Senor Wiki says (about Soller):
Soller is a town and municipality near the north west coast of Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands of Spain. The town is some 3 km inland from the Port de Sóller, in a large, bowl-shaped valley that also includes the village of Fornalutx and, and the hamlets of Biniaraix and Binibassi. The combined population is around 14,000. A famous tram, the Tranvía de Sóller operates in the town, linking Sóller to the Port de Sóller.
I've been to Soller and Port of Soller before...back in June. But, that time I took the vintage train. This time I went on my scooter so I was free to tootle around wherever I wanted to go.
I also knew there was the old road which I heard was very zig-zaggy and the new road with sliced through the hills via a tunnel. I decided to take the fun, serpentine way going to Soller and the new tunnel on the way back.
So, off I went. When they say the road is very winding, they MEAN it!! Holy cow! It had 55 switchbacks over the course of a little over 6 miles. Most of the switchbacks were so tight, I barely navigated them with my scooter without having to cross into the other lane, so can imagine what it would be like driving in a car or truck!
In this photo, though hard to see, there are at least 3 switchbacks (look for the guardrails).
Along the way were a few homes and orchards of oranges and lemons. Here, you can see Soller down at the bottom of the valley ahead.
On the road to Soller. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
Love the stone houses!!
Nice backdrop for the town of Soller, eh?
The church of Sant Bartomeu as the trolley passes by.
The town hall of Soller. Look closely at the architectural detail.
Just a couple miles outside of Soller is the small (less than 1,000 population) village of Fornalutx. Its history dates back over 1,000 years when it was originally an Arab farmstead. The effort to maintain the traditional look and feel, from the cobbled streets to the traditional façades, has created one of the best-preserved villages in Spain.
Looking down on Fornalutx from the road that leads you in/out of the area.
Then I headed out of Soller down to the PORT of Soller a few miles away.
As you arrive from Soller, you have a choice of going directly to the waterfront (which is pedestrian only) or taking a 1.3 km bypass tunnel along the backside of town which brings you into the inland side of Soller.
Stunning, right?
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE PORT OF SOLLER
The vintage train takes you from Soller down to the Port of Soller and stops in the heart of the village next to the waterfront marinas, shops, and cafes. Much of the waterfront of POS is pedestrian only.
On the way back to Palma, I took the 3km long 'new' tunnel, which was built in 1997, just 20 years ago!! It used to be a toll road, but now it's free.
A fun, beautiful day trip entailing my zippy scooter, a handful of hours, and approximately 100 kms (60 miles).
Dano
Such a beautiful place, and I hope to visit you someday.
ReplyDeleteI missed reading your Cuenca blog posts. I finally discovered that you moved to Sunny Spain. Did you take Gracie with you? Looking forward to reading your new adventures.
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