana Mountains, Country
Luxury at Finca Ca's Sant and a Great Evening in
Sóller
Our second full day in Mallorca started with an
early morning stroll along the Pine Walk promenade
in Port de Pollença, a beautiful seafront
town on the northeast side of the island. The expansive
Bay of Pollença was shimmering in front of
us in different hues of blue and green. Walking
along the pine-fringed walkway beside attractive
hotels and villas was a great way of enjoying the
morning. After about an hour and a half we sat down
at our hotel, the Hostal Goleta, and savoured our
freshly baked baguettes for breakfast.
Morning view of the Bay de Pollença
Around 10 am we left Port de Pollença and
started driving westwards and up into the Tramuntana
mountain region. For me, the Tramuntana with its
jagged limestone peaks, verdant valleys with pine
trees, olive groves and almond trees, is the definite
highlight of Mallorca’s landscapes. On the
north side of the island the limestone peaks drop
precipitously into the blue depths of the Mediterranean.
The Monastery of Lluc
We made our first stop at one of Mallorca’s
primary tourist destinations: Santuari de Lluc,
a monastery which has been the spiritual centre
of the island for more than 800 years. Even today,
the Monastery of Lluc is an important destination
for pilgrims. The famous boys choir of the monastery,
in existence for more than 500 years, is called
Els Blavets (for their blue cassocks). It regularly
draws large groups of spectators during its performances.
The church of the Monastery of Lluc
We arrived early enough before the big crowds
rolled in. Only a few tour buses were parked in
the parking lots and visitors continued to arrive.
We entered the imposing monastery and arrived in
a quiet courtyard that features a statue of the
founder of the Sacred Heart Missionary Congregation.
From here we crossed through another building into
the courtyard that leads to the monastery’s
church, which was built between 1622 and 1684 in
the Renaissance-Baroque style. The main attraction
of the church is the dark madonna, “La Moreneta
de Lluc”, a dark-coloured statue of the Virgin
Mary holding baby Jesus.
La Moreneta - the Black Madonna of Lluc
Next to the monastery is a hill which offers an
excellent panorama over the monastery and the adjacent
mountain valleys. I arrived at the top of the hill
as the bells were tolling at 11 am and enjoyed the
view of the serene mountain panorama. We walked
past several groups of school children on our way
out before we continued our drive on the winding
roads of the Tramuntana Mountains.
View of the Monastery of Lluc from the adjacent
mountain
Our next destination was Sa Calobra, a tiny village
in a scenic cove on the north side of the island.
The route down to Sa Calobra features a breathtaking
panorama over the north coast of Mallorca and numerous
switchbacks curves. The 12.5 km long road covers
an altitude differential of 780 metres and is considered
a masterwork of engineering, planned by the Italian
engineer Antonio Paretti and completed in 1932.
The “Nus de sa Corbata”, literally translated,
the “knot in the tie”, features a 270
degree curve and a bridge.
Restaurant with beautiful stone arches inside the
Monastery of Lluc
At the bottom of the road we were amazed at the
amount of bus parking spaces. Several buses were
already parked here, but we were wondering how busy
this tiny hamlet could get during high season when
the entire bus parking lot was full. Apparently
on some days, upwards of 30,000 visitors descend
on this village, and we counted ourselves lucky
that we were here in May during pre-season.
A sightseeing boat is docked at Sa Calobra
Sa Calobra features a small beach that is flanked
by several restaurants. Bus tourists were taking
a walk through the village and populating the waterfront
bars. We walked back to the car and enjoyed the
breathtaking drive back up the mountain and onto
the sideroad to Cala Tuent, a small gravel beach
in the shadow of Mallorca’s highest mountain,
the Puig Major. The contrast of Mallorca’s
green pine trees, the blue jewel tones of the Mediterranean
and the grey and brown-coloured coastal rocks delighted
our eyes.
