The municipal district of Soller covers an area of around 44 km2 deep in the heart of the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range on the rugged west coast of the island. The area is dominated by the impressive "Puig Mayor", which at 1,445m above sea level is the highest mountain in Majorca.

The village of Puerto de Soller is the only resort along the rugged west coast of Majorca, which although being only 35km north west of the capital Palma, and the Son Sant Joan International airport, the isolation of the area by the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range once necessitated one of the longest transfer times on the island.

However, since the opening of the direct Ma-11 Carretera de Palma al Puerto de Soller road, passing through the impressive "Tunel de Soller", journey time has now been cut to a more respectable 40 to 45 minutes.

A more detailed version of this route, complete with links to maps where appropriate, is available from the Route Map link on the left hand frame of this page.

For the growing numbers of visitors who are now opting for a taxi transfer, there are always plenty of taxis available from the ranks outside of the arrivals hall, although on occasions you should be prepared to queue, and in theory at least, they should all operate on a fixed price basis, typically charging around 55 euro for the journey to Puerto de Soller.

However experience has shown that this "fixed price" may vary slightly depending upon the number of suitcases, the time of day or night of the journey, and of course the number of passengers carried.

Also an important consideration for families with small children, is that these taxis do not as a rule carry child seats, therefore children may have to sit on their parent's knee for the journey.

If this is a cause for concern, we strongly recommend that you make arrangements for a pre-booked taxi to be waiting for you, and clearly specify at the time of booking that a child seat is needed for the journey.

The actual resort of Puerto de Soller is an almost perfect horseshoe bay enclosed by two headlands, which is not too dissimilar from many of the resorts on the north coast of Menorca.

At a little over 3km inland from the port is the original old town of Soller. The main road that joins the two is shared with both trams and numerous coaches, as most of the major tour operators to Majorca incorporate a boat trip around the harbour at Puerto de Soller into their "Scenic West" type day trips. As a result this road can become very busy and congested during the summer months.

This tramway is the only working tram on the island and is known locally at the "Orange Express". Not for the colour of the carriages, but due to the fact that its route meanders from the old town, through orange groves to terminate at the harbour at Puerto de Soller.

If the thought of driving the 35km back down to Palma either via the tunnel, or through the winding mountain pass, complete with its terrifying hairpin bends, isn't that appealing, then why not let the train take the strain.

From a converted 17th Century manor house in the old town of Soller, the "Tren de Soller" clatters its way down to Palma around 5 times everyday.

Both tourists and locals alike, have been making this journey now for the past 90 years in the vintage brass and mahogany carriages that are a trademark of this train, whilst admiring the breathtaking scenery enroute.

Returning if we may back to the coast, the resort of Puerto de Soller has two good sandy beaches, which are known locally as "Es Traves" and "Ca´n Repic". At some 800 metres long and 20 metres wide, Es Traves is undoubtedly the larger of the two and can be found at the end of the road from Soller old town and the port, on the right side of the bay.

A wide pedestrian promenade joins the beaches of Es Traves and Ca´n Repic, along which you will find a selection of pavement bars, cafes and restaurants, offering visitors stunning views across the bay towards the nearby El Faro lighthouse, which marks the entrance to the harbour.

The area around Soller is most popular with middle aged couples, and those interested in walking and scenery, who use the town as a convenient base to get into the mountains that have protected the resort for many years.

Certainly worth a mention here are the two mountain villages of Fornalutx and Biniaraix, both of which are approximately 4km from the centre of old town, nestled at the base of the "Puig Major".

At both villages, the last 100 years appears to have completely passed them by, and visitors can experience the traditional Majorcan way of life, and how the island used to be before the tourists started to arrive.

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This website was launched on 1 May 2002

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