Port de Sóller

Famous for its street tram, a visit to this relaxed holiday resort is a must!

 

 

In recent years, the northwestern resort of Port de Sóller has undergone an impressive revamp – and become home to a global hotel brand – blending quaint and contemporary to highly pleasing effect. Discover everything that makes Port de Sóller a wonderful destination on Mallorca for holidays or a second home.

History & Culture

Inextricably tied to the Med, Port de Sóller has historically taken a dynamic seafaringapproach to its isolated situation. Separated from the rest of Mallorca by the Tramuntana mountain range, past generations had to take to the water to make trade possible.

Had they lived to bear witness to the modern-day construction of the Sóller tunnel, the area’s residents would have marvelled at the possibility of wagons rolling into their village. Easy road communication, however, would have robbed Sóller of its rich maritime past; the necessity for exploration opening up this humble corner of the island to the world, bringing import and export of goods, most notably citrus fruits, and, less desirably, pirate invasion.

Fleets of Turkish and Algerian pirates landed on Sóller’s beach in 1561. Armed with only wooden swords and small stone catapults, the town’s inhabitants courageously defended their homes from the attack, causing defeat and earning them a place in Mallorca’s hero history book.

Thanks to its remote location, and the use of the area as a training base by the Spanish military, Port de Sóller was protected from overdevelopment when the tourists started arriving, helping preserve its natural charm and beauty.

Major Attractions

Improvements in recent years to Port de Sóller and its road network have given this place a new glamour, making it a fitting location for a luxury Jumeirah-branded hotel, introduced in 2012. Set atop a cliff, the hotel overlooks the entire bay with its long, lively promenade, perfect for leisurely strolls.

The San Francisco-style tram shuttling between the town and Port de Sóller – its tracks passing citrus-filled gardens – was originally used to transport oranges, but is now a pleasant way to travel to the attractive horseshoe-shaped port.

As well as a working harbour, this is a seaside resort, with plenty of facilities, hotels, restaurants, bars and shops all geared to the needs of holidaymakers. Yacht charter and holiday rentals – from apartments to luxury villas – are widely available.

Things to do in Port de Sóller

Pleasure boat trips from the port follow the rugged coastline to Sa Calobra, where it’s a short walk to the spectacular Torrent de Pareis. The alternative route to this hidden gorge is the thrilling and incredibly engineered mountain road to Sa Calobra. With 12 hairpin bends and awesome views, it’s not for the faint-hearted!

Hikers and Nordic walking fans are in their element, with the Serra de Tramuntana’s GR221 long-distance path – the Dry Stone Route – passing through the port. Near Cap Gros lighthouse on the western edge of the port, the route passes the Muleta refuge on the way to the country estate of Muleta Gran and beyond. Walking in the opposite direction takes you through the port and town towards Fornalutx and Biniaraix hamlet. To walk with a guide, check out Mallorca Hiking or Tramuntana Tours (who also specialise in bike rental).

Keen cyclists can tackle the challenge of the Coll de Sóller (the tunnel is closed to cyclists), and mountain bikers have spectacular terrain to tackle.

Octopus Centro de Buceo is a PADI dive centre located in the port; beginner or experienced SCUBA diver, you’ll discover the magical underwater world on this coastline, where the mountains meet the Med.

Housed in a former monastery with a long and colourful history, the port’s Museu de la Martells the story of its peoples’ fascinating maritime past. The building itself, constructed in the late thirteenth century, was destroyed and rebuilt several times through the centuries, once experiencing an incarnation as a leper colony and hospital.

Playa d’en Repic

 

If you are facing the sea, Playa d’en Repic is the stretch of beach on the far left side, about 250 metres long, with a mix of sand and small pebbles. There is a boardwalk along this beach that connects all the way down the length of Port de Sóller beach to the marina, and where you’ll see the old tram running from the village of Sóller just a few kilometres away.

From June-September there are small areas with sunbeds and parasols for hire but there remain areas just for towels as well. The water is generally calm and quite clean but in the peak summer months with all the boats anchored nearby it can loose some of its clarity and there have been jellyfish sitings in July and August when the water is warmest. As the beach curves around to the left it gets a bit rockier on the sand and in the water before the restaurants end and it turns into cliffs.

There are restaurants, hotels and small shops along Playa d’en Repic, creating a lively summer ambiance. It is an easy, family-friendly beach with many Scandinavians, English and Germans, as well as Russians, as well as younger and older tourists, and often hikers and cyclists who love to base their stay around here in the cooler months.

Playa d’en Repic is well marked from the Carretera de Sóller, the main road that connects the two villages of Port de Sóller and Sóller. There are two areas for paid parking depending on which side of the beach you want to go to. The first is a large paid parking lot that connects to the small parc Sa Torre, or take the signs towards La Muleta and Repic along a small 1-kilometre long road that will lead you to the other side of Repic, where there is another paid parking area. There is a public bus and the tram from Sóller that stops right at the boardwalk of Port de Sóller, where Repic technically begins. Playa d’en Repic is a easily accessed by wheelchairs as there is a paved walkway from the parking to the boardwalk. For disabled and older people, there are benches along the boardwalk that are right in front of the beach.

Boats can be anchored here and there is a marina about 1-kilometre walk down the boardwalk.

There is a lifeguard on duty during the peak summer months. There is an urgent care in the center of Port Soller about a 10-minute walk from Playa d’en Repic.

There are a few water sports along Playa d’en Repic such as paddle boats, and just a short walk away along the beach, in front of the Esplendido Hotel is a SUP shop, which also offers yoga on the beach classes. Snorkeling and swimming are popular here, as are boat trips. From the Port de Sóller marina, about a 10-minute walk away, you can book ferry boat trips to Sa Calobra and Cala Tuent up the coast, and you can rent your own small boat for the day as well.

A good 30-minute walk from Repic, along a paved road or a 5-10 minute drive, brings you up to the top of a cliff overlooking the sea to the La Muleta lighthouse. You cannot access the lighthouse but the views are beautiful and there are a few great hikes that begin here as well.

Restaurants on Playa d’en Repic

 

Increasingly Port de Sóller is becoming known for having restaurants that serve creative and fresh food and you won’t have to look too far to find a great meal. Whether you want traditional Mallorcan cuisine and tapas, grilled fish, burgers or salads, there are several restaurants right on the boardwalk of Playa d’en Repic that will satisfy. Some are higher end establishments like Es Passeig and Agapanto, while others are more beach casual, such as the recently opened Don Pedro, but either way, shoes and shirts are almost always required. At the furtherest point south on Repic, along the part of the beach that veers off into the cliffs, are a couple of very casual beach bars where you can sit in chairs right on the beach while your kids play in the sand below.

Many of the restaurants have large terraces that offer space to relax and enjoy a long meal or an aperitif later in the day. There is cafe that caters to hikers and cyclists with healthy snacks such as granola and power bars as well as making fresh sandwiches to stay or to go. There is an Indian restaurant if you are in the mood for something more international and there is at least one ice cream shop here and a couple of small convenience stores for drinks and snacks. If you walk further on the boardwalk into the port towards the marina, restaurants are plentiful and welcoming such as the popular Randemar with its large covered terrace and Sa Barca, which offers innovative twists on classic Mallorcan dishes.