Little dog protecting his turf in Cala Tuent
Back up in the mountains we then passed two dams:
the Embassament Gorg Blau and the Embassament de
Cuber. Both water reservoirs are located in the
highest part of the Tramuntana mountain range, and
their light blue and turquoise waters stand out
against the rugged mountain panorama.
The Embassament de Cuber or Cuber Lake is a place
from where many hiking trails start in Mallorca.
The Serra de Tramuntana in general is a fabulous
destination for walking, hiking and biking. We were
amazed at the large number of professional cyclists
that populate the backroads of Mallorca’s
mountains. The island obviously is a great training
ground for cycling professionals.
So many choices for hiking next to the Embassament
de Cuber
Following a group of more leisurely cyclists, we
continued on the winding mountain roads through
the Tramuntana region. Our final destination for
the day was the mountain town of Sóller,
a popular tourist town in the centre of the mountain
chain. We were going to spend the night at a rural
hotel called Finca Ca’s Sant, a working orange
plantation in the middle of town.
Sóller, named after the Arab word “suliar”
for “golden bowl”, is known as the “orange
bowl of Mallorca”. It has the perfect climate
and location for the many orange groves that brought
the town prosperity. Starting in the eight century
A.D., Arab settlers introduced their unique irrigation
techniques and they started to cultivate oranges
and olives on the slopes of the Serra de Tramuntana.
Most of the fruits were exported to France which
resulted in a strong cultural link between Sóller
and France.
Rafael Forteza, our gracious host at Finca Ca's
Sant
Around 4 pm we arrived at our rural hotel, Finca
Ca’s Sant, and the owners, Rafael and Lourdes
Forteza, welcomed us. They showed us to our impressive
spacious bedroom, located in a side building with
a nice terrace. I requested Rafael to give me a
tour through the property and he graciously explained
that Finca Ca’s Sant has a history of more
than 300 years. As a matter of fact, the stones
of the main building are talking history, showing
the different stages of construction over the years.
The beautiful courtyard of Finca Ca's Sant
Rafael then took me inside the large stone house
and showed me the large formal dining room which
features heavy walnut furniture that was built in
the 18th century. The room is adorned with original
paintings by Mallorcan artists, and glass chandeliers
from the renowned Gordiola factory light up the
room. The piano on the wall comes with a special
story: it originally was built in France, then travelled
to Cuba and was finally transported to Mallorca.
Famous singer Annie Lennox has stayed here at Finca
Ca’s Sant three times and she played on this
very piano.
Finca Ca's Sant's dining room with Annie Lennox'
piano
In the hallway, Rafael showed me two original historic
paintings: one painting in dark colours features
a cleric of some sort, but the handwritten description
below the picture was painted over in black. Rafael
explained that this was done during the Spanish
Civil War because the Republicans had a highly anti-clerical
mindset. A second picture next to the entrance features
two bullet holes that also originated during the
Spanish Civil War. In front of the stairs, a table
displayed various products made by Finca Ca’s
Sant: orange jam, orange-flavoured salt and a recipe
book with authentic recipes from the Forteza family.
Orange products are produced by a local organization
that employs people with disabilities.
The swimming pool with a great view of Mallorca's
Tramuntana Mountains
The library and breakfast room to the left are also
equipped with vintage furniture and paintings by
local artists. Guests can relax with a good book
or a magazine in the library. More Mallorcan glass
chandeliers brighten up the breakfast room.
Rafael then took me outside and showed me the attractive
swimming pool area which saw the addition of a pool
ramp for disabled visitors last year. On a stroll
through the property he showed me the little “casita”,
a private little guest house right in the middle
of the orange orchards. From here the mountain panorama
surrounding Sóller became visible, with the
Puig Major, the island’s highest peak, overlooking
the valley from the north.
Mountain view from the garden of Finca Ca's Sant
Rafael explained that Finca Ca’s Sant is actually
composed of 18 smaller fincas and now makes up a
property of 30,000 square metres (about 7.4 acres)
in the middle of town, about 600 metres away from
the town square. Running an orange plantation is
extremely time-consuming and Rafael and his son
spend many hours daily picking oranges during harvest
time. At other times of the year the orange trees
need to be pruned and maintained, so there is always
a lot of work at Finca Ca’s Sant.
