Tag: Western Mallorca

The west of Mallorca is characterized by the Serra Tramuntana: the mountain range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But the west of the island is not only popular with hikers: charming mountain villages such as Valldemossa or Fornalutx are perfect for a little summer retreat!

  • Best Things to Do in Valldemossa, Mallorca

    Best Things to Do in Valldemossa, Mallorca

    Valldemossa is one of the most beautiful places on Mallorca. The small alleyways with their colorful planted doors are a popular photo motif and a must-see on a trip to the Serra Tramuntana with its pretty villages. In this article, I’ll tell you what else you shouldn’t miss out on in Valldemossa!

    Valldemossa Mallorca old town alleys flowers

    Valldemossa Charterhouse

    The Valldemossa Charterhouse is the central point of the village. Behind the Charterhouse is a small, very well-kept garden, which is particularly inviting in summer. The charterhouse in Valldemossa was built and used as the summer residence of the King of Mallorca (no, not Jürgen Drews – Mallorca really was once an independent kingdom) at the beginning of the 14th century. The Charterhouse can also be visited from the inside for an entrance fee.

    Save time: You can buy your ticket to the Kartause online here*.

    Valldemossa sights Mallorca Charterhouse
    Visible from afar: The extravagant tower of the Valldemossa Charterhouse on Mallorca.

    Are you planning a trip to Mallorca?
    ➜ Find even more information about Mallorca here

    Chopin & Valldemossa

    Even the famous composer Frédéric Chopin once stayed here, in the winter of 1838, together with his lover George Sand. However, due to his progressive tuberculosis, Chopin had to leave Mallorca and Valldemossa after just one winter. The Valldemossa Charterhouse, or Cartuja in Spanish, and the entire monastery complex, where Chopin lived, are very well maintained and well worth a visit!

    Valldemossa Mallorca Carrer Chopin
    There is even a street named after Valldemossa’s most famous resident.

    The beautiful alleys of Mallorca

    Many people will know Valldemossa from pictures of Mallorca without realizing it: Here you can take wonderful pictures of the small picturesque alleyways, which are often beautifully decorated in summer due to the many festivities.

    Valldemossa Doors Flowers Mallorca
    Typical for Valldemossa: the rough stone facades of the houses are decorated with many small flower pots.

    The best way to get to Valldemossa is by car:
    ➜ Here you’ll find the best car rental deals for cruising around the island*

    Valldemossa Mallorca

    The typical Mallorcan architecture with heavy stones and rustic wooden doors can be found everywhere. The facades of the houses are often hung with Mediterranean terracotta pots around the doors and are beautifully planted.

    The many small artists’ studios dotted around the village are also wonderful photo motifs and very instagrammable.

    Valldemossa sights Mallorca flower pots houses
    Many Valldemossa residents go to great lengths to plant their houses.

    Local specialty: The best cocas de patata on Mallorca

    You should definitely try one of the cocas de patata in Valldemossa, a sweet, fluffy yeast roll made from potato flour, which is dusted with plenty of powdered sugar after baking. If you’re lucky, you’ll still be able to get slightly warm cocas fresh from the oven in the bakeries, as cocas are sold throughout the day in the high season and are therefore baked again and again. A delicious sweet with coffee, popular all over the island, but the original simply comes from Valldemossa. The best way to enjoy a coca is with a cool horchata, a kind of cold almond milk smoothie. Don’t miss it!

    The best spot with authentic Mallorcan charm—a true classic: Pasteleria Ca’n Molinas
    When the weather is nice, there’s no better place to sit than under the lemon and orange trees in the courtyard!

    Valldemossa specialty Cocas de Patata Mallorca
    In Valldemossa you eat cocas de patata! Nowhere on Mallorca do they taste better than here.

    Looking for peace and relaxation in the mountains of Mallorca?
    The area around Valldemossa is perfect for that!
    ➜ Find the perfect place to stay in and around Valldemossa here

    Eating and drinking in Valldemossa

    In addition to the bakeries on the main street that serve fresh cocas, I can recommend the following locations in Valldemossa:

    Cappuccino – the classic on Mallorca is also a must in Valldemossa! See and be seen with a view of the Charterhouse!
    Gelato Mossa – ice cream parlor right next to the Charterhouse. Yes, the ice cream is more expensive here, but good ice cream is expensive on Mallorca and even more so in Valldemossa. I can still only recommend it!
    Aromas – a little more hidden and away from the hustle and bustle, but good food and an atmospheric courtyard!

    Valldemossa Restauraunt Tip Aromas
    The atmosphere at Aromas in Valldemossa is particularly cozy.

