A Day Trip - One Like No Other!!!

What better way to start off your day than to go visit doggies and kitties?  Wherever I live, I try to make it a point of knowing where the animal shelters are and pay a visit to give some lovin to all those poor guys/gals waiting to be adopted.  

Palma's shelter is a few miles out of town in an area with a lot of space.  It just so happen to be on the way to my ultimate destination, so it was perfect for stopping in.  Not only do they have dogs and cats (not many kitties), but also turtles, doves, peacocks, swans, ducks, and chickens!!

So, here's a few snaps of cuties who enjoyed my scratching and paw-shakes:

This guy cracked me up.  He was such a happy camper!!  Very photogenic!

I hopped back on my moto and headed for the mountains and the town of Soller (which I've written about before).  Once in Soller, I turned right and continued to climb towards the clouds, past Fornalutx (also written about before) and on into territory new to me.

Special Note:   I've posted photos in a larger format so you can see the details more intimately.  However, depending on the size of your screen, you may have to scroll left/right to see the entire photo.  BUT, please don't be a doh-doh-brain and read/view this on a tiny cell phone screen...you're missing out (Bri).

Tunnels are quite common around the island.  I pulled off to the side of the road where there was a nice view down into the valley below and the solid rock hillside the tunnel bore through.

It's practically straight down from the ledge below.  In fact, there's an old wrecked car at the bottom.

But that didn't stop this guy, nor his female friend, from practicing some acrobatics on said ledge (with adjacent precipice).  I didn't notice at first, but I glanced over and she was doing a hand stand finished off by doing the splits (while still upside down).  I gasped when I saw her and her male friend chuckled at me.  He decided to do the same thing, sans splits, so I readied my camera.

TAH DAH!!!

(show off!)

Back on the road, a few miles past the tunnel I came upon two man-made lakes.  They are the primary source of water for the island.

You can see the small dam at the bottom of this next photo.  

That 'ball' at the top of this mountain range is a weather station.  I've seen it before while travelling around Soller and while riding a train across the plains to Inca.

My ultimate destination...Sa Calobra.

Here's what ABCMallorca.com has to say about todays destination 'Sa Calobra':

Sa Calobra is a stunning set of two beaches tucked in among steep rocky cliffs and divided by the Torrent de Pareis (river gorge), on the northwest coast of the island. Sa Calobra is rather difficult to reach but the scenery around it is so breathtaking that it has become one of the most popular beaches to visit, particularly in the summer months. Located off the main route that runs through the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, the journey to Sa Calobra is as much a part of the day’s adventure as the beach itself. Most easily accessed by one of the ferry boats that come a few times a day in July in August, it can also be reached by car or bus along an extremely winding road that is not for the faint hearted, though it boasts spectacular views.

Sa Calobra consists of two beaches: Cala Sa Calobra, a tiny 30-metre long beach with small pebbles and sand. Here you’ll find parking and a few small restaurants serving good and simple beach food. The other beach, and generally the main attraction, is Torrent de Pareis, a larger beach about 100 metres long, which is accessed on land by a footpath via two narrow pedestrian tunnels, making it one of the more unique and remote beaches on the island.


I came to a junction in the road where one leads down the canyons to Sa Calobra and the other down the mountainside to the flats, over to Inca, then back to Palma via freeway.

I stopped here for a snack at a nice roadside stand.  The overhead viaduct you see carries a water pipe from the lakes.

Next up...the winding-est road I've ever driven (for such a long distance) and considered the winding-est on the island.  So much so, articles about the drive/ride warn people of potential car sickness.

Looks like fun to me!   And, on a motorcycle it's all the more fun!!

I didn't take this photo.  It's an aerial shot I copied off the web.  Pretty cool, eh?  It's amazing this road was built at all given the fact it only goes to 3 small beaches and a handful of beach-related businesses.  No hotels, no gas stations, no grocery store, no cathedrals.

Believe it or not, full-sized busses do this trek every day to bring tourists to Sa Calobra.  The road is narrow, so when you see a bus coming, you MOVE OVER!

Just before arriving at Sa Calobra, there was a pull-out to take in the view of the village below and the coves.  I think the yacht out there is Oprah's.  After all, she was just spotted in Dubrovnik a weekend or so ago, so she probably popped over here to hang out for a while.

