Attraction Reviews from Mallorca

Alcudia is one of those towns that many visitors to Mallorca don't visit. It sits on the north of the island and unless you are staying in Pollenca, or more likely the nearby beach resorts of Port d'Alcudia or Port d Pollenca, you probably won't make it to the town as it seems too far away.

The lazy days of summer are here. The weather is perfect if you like it hot and steamy and it hasn't rained in weeks. Visitors and locals gather on the beaches and the routines of summer establish themselves. Get up early, do your chores and then let the day unfold. A little walk to the Soller square, collapse with an iced coffee and local gossip and that's it until the sun loses its heat. At least that's how it was but now it's all change. There is a huge amount of action in the Soller streets and opening parties galore. Men in suits and bottles of Cava tell you that this summer isn't going to offer the indolent respite of previous years. There is a frisson of excitement as, one after another, the big hitters arrive in town ready to make their mark. Alarm bells are ringing and worries abound that this could be the end of the Soller we know and love. Come on friends, don't be worried. They are only estate agents after all.

S’Albufera is the largest and most important wetlands in the Balearic Islands, a bird watchers paradise and a peaceful place to wander.

Soller is one of the ‘must see’ destinations of the Island. Every day coach loads of visitors pay their money to be brought in air conditioned comfort to the Hidden Valley. Tour operators offer their guests staying in the larger resorts in the south of the island the chance to see ‘the other side of Majorca’. The coaches get as far as the Soller tunnel and make the first stop of the day at the Gardens of Alfabia.

Arriving at Bodegas Angel is like stepping into a postcard. Only 20 kilometres from Palma and yet a world away, the scenery bids you slow down and unwind.

The hidden valley of Soller is where I live. Until 1997, the only access to Soller and its villages and hamlets was by the old wooden train from Palma, or by taking the Coll road with it's fifty hairpin bends - hence the hidden valley. Mass tourism and over building has therefore passed Soller by. In ages gone by, it had thrived on the sea and its trading links with France. Oranges and cotton had been exported from the Port of Soller and the people grew rich on trade. The Mallorquin language spoken here was with a definite French accent.

The mountains that surround the Soller valley met their conqueror 100 years ago. The thinkers of the hidden valley knew that progress was going to be impossible unless they ended Soller's mountain isolation. At the turn of the century Soller was a boom town trading in cotton and oranges and moving these goods other than by sea was, quite simply, impossible. The majestic mountains and, in particular, the Alfabia mountain range prevented passengers and goods being transported to the island’s main port in Palma de Mallorca.

The joys of February in the Soller valley must be experienced. The blossom is appearing on the trees, and the orchards are a mass of pink and white. The grass has been overtaken by yellow sorrel, providing a carpet for the blossom. This truly is a special time of year and an early indication that spring in Majorca comes sooner than in England.

Step off the bustling shopping street of Carrer de Sa Lluna and head inside the cool exterior of Soller's Modernist Museum. A wealth of art and an insight into the lifestyle of the rich in early 20th century Mallorca awaits you. 

Of all the towns to visit on the island of Mallorca, Sineu would not necessarily be everyone’s obvious choice. 

The Soller valley is my home - North West Majorca surrounded by the Tramuntana mountain range and its leader the Puig Mayor. We are enclosed by the mountains which dictate our weather and our thinking. A community that leans towards France and its old trading links with the rest of Europe. A throwback to the days when it was easier to deliver goods by boat to Europe than cross the mountains and head for Palma.

No one could take a trip to Arta and fail to notice the Església de la Transfiguracio del Senyor, The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It sits part way up the Sant Salvador hill with a view out over the whole town. Huge and impressive this church will be one of the first things you notice upon your approach to the town.

Having been invaded by just about everyone, it isn't altogether too surprising to find that a certain amount of suspicion is embedded into the psyche of the Mallorquines. Let us take a look at the ancient coastal towers of Mallorca and their role in protecting its inhabitants during these dangerous times.

September in the ‘hidden valley’ of Mallorca – my favorite season of the year. There is something about the light in Mallorca at this time, especially the light over the mountains. It is so clear that you seem able to reach out and touch the pine forests that dot the mountainside and you know you are basked in the painter’s aura. At least that’s what the artists say, the ones that sit with easel poised, drinking in the scene before putting it down on canvas.

Under the layer of clothes needed to live in Soller at the moment we all hibernate. Scarves, gloves, thick coats and boots are the fashion of choice and necessity. Not too many people are worried about their image - they just want to be warm.