The terrace in front of our room
I also learned that there are more than 4,000 varieties
of oranges, but only about 40 of them are commercialized.
Rafael replaced all the orange trees on his property
a few years ago and intentionally chose a variety
that would ripen in January and February, at temperatures
below 18 degree. This type of variety is less prone
to insect infestation and therefore requires very
little, if any, insect control. As a result, the
oranges from Finca Ca’s Sant are grown almost
completely organically.
Our bedroom at Finca Ca's Sant
It is also possible at Finca Ca’s Sant to
adopt an orange tree. Anyone who adopts an orange
tree here will receive 10 kilograms of naturally
ripened oranges, 16 glasses of marmalade, 1 jar
of orange salt as well as 1 bottle of orange liqueur.
In addition, members of the orange tree adoption
program have access to various discounts for future
stays at Finca Ca’s Sant. Rafael indicated
that the program is very popular with his guests,
and many of them have become repeat visitors at
Finca Ca’s Sant.
I loved the beautiful blue tilework in our bathroom
Now it was late afternoon and it was time to explore
the town. We had a shower in our beautiful bathroom
and got ready for the 10 minute walk into downtown
Sóller. This town of 13,000 people is one
of Mallorca’s most popular travel destinations.
It is connected with the capital Palma de Mallorca
via a historic railway called the Ferrocarril de
Sóller and nicknamed “The Red Arrow”.
This electric railway was completed in 1911 and
has been transporting people back and forth for
almost 100 years. Today it is primarily the tourists
that take the train and it is one of the town’s
main attractions.
The electric tram of Soller
From the train station of Sóller one can
try out another vintage transportation method: the
electric tram that connects the town of Sóller
with Port de Sóller, which lies 4 km away
on the coast. Along with various other towns in
Mallorca, this is another example of an inland town
that has a port town several kilometers away. This
originally happened because of the threat of pirates
that would frequently attack the coastal settlements;
as a result the main towns were located several
kilometers inland.
The impressive facade of the Cathedral of Sóller
The narrow streets took us out on to Plaça
Constitució, Sóller’s main square,
whose architectural highlights include the church
of Sant Bartomeu. The original structure of this
church dates from the 13th century and most of the
current interior is of Baroque style. Next to the
church’s neo-gothic façade is another
landmark: the Banco de Sóller, designed in
Modernista style in 1912 by the famous Catalan architect
Joan Rubió i Bellver, a student of Antoni
Gaudí.
The Banco de Sóller, a Modernista
masterpiece
The city hall of Sóller is located to the
right of the cathedral. Numerous cafés and
restaurants flank the square, which is an extremely
popular gathering spot for locals and tourists.
The vintage electric tram passes through every twenty
minutes or so. We sat down at one of the cafés
and ordered some local food: a seafood and a vegetarian
paella which were absolutely delicious.
Delicious seafood paella
After our filling meal we strolled up to the historic
train station of Sóller, which is located
in a fortified house that dates back to 1606. A
museum with works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró
is located inside the train station which is the
departure point for the narrow-gauge railway to
the capital of Palma as well as for the tram that
goes to Port de Sóller.
Tourism award of the Train of Sóller, issued
by King Juan Carlos
As the sun started to set, the main square of Sóller
started to fill up with people. Families with young
children were sitting on the open space surrounding
the fountain, a group of musicians was playing Spanish
music and walking from table to table, and some
Brazilian capoeira dancers were entertaining a growing
crowd with their mixture of dance, acrobatics and
martial arts.
Great evening atmosphere on the main square of Sóller
We ended our day with an ice cream and a slow stroll
back to Finca Ca’s Sant to rest up for another
day of discoveries in Mallorca’s Tramuntana
Mountains.