    Tips for a visit to Valldemossa

    Arrival by car

    Valldemossa can be easily visited on a day trip with a rental car along the Tramuntana mountains. Please note: the winding roads on Mallorca are quite twisty, so it’s not for anxious or impatient drivers! Especially when the roads get crowded in summer and some people like to push, get overconfident or drive at a snail’s pace out of sheer fright. But the view is so beautiful – I can never get enough of it, even though I’ve driven the route so many times.

    Valldemossa sights Mallorca

    Arrival with a tour

    If you don’t feel comfortable driving your rental car along that route, you can also join a guided tour. The downside: you’re completely tied down. There’s so much to discover in this part of Mallorca in particular. It’s much more convenient to be able to stop wherever you want and plan the trip yourself.

    On a tour, however, you can travel at a relaxed pace—especially if you don’t like riding challenging routes in unfamiliar areas.

    ➜ Book the bus tour from the south of Mallorca to Port de Soller and Valldemossa* here

    Arrival by public transportation

    Public transport is also an alternative: bus line 203 connects Palma with Valldemossa and Port de Soller. However, it doesn’t run that often (usually only every 60-90 minutes), so you should plan well in advance.

    ➜ Timetables, prices & information for line 203: Port de Soller – Valldemossa – Palma

    Parking in Valldemossa

    Finding a parking space in Valldemossa is not easy, especially in summer. It is best to leave your car in one of the public parking lots along the main road. You only have to cross the road to get to the old town. At the height of summer and at weekends it can get really busy, so keep your nerve and give up hope of finding a free parking space! Valldemossa is very popular!

    Valldemossa Mallorca
  • Sa Calobra & Torrent de Pareis: Day trip on Mallorca

    Sa Calobra & Torrent de Pareis: Day trip on Mallorca

    It is essential to arrive in Sa Calobra before 10 a.m., says every guide book, so that you don’t find yourself in the middle of the big avalanche of coaches. Be sure to go again after 3 pm, otherwise you will experience the same thing back. Sa Calobra and the famous gorge Torrent de Pareis are well visited. All the more so in high summer, when Mallorca is bursting at the seams. Nevertheless, the Torrent de Pareis is always worth a trip during a Mallorca road trip! If you don’t want to drive, save yourself the journey through the Tramuntana and start with a boat trip from Port de Sóller to the bay of Sa Calobra.

    Sa Calobra Torrent de Pareis Restaurant
    In Sa Calobra there are a few restaurants, but relatively expensive and rather tourist traps. But the view is awesome!

    Sa Calobra & the Torrent de Pareis: A day trip in Mallorca

    On an island like Mallorca, the beach in Sa Calobra Bay isn’t particularly noteworthy: the pebbles make a day at the beach there a bit uncomfortable. But that’s not why people come here! The Torrent de Pareis is a torrential stream that flows right here through a deep gorge from the Tramuntana Mountains into the sea. However, this only happens during the colder and rainier seasons—in the summer, the Torrent de Pareis runs dry. Then you can also hike through the Torrent de Pareis gorge. However, you’ll need good hiking gear and a guide who knows the area well!

    Sa Calobra bay at Torrent de Pareis Mallorca

    Tip: On my Mallorca blog you can find even more travel inspiration for my absolute favorite island!

    Torrent de Pareis: Hiking tours and concerts

    The spacious area at the end of Torrent de Pareis often hosts concerts in the summer, with shuttle service to Palma. The sound: Bose couldn’t do it better. Without a concert, the Torrent de Pareis is rather inconspicuous. If you arrive without hiking equipment and a local guide, the more exciting part of the gorge (where it gets narrow and steep and bumpy) is impassable. So there you are, standing on heated pebbles, between rocks and what feels like two hundred and fifty busloads of tourists from all over the world, who actually don’t know what they’re supposed to find so great about a parched spot between the mountains.

    Tip: If you want to explore Torrent de Pareis, don’t do it without a guide!

    Sa Calobra Torrent de Pareis Mallorca
    Torrent de Pareis also often hosts open-air events.

    And yet, it’s spectacular. Not only the gorge Torrent de Pareis, not only Sa Calobra and not even the turquoise blue water in the Cala de Sa Calobra.

    Sa Calobra Mallorca road through Tramuntana mountains

    Many serpentines and the tie knot of Mallorca

    The real adventure is getting there! Coming by car from Inca, you shimmy through various mountain villages, up, down, up, down, and winding through dense forest. Until your foot cramps on the clutch from constantly shifting up and down. Until you get dizzy from the many curves and long for at least twenty meters of dead straight asphalt. Actually, that would be enough excitement, but then the last wild descent begins.

    What you need for your Mallorca road trip:
    ➜ You can find cheap rental cars here!

    In hairpin curves it goes up the last hill and then …steeply downhill. In curves, tight, tightest. No guardrails. Slopes into the deep void. No view of what’s waiting around the bend. Nothing? Oncoming traffic? A giant tour bus that fills the entire width of the street?

