A Day Trip to...Soller and PORT of Soller !!!

Come with me and visit the towns of Soller, Fornalutx, and Port of Soller!!

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

A Day Trip to...PORT of Alcudia, PORT of Pollenca, and FORMENTOR! !!!

Yes, another day trip (5 hours) to see what I could see on my new home island, Mallorca (My-Yor-Kuh).

This time, I went all the way to the opposite side of the island, to the towns of Alcudia and Pollenca (with their accompanying ports, Port of Pollenca and Port of Alcudia) then out to the extreme end of the magnificient peninsula Formentor.  As I've mentioned before, many towns on Mallorca are based inland but have their own port, maybe 4-6 miles away, of the same name.  Though owned by the same municipality, they're very different in that the town is usually old with narrow cobblestone streets and commercial shopping, but the port is waterfront, beaches, and touristy cafes.

I have to admit, I spent most of todays trip in the ports of the the two towns versus the ummm...'town-towns'.

I'm ready to go!!  Are YOU??

We're headed from near Porto Pi (lower left of island on map below) to the upper right corner where the red dot is...and back.

1st Stop - PORT OF ALCUDIA

Senor Wiki says (about Alcudia):

It is the main tourist centre in the North of Majorca on the eastern coast. It is a large resort popular with families. Most of the hotels are located in Port d'Alcúdia and Platja d'Alcúdia along the 14 km long beach that stretches all the way to Can Picafort. In Alcúdia the old town is well preserved with houses dating back to the 13th century. The old town is surrounded by a medieval wall.

Population:  approx 20,000

(Below) That's my new moto "Scoot" up at the top of the steps.  The steps leading to the waters edge.

Off to the right of where my moto was parked were these two people fishing.

I thought this was a cute, pristine house.  Simple bright white paint but highlighted with equally bright yellow shutters and a welcoming old wooden arched front door.

The church of St Jaume abuts the old town and medieval walls.

Gates of the city walls.

On the way over to the Port of Pollenca, which is on the other side of the bay facing Alcudia, is a stretch of beach with winds perfect for kite surfing.

Next Stop - PORT OF POLLENCA

Senor Wiki says (about Pollenca):  

Most houses were built in the 17th and 18th centuries and many streets are very narrow and compact, a legacy from the medieval era. The central square, called Plaça Major, has numerous outdoor cafés and is dominated by a large 13th-century church.

One of the town's most distinctive features is the 365-step stairway north of the square; this leads up to a chapel on top of the hill known as Calvary.

Population:  approx 16,000

(Below) The Port of Pollenca

Looking back across the bay at Alcudia and peninsula.

The town itself appears to be very touristy.  It was obvious a lot of work has been recently done to improve the sidewalks, bicycle paths, and beachwalk.

Next Stop - FORMENTOR

Senor Wiki says (about Formentor):

Cap de Formentor is located on the northernmost point of Mallorca.  In 1863 the Formentor Lighthouse was opened, the remote and rugged location on the Cap de Formentor making construction difficult. The only access being from the sea or via a long mule track.  Today, it is accessed via a 13.5 kilometer paved road.

(Below)  The first pulloff was a popular stop for the stunning views, this marker, and a small coffee shop.

Look way out to that point.  There's people out there!   I think it looks like the head of an iguana.

Here, I'll zoom in closer for you.

I'm going to head up that walled road to....

...the old lookout waaaaay up there (center/top of photo).

Now I'm at the old lookout.  Betcha wouldn't be allowed to climb up like that in the US of A!!!!

Looking down from the tower, you can see the Hotel Formentor off to the left.  It's known as '...a Royal Hideway Hotel' and rates START at 250 Euros a night.  Google it....very exclusive setting, built in 1928, very private and protected for the REEEECH & FAMOSO!!!!!

That's the Alcudia peninsula out there.

The Formentor peninsula lays out in front of me.  The lighthouse which I'll evetually arrive at is way out in front of me.  The Hotel Formentor is the tiny slice of white on the right side of the photo.

Headed back down the walled, winding road to the first viewing stop (you see the parking lot near the bottom).

View of the Port of Pollenca on the way down.

Now I continue to follow the road to the end of the Formentor peninsula.

A short tunnel through the rock, but what are those steps on the left side of the tunnel for...and why aren't there any hand rails!!!

The final destination at the tip of the Formentor peninsula....

...and the road leading to it.

If you squint and look very, very closely (left side of photo about 9 o'clock position) (or zoom the photo) you can see the old switchback donkey trail that was used to get to the lighthouse before the road was built.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

That was my day.  On the way back to Palma, I came upon these two installations at roundabouts.  From my experience last June, it seems many roundabouts showcase unique art.  You can guage the size of these things by the signs around them.

(Note to Scotty...is that a Chickaluma chicken?)

Dano