Places of special interest
On the first floor of the building that houses the main train station of Sóller, the Foundation Tren de l'Art presents two exhibitions with free admission dedicated to two great contemporary artists: Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró.
As an anecdote, the friendship between the two was born when the Catalan painter visited the Malaga-born artist in Paris in 1920 and gave him a Mallorcan ensaimada.
The Sala Picasso Ceràmiques presents fifty ceramic sculptures created by Picasso between 1947 and 1971.
The works on display deal with the different themes that the artist dealt with, from mythological scenes to female natures and his classic bullfights.
Joan Miró's maternal grandfather was originally from Sóller. This is the origin of the artist's relationship with the town and one of the reasons why his heirs decided to donate some of his works for this permanent exhibition.
In the Miró Room you can see 35 engravings that belong to two series:
"Gaudí" (1979), created by Miró as a tribute to Joan Rubió, student of the great Catalan architect and author of the modernist buildings of the Bank of Sóller and the facade of his church.
"Lapidari" (1971), a collection of engravings developed by the artist from an anonymous text from the 15th century.
If you follow the streetcar line from the train station down Paseo d'Es Born, you will reach Plaza Constitución, the center of social life in the Sóller area.
It is a tree-lined square, largely pedestrianized, full of bars and terraces, overlooked by the Town Hall, the Parish Church and the Bank of Sóller. These last two buildings have their special attraction in their imposing modernist-style facades, as their architect was Joan Rubió, an advanced student of the brilliant Gaudí.
Around the busy square, the irregular cobbled streets form the historic center of the city, where life goes on in a peaceful and Mediterranean style.
A few hundred meters from the Plaza Constitución, with the streetcar line as a guide, you will find the municipal market, where you can buy fresh local products. developed in the 15th century.
Both in the marketplace of Sóller and in the surrounding area you will find a variety of gastronomic establishments where you can take a break to relax and taste some of the local specialties: Bakeries and pastry shops, bars and ice cream parlors, cafes and restaurants.
If you haven't had breakfast yet, don't miss the typical ensaimada along with latte or a cup of chocolate. For an afternoon snack, we recommend trying Mallorcan specialties such as empanadas (savory filled pastries), robiols (pastries filled with jam or custard) or cocarrois (similar to empanadas with sweet or savory fillings); or an ice cream from one of the two artisanal ice cream parlors near the square that will delight the kids.
The typical tapas dish of the Mallorcans is the "variat": a plate or platter where around an ensaladilla rusa (a kind of potato salad) a selection of local tapas is arranged, such as frito mallorquín(a pan dish) or lengua con alcaparras (tongue with capers).
If you prefer lunch, there are many options, from inexpensive pizzerias and other fast food places to restaurants where you can try everything from traditional stews to tasting menus to Michelin-starred restaurants.
The shopping street par excellence in Sóller is the Carrer de Sa Lluna. It is a pedestrian street that begins north of Plaza Constitución and is lined with small stores, many of which are over a hundred years old. Here you can buy everything from the latest fashionable clothes and jewelry to all kinds of local and handmade products.
Almost at the end of the street you can enjoy the Modernist Museum Can Prunera, one of the hallmarks of Sóller.
Can Prunera is located in a modernist house built at the beginning of the 20th century along the lines of French Art Nouveau by a family from Soller who, like many others, made their fortune trading fruit in France.
In addition to the architectural details of the building itself and the temporary exhibitions, visitors can view an exquisite collection of artistic works by great masters of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Joan Miró, Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Klee, Fernand Léger and Maurice Vlaminck; as well as a number of painters native to or associated with Mallorca, including Santiago Rusiñol, Joaquim Mir, Joan Fuster, Eliseu Meifrén, Ritch Miller, Juli Ramis and Miquel Barceló.
Science also has its home in Sóller, in this case on the Camp d'en Prohom estate, just off the main road through the valley and about a 10-minute walk from Plaza Constitución.
The Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals and the Jardí Botànic are unique, and a walk through the terraces of the latter alone is worth a visit. The garden offers an interesting display of Mediterranean flora in an open and inviting space where architecture and design mimic nature.