    Tramutana mountains serpentines Mallorca road trip
    The view during the drive to Sa Calobra: The Tramuntana Mountains in Mallorca.
    Sa Calobra Mallorca road serpentines Tramuntana mountains
    Rough and adventurous: the northeast coast of Mallorca.

    Sa Calobra: The most winding approach to Mallorca

    The serpentine road to Sa Calobra is not fun for every driver. But an adventure it is all the same! And once down in Sa Calobra, the Torrent de Pareis looks a lot more spectacular. You suddenly feel tiny in the face of the huge gorge.

    Sa Calobra Torrent de Pareis road serpentines Mallorca
    Only something for safe drivers: The serpentines down to the Torrent de Pareis have it in themselves!
    Sa Calobra Torrent de Pareis beach rocks
    No shade, giant pebbles – but the huge rocks on the right and left make the beach of Sa Calobra unique

    The winding road above is really the only way to get to Sa Calobra by land. However, if you are not so adventurous, you can take a boat from Soller. Round trip costs 30 euros together.

    Without car to Sa Calobra

    By Bus

    If you don’t dare to go down to Sa Calobra by car, then join a bus tour! There are some operators who include Sa Calobra in really nice day trips and where you get to know many other beautiful corners of the island in just one day.

    Torrent de Pareis in Sa Calobra Mallorca sign

    This tour, for example, also includes a ride on the legendary Red Lightning, the historic wooden train from Palma to Sóller! This ticket alone normally costs 18 euros, so the price of the tour is worth it!

    Book here a day trip across the island from Palma via Sóller to Sa Calobra and further*

    By boat

    There are also some organized boat tours that go to the bay of Sa Calobra from surrounding ports. There you also have the opportunity to see the Torrent de Pareis during a short stay.

    ➜ Timetable & prices to Sa Calobra from Port de Sóller

    Sa Calobra Torrent de Pareis boat from Soller
    From Soller you can take a boat to Sa Calobra.
  • Visiting the Farmer’s Market in Esporles, Mallorca

    Visiting the Farmer’s Market in Esporles, Mallorca

    Esporles is a charming little village tucked at the foot of the stunning Serra Tramuntana. It offers a genuinely authentic Mallorca experience! Not many tourists venture here, which makes it all the more special. Hopefully, you’ll be lucky enough to visit during a market day in Esporles. That’s a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the true essence of Mallorcan village life and enjoy the vibrant local atmosphere.

    Esporles market in Mallorca with fruits and vegetables
    Colorful: The market in Esporles.

    Esporles in Mallorca: The farmer’s market

    A brief visit to one of the many markets on Mallorca is enough to realize that foodies get their money’s worth here. Every village, no matter how small, has its own market during the week. Often, you will find stands from local vendors who sell products from their own finca.

    Market in Esporles Mallorca
    The weekly market in Esporles is one of the most beautiful on the island.
    Sobrassada at market in Esporles Mallorca
    Typical: The spicy Sobrassada.
    Stockfish on market in Esporles Mallorca
    Mallorcan cuisine features ingredients like stockfish and pickled olives.

    The fertile Mallorcan soil combined with the nearly always shining sun creates ideal growing conditions. Lemon and orange trees are found throughout the island, along with all other essentials for a healthy Mediterranean diet: olives, juicy tomatoes, dried fruits, fresh fish, and huge watermelons. The list seems endless!

    Click here for more Mallorca travel inspiration

    Esporles Mallorca Café Deportiu
    Esporles Mallorca farmers market tomatoes onions
    Esporles Mallorca village Tramuntana

    Esporles: The market as a village event

    Market day is always a special occasion in remote villages. Not only can you find much fresher fruits and vegetables than at the local supermarket, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to catch up on the latest village gossip—or simply enjoy a relaxed chat with your neighbors over a lovely café con leche. It’s such a warm and friendly way to connect, especially for the older villagers who might not get many chances to leave the village.

    Also interesting: Mallorca’s largest flea market

    Esporles Mallorca village festival
    Esporles Mallorca market stall salad

    When is market day in Esporles? When is market in Mallorca?

    In Mallorca, every day is market day. There’s always some small village that’s holding a market. Large markets, like the one on Sundays in Santa Maria, are popular because of their size and variety, but it’s the small markets, like this one on Saturdays in Esporles, that are especially charming.

    A quick overview of all markets in Mallorca

    Market in Esporles Mallorca

    I really enjoy the smaller markets in the countryside the most; however, if you’re just visiting the capital, Palma, for a few days, you’ll also discover many wonderful opportunities to shop for authentic Mallorcan products there.

    Here you’ll find the best markets in Palma

    Cheese at market in Esporles Mallorca
    Everything fresh from the farmer: from cheese to vegetables there is a wide choice in Esporles.
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