Having not been to Mallorca for over a decade, we headed off this summer for a quick getaway before the 'season' really began down in West Dorset. Mallorca is so accessible, with numerous flights from all major airports. We opted for Bournemouth airport again, as it really is so simple, and takes the pain out of travelling through a major international hub, with fewer than thirty flights in total leaving a day in high season. The parking, albeit more expensive than the flights, is worth it - you are paying for ease...
Flying into Palma, it's worth staying a night or two in the capital as it is such a fantastically vibrant city offering a little something for everyone. But Palma needs a whole blog post to itself, so more of that another time.
Taking the train to Sóller is one of the most delightful parts of leaving the city. Established in 1912, the vintage train takes one hour, travelling through citrus groves and 13 tunnels (one of which is 3km long) before you arrive in Sóller in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains.
Once in Sóller, the train station leads you down to the main square where cafés, independent shops, restaurants, a fantastic cathedral and cobbled streets can be found. As Sóller often boasts it has the best oranges on the island, it's worth sitting in the square with a fresh juice. We stayed about a 15-minute walk from the main square towards the beautiful village of Fornalutx. However, if you want to travel without a car, there are many townhouses for rent through Airbnb. Staying out of town had its merits, as it was spectacularly quiet and we had the most amazing views of the mountains, which turn a beautiful pink in the morning and evening.
Highlights close to where we stayed were: 1) being able to walk into Sóller, and 2) the bakery up in Fornalutx - Es Pa de Fornalutx and even more exciting for us, the incredible farm shop/cooperative, which also had amazing daily bread, vegetables, essentials and chocolate... the Cooperativa Agrícola Sant Bartomeu de Sóller. This genuinely heightened our stay in Mallorca. Unbelievably fresh, local produce – boxes of cherries, nectarines and cheeses... all from within the Sóller region. The prices for such lusciousness were incredible – a tray of cherries for 4 euros.
One of the great ways to get around Mallorca is by bike, although it is incredibly hilly, which is where an electric bike comes in very handy. We hired bikes through Tramuntana Tours, who have shops in both Sóller town and Port de Sóller, some 5km apart. The bikes were practically new and well maintained. They certainly helped with the steep hills, but if you are going to hire, women – ask for a padded saddle!
From Sóller we went to Fornalutx, Port de Sóller and Alconàsser (for a swim)...but I didn't quite manage any further. When in Port de Sóller – a MUST visit is the restaurant owned by Grace Berrow – Campo. Not on the main drag of the port alongside all the beach hotels and restaurants, but a one-minute walk back and located in a wonderful garden, beautifully lit at night.
Grace's philosophy is very clear:
Seasonal. The menu changes because the land changes. What’s ready is what we serve. Local. The valley of Sóller produces extraordinary ingredients. We don’t need to import what’s already perfect at our doorstep. Honest. No pretension, no theatre. Just well-made food served in a beautiful setting with people who care. Joyful. A long lunch in the Mallorcan sun is one of life’s great pleasures. We want every visit to feel like that.
I had the white peach and tuna salad, a combination I hadn't tried before, but it was absolutely delicious... Cass and Jesse tried many more dishes between them, including a sumptuous profiterole to end the evening. You might recognise the surname, Berrow. Grace is part of a family of super-creative women. Her mother, Miranda, is an amazing ceramicist – we used to sell her mugs, and her lamp bases are in both our shops – while Grace's sisters, Joya and Alma, are a filmmaker/photographer and an artist, respectively.
One of the greatest ways to see the island's rugged western coastline is by boat. Hiring a self-driven boat is possible from Port de Sóller. If you have a driving licence, then it's possible to rent a 15hp boat for the day, or if you happen to have a powerboat licence, then something quicker is available. Going slowly around the coast is wonderful, though, and stopping at various coves and bays for a swim is magical. On our trip we visited Cala de Deià, where episodes from Season 1 of The Night Manager were filmed... I could just see Corky and Dickie tucking into fresh lobster.
We then headed up the coast to Valldemossa, often regarded as one of the prettiest towns in Mallorca. It's definitely worth a visit, either by road or boat.
Whilst in Sóller, it is definitely worth a visit to gelateria Island Ices Mallorca, aka Mister McCoy's Island Ices, at Plaça d'Espanya in Sóller town, just up from the main square. It also sells a selection of natural wines by the glass and bottle. Rory McCoy hails from NE England, having previously owned a number of restaurants in the UK, including Duck Soup in Soho. He now resides in Mallorca with his Spanish partner, creating the most unbelievable ice creams and sorbets.
It's hard not to visit Deià when in the Serra de Tramuntana area. It's utterly beautiful, but it has also become very glitzy in the years since I last visited Mallorca. Although it gets very crowded, there are a couple of places I did visit. The family-owned chiringuito at Cala Deià – Ca'n Lluc – where you can tuck into fresh seafood on the water's edge, and then the newly opened shop in the village itself, opened by Deià resident Matthew Williamson – Caserra 71. I mainly went to see the pink walls and visual merchandising rather than to purchase.
It's hard to recommend places to stay as there are SO MANY. We rented a sweet finca via Airbnb, outside Sóller, which was perfect, with a small but very deep plunge pool. But there are also tons of villa rentals and apartments available to view on the internet.
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