It's STRAIGHT down....

That's my hand (shadow) in the lower right...waving to my Mommy!!!   Can't say I never post any photos of myself.

Departing from the overlook, I drove through this triangular 'tunnel' which is two rock formations leaning against one another.  Soooooo much of the island is rock, rock, and more ROCK.   Having lived in earthquake country I always envision a good shaker and all these rocks tumbling from all directions.  Nice.

Welcome to Sa Calobra!!!   The end of the road spills into this non-residential hamlet consisting primarily of restaurants and terraces clustered around flanks of the hills looming over it, looking out onto an amazing cove.

The boat at the dock brings hundreds of passengers over from the Port of Soller, about an hours boat-ride away.  This one is about to depart while another one waits to pull in.

While the passenger boat dock is off to the right, this is a view off to the left.

This particular part of the complex of coves is rather small, but that doesn't stop people from enjoying the sun from several platforms, swimming, snorkeling, and dining.

The rock work around Mallorca never ceases to amaze me.  So much of is constructed without mortar!!

From the main beach, there's a beautiful walkway paved in flat stones and lined with benches and steel handrails.  It runs along the hillside over to the adjacent, and more popular (larger) cove and beach.  To get to this beach, you pass through two pedestrian tunnels with lights embedded in the walkway.  The total distance is maybe 500 yards.  (Don't forget to scroll left/right!)

A 'porthole' in the tunnel.

When you come out of the 2nd tunnel, this is what's presented to you.  It seems odd at first, because you're looking at the riverbed that leads to the ocean cove.   Riverbeds are named 'Torrents' here.  Off to the left of this scene is the actual cove, flanked by two huge rock monoliths as seen in the next two photos I scavenged off the internet because there was no way I could get those angles!!!

Back about 100 feet from the wet sand area below....is the area shown in the previous photo.  Notice the tunnel exit and walkway down in the lower left corner.

Off to the left is the sandy area of the river bed which is shown in the photo I took when I came out of the 2nd tunnel (go back 2 photos).  Take note of the trail we took and the entrance to the last tunnel (see middle of photo).

Walking back to the Sa Calobra side (from whence I came).

Time to head home.  I decided to take the same route back because I spotted things I wanted to stop and see, but wanted to get to my destination first, then hit on those spots on the way back.   Here, looking up from the bottom of the valley, you can see part of the road (rock wall) and that huge rock leaning outward.  Doesn't it look like you could just push it over?

I noticed a tiny sign pointing to 'Sanctuari de Santa Maria de l'Olivar' and a tiny 1-lane cobbled road leading to it about 200 feet away.  Off to the side of the main sanctuary was this tiny, rough-hewn jewel of a chapel.  It had all the 'looks' of Gaudi's making.   LOVE IT!!

Inside the chapel

A bit further down the road was 'Mirador de Ses Barques'.  That translates to 'lookout (or viewpoint) of 6 boats'.  I don't know where the 6 boats came into play, cuz I didn't see any.  But, the site was very charming.  Various terraces of different sizes and angles, some shaded, some not, sprinkled a small hillside.   If I didn't snoop around I would've missed the spectacular restaurant deck overlooking the world of Soller and Port of Soller below.

That's the Port of Soller out in the distance.  (I've written about it before...where you take the vintage train from Palma up into the mountains and down to the sea).

The town of Soller is on your left in the valley, and the Port of Soller off to your right.

This is the route I took today.

I almost deemed this day trip to be the best one I've EVER taken on Mallorca.  But, then I remembered the scooter trip I did along the coastline a year ago and thought IT was the best.  I think the two can't be compared....one is ocean coastline, one is mountains.  Apples.  Oranges.

However, I must say I can't believe just how much there is to see and do and be awstruck by on an island only 60 miles wide!!!!

I left home at 11:30am.

Got back home by 6pm.

Travelled 130 kms (approx 80 miles).  My moto sipped about 1 1/2 gallons of gas.

Next time I'm going earlier so I can spend a few hours on the beach and bring my snorkeling gear to explore the nooks and crannies of the cove's coastline.   Oh, and I'll bring my binoculars so I can see who the heck is on those multi-million $$ yachts!!!


Dano