Mallorca Travel – A Drive through the Tramuntana Mountains, Country Luxury at Finca Ca's Sant and a Great Evening in Sóller
Our second full day in Mallorca started with an early morning stroll along the Pine
Walk promenade in Port de Pollena, a beautiful seafront town on the northeast side of the island. The expansive Bay of Pollena was shimmering in front of us in different hues of blue and green. Walking along the pine-fringed walkway beside attractive hotels and villas was a great way of enjoying the morning. After about an hour and a half we sat down at our hotel, the Hostal Goleta, and savoured our freshly baked baguettes for breakfast.Around 10 am we left Port de Pollena and started driving westwards and up into the Tramuntana mountain region. For me, the Tramuntana with its jagged limestone peaks, verdant valleys with pine trees, olive groves and almond trees, is the definite highlight of Mallorca's landscapes. On the north side of the island the limestone peaks drop precipitously into the blue depths of the Mediterranean.
We made our first stop at one of Mallorca's primary tourist destinations: Santuari de Lluc, a monastery which has been the spiritual centre of the island for more than 800 years. Even today, the Monastery of Lluc is an important destination for pilgrims. The famous boys choir of the monastery, in existence for more than 500 years, is called Els Blavets (for their blue cassocks). It regularly draws large groups of spectators during its performances.
We arrived early enough before the big crowds rolled in. Only a few tour buses were parked in the parking lots and visitors continued to arrive. We entered the imposing monastery and arrived in a quiet courtyard that features a statue of the founder of the Sacred Heart Missionary Congregation. From here we crossed through another building into the courtyard that leads to the monastery's church, which was built between 1622 and 1684 in the Renaissance-Baroque style. The main attraction of the church is the dark madonna, "La Moreneta de Lluc", a dark-coloured statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus.
Next to the monastery is a hill which offers an excellent panorama over the monastery and the adjacent mountain valleys. I arrived at the top of the hill as the bells were tolling at 11 am and enjoyed the view of the serene mountain panorama. We walked past several groups of school children on our way out before we continued our drive on the winding roads of the Tramuntana Mountains.
Our next destination was Sa Calobra, a tiny village in a scenic cove on the north side of the island. The route down to Sa Calobra features a breathtaking panorama over the north coast of Mallorca and numerous switchbacks curves. The 12.5 km long road covers an altitude differential of 780 metres and is considered a masterwork of engineering, planned by the Italian engineer Antonio Paretti and completed in 1932. The "Nus de sa Corbata", literally translated, the "knot in the tie", features a 270 degree curve and a bridge.
At the bottom of the road we were amazed at the amount of bus parking spaces. Several buses were already parked here, but we were wondering how busy this tiny hamlet could get during high season when the entire bus parking lot was full. Apparently on some days, upwards of 30,000 visitors descend on this village, and we counted ourselves lucky that we were here in May during pre-season.
Sa Calobra features a small beach that is flanked by several restaurants. Bus tourists were taking a walk through the village and populating the waterfront bars. We walked back to the car and enjoyed the breathtaking drive back up the mountain and onto the sideroad to Cala Tuent, a small gravel beach in the shadow of Mallorca's highest mountain, the Puig Major. The contrast of Mallorca's green pine trees, the blue jewel tones of the Mediterranean and the grey and brown-coloured coastal rocks delighted our eyes.
Back up in the mountains we then passed two dams: the Embassament Gorg Blau and the Embassament de Cuber. Both water reservoirs are located in the highest part of the Tramuntana mountain range, and their light blue and turquoise waters stand out against the rugged mountain panorama.
The Embassament de Cuber or Cuber Lake is a place from where many hiking trails start in Mallorca. The Serra de Tramuntana in general is a fabulous destination for walking, hiking and biking. We were amazed at the large number of professional cyclists that populate the backroads of Mallorca's mountains. The island obviously is a great training ground for cycling professionals.
Following a group of more leisurely cyclists, we continued on the winding mountain roads through the Tramuntana region. Our final destination for the day was the mountain town of Sller, a popular tourist town in the centre of the mountain chain. We were going to spend the night at a rural hotel called Finca Ca's Sant, a working orange plantation in the middle of town.
Sller, named after the Arab word "suliar" for "golden bowl", is known as the "orange bowl of Mallorca". It has the perfect climate and location for the many orange groves that brought the town prosperity. Starting in the eight century A.D., Arab settlers introduced their unique irrigation techniques and they started to cultivate oranges and olives on the slopes of the Serra de Tramuntana. Most of the fruits were exported to France which resulted in a strong cultural link between Sller and France.
Around 4 pm we arrived at our rural hotel, Finca Ca's Sant, and the owners, Rafael and Lourdes Forteza, welcomed us. They showed us to our impressive spacious bedroom, located in a side building with a nice terrace. I requested Rafael to give me a tour through the property and he graciously explained that Finca Ca's Sant has a history of more than 300 years. As a matter of fact, the stones of the main building are talking history, showing the different stages of construction over the years.