The Museum of Natural Sciences is located in a small palace from the beginning of the 20th century within the Botanical Garden. It conducts research and dissemination work, as well as conservation of scientific collections. In its exhibition rooms, visitors can take guided tours on the history of fossils or the biodiversity of the Balearic Islands.
An educational visit that is highly recommended, especially if you are a family with children.
If the traveler has a little more time and wants to get to know the essence of the valley of Sóller, he should consider a short trip to the farm of Biniaraix, located half an hour walk from the center of Sóller.
Biniaraix is a village of Moorish origin on the slopes of the Serra de Tramuntana, a maze of traditional houses and narrow cobblestone streets surrounded by orange and lemon groves. Because of its great charm, Biniaraix has been a source of inspiration for many artists.
To regain your strength, you can rest and relax in the plaza, drink a freshly squeezed orange juice or eat the typical pa amb oli (a typical Mallorcan snack).
From the quay of the natural harbor, the visitor enters the maze of streets and steep staircases that wind through the seafaring quarter or neighborhood of Santa Catalina. The place takes its name from the oratory of Santa Catalina de Alejandría (13th century), which protects the port of Soller from the rigors of the sea and is located on the top of the rocky promontory.
Next to the hermitage there are two viewpoints from which to enjoy the landscape. One faces north, toward the immensity of the Mediterranean Sea, and the other faces south, from which you can see the whole bay with the Serra Mountains in the background.
The Chapel of Santa Catalina currently houses the Museu del Mar, an institution that offers an exhibition of cultural objects and historical images related to fishing, maritime trade and the craft of the "mestres d'aixa", the local term for shipbuilding artisans.
The Maritime Museum has an audiovisual room where the old sea lions tell their stories to the visitor in person.
Once in the port of Sóller, before taking the boat to La Calobra and Torrent de Pareis, it is essential to take a walk along the marina, starting from the docks and jetties of the marina, located next to the streetcar terminus.
Once at the docks, which are full of laüts, boats, sailboats and luxury yachts, to the pier and the fisherman's market. If you are lucky, you can see the fresh fish and seafood being unloaded as the traditional fishing boats and trawlers arrive.
Along the waterfront are the terraces of the Mar y Sol Restaurant that offers everything from typical tapas and snacks to traditional Mediterranean dishes: Paellas, rice dishes, calderetas, grilled fish and other seafood recipes.
Be sure to try the grilled Sóller shrimp, the excellence of the local coastal product.
In the 16th century, Sóller, like other Mallorcan coastal towns, was twice the target of attacks by barbarian pirates.
To ensure defense against new raids, a network of watchtowers was built along the entire coast at the end of that century. The one closest to the port of Sóller, popularly known as Torre Picada, is located on the edge of a high cliff that offers an unbeatable view of the north coast and the island known as S'Illeta(the islet).
To reach the foot of the watchtower (its interior is not open to the public), it is a 45-minute walk from the streetcar stop. The route passes through a landscape of olive groves and pine forests.
The more tired visitor or the one who has less time can sit comfortably on one of the terraces on the Es Través promenade and watch the sunset. There you can admire and photograph the sunset as it dips below the horizon line, framed by the two rocky peaks that close off the bay of Port de Sóller.
If you still have energy for another hike at the end of the day, you can reach the lighthouse that towers over the so-called Punta Grossa or Cap Gros, about a 25-minute walk uphill from Platja d'en Repic along a winding road with magnificent views over the bay.
From the vantage point, you can not only enjoy a breathtaking sunset, but also get a bird's eye view of the harbor and much of Mallorca's north coast. Perhaps this has piqued your interest.
Enjoy the excursion whenever you want and leaving from wherever you want.
Choose your own tour times and spend more time in the places you like best.
Your way!
Enjoy the excursion without worries.
Guided excursion in sections, we pick you up at your accommodation, take you by coach with a guide, show you some dream itineraries and take you back to your starting point.
Comfortable, easy and unforgettable.