Rafael then took me inside the large stone house and showed me the large formal dining room which features heavy walnut furniture that was built in the 18th century. The room is adorned with original paintings by Mallorcan artists, and glass chandeliers from the renowned Gordiola factory light up the room. The piano on the wall comes with a special story: it originally was built in France, then travelled to Cuba and was finally transported to Mallorca. Famous singer Annie Lennox has stayed here at Finca Ca's Sant three times and she played on this very piano.
In the hallway, Rafael showed me two original historic paintings: one painting in dark colours features a cleric of some sort, but the handwritten description below the picture was painted over in black. Rafael explained that this was done during the Spanish Civil War because the Republicans had a highly anti-clerical mindset. A second picture next to the entrance features two bullet holes that also originated during the Spanish Civil War. In front of the stairs, a table displayed various products made by Finca Ca's Sant: orange jam, orange-flavoured salt and a recipe book with authentic recipes from the Forteza family. Orange products are produced by a local organization that employs people with disabilities.
The library and breakfast room to the left are also equipped with vintage furniture and paintings by local artists. Guests can relax with a good book or a magazine in the library. More Mallorcan glass chandeliers brighten up the breakfast room.
Rafael then took me outside and showed me the attractive swimming pool area which saw the addition of a pool ramp for disabled visitors last year. On a stroll through the property he showed me the little "casita", a private little guest house right in the middle of the orange orchards. From here the mountain panorama surrounding Sller became visible, with the Puig Major, the island's highest peak, overlooking the valley from the north.
Rafael explained that Finca Ca's Sant is actually composed of 18 smaller fincas and now makes up a property of 30,000 square metres (about 7.4 acres) in the middle of town, about 600 metres away from the town square. Running an orange plantation is extremely time-consuming and Rafael and his son spend many hours daily picking oranges during harvest time. At other times of the year the orange trees need to be pruned and maintained, so there is always a lot of work at Finca Ca's Sant.
I also learned that there are more than 4,000 varieties of oranges, but only about 40 of them are commercialized. Rafael replaced all the orange trees on his property a few years ago and intentionally chose a variety that would ripen in January and February, at temperatures below 18 degree. This type of variety is less prone to insect infestation and therefore requires very little, if any, insect control. As a result, the oranges from Finca Ca's Sant are grown almost completely organically.
It is also possible at Finca Ca's Sant to adopt an orange tree. Anyone who adopts an orange tree here will receive 10 kilograms of naturally ripened oranges, 16 glasses of marmalade, 1 jar of orange salt as well as 1 bottle of orange liqueur. In addition, members of the orange tree adoption program have access to various discounts for future stays at Finca Ca's Sant. Rafael indicated that the program is very popular with his guests, and many of them have become repeat visitors at Finca Ca's Sant.
Now it was late afternoon and it was time to explore the town. We had a shower in our beautiful bathroom and got ready for the 10 minute walk into downtown Sller. This town of 13,000 people is one of Mallorca's most popular travel destinations. It is connected with the capital Palma de Mallorca via a historic railway called the Ferrocarril de Sller and nicknamed "The Red Arrow". This electric railway was completed in 1911 and has been transporting people back and forth for almost 100 years. Today it is primarily the tourists that take the train and it is one of the town's main attractions.
From the train station of Sller one can try out another vintage transportation method: the electric tram that connects the town of Sller with Port de Sller, which lies 4 km away on the coast. Along with various other towns in Mallorca, this is another example of an inland town that has a port town several kilometers away. This originally happened because of the threat of pirates that would frequently attack the coastal settlements; as a result the main towns were located several kilometers inland.
The narrow streets took us out on to Plaa Constituci, Sller's main square, whose architectural highlights include the church of Sant Bartomeu. The original structure of this church dates from the 13th century and most of the current interior is of Baroque style. Next to the church's neo-gothic faade is another landmark: the Banco de Sller, designed in Modernista style in 1912 by the famous Catalan architect Joan Rubi i Bellver, a student of Antoni Gaud.
The city hall of Sller is located to the right of the cathedral. Numerous cafs and restaurants flank the square, which is an extremely popular gathering spot for locals and tourists. The vintage electric tram passes through every twenty minutes or so. We sat down at one of the cafs and ordered some local food: a seafood and a vegetarian paella which were absolutely delicious.
After our filling meal we strolled up to the historic train station of Sller, which is located in a fortified house that dates back to 1606. A museum with works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Mir is located inside the train station which is the departure point for the narrow-gauge railway to the capital of Palma as well as for the tram that goes to Port de Sller.
As
the sun started to set, the main square of Sller started to fill up with people. Families with young children were sitting on the open space surrounding the fountain, a group of musicians was playing Spanish music and walking from table to table, and some Brazilian capoeira dancers were entertaining a growing crowd with their mixture of dance, acrobatics and martial arts.
We ended our day with an ice cream and a slow stroll back to Finca Ca's Sant to rest up for another day of discoveries in Mallorca's Tramuntana Mountains.
Mallorca Travel A Drive through the Tramuntana Mountains, Country Luxury at Finca Ca's Sant and a Great Evening in Sller
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