Why the Ferrocarril de Soller should be on your bucket list..
In my opinion, there are few more fascinating and romantic journeys than on an old train. This one is over 100 years old and was originally built to transport orange and lemon pickers from Palma up into the mountains where the fruits grow in abundance.
Today, the train is a major tourist attraction and carries in excess of one million visitors a year. Powered by electricity from inception, these wooden locomotives and carriages meander through the mountains of Mallorca taking in some truly amazing scenery as they go.
Operating up to six services in each direction daily, there's plenty of choice. The train takes just over an hour to reach the lovely little town of Soller. If you can, build in some time to visit the stunning town of Port de Soller where you can have lunch by the water.
The lemon trees that adorn the route around Soller
The busy Palma station where you can get a drink and a bite to eat before departure
The route..
My route today starts in the Mallorcan capital, Palma.
From here, the train initially climbs on a very mild gradient through the suburbs of Palma before soon clearing out of the city at a relatively sedate 45mph towards Inca and Soller.
Though there are some 'halts' along the way, the first official stopping point on the route is Bunyola. The train stops here for a few minutes to allow people to board and disembark before continuing up up the hills and through some lovely greenery until you reach Mirador Pujol de'n Banya, where the train stops for a good 10 minutes to allow you to get some stunning photos.
We then continue on through some delightful scenery until we reach Soller station which is within easy walking distance of Soller itself.
Climbing through the suburbs of Palma before reaching Bunyola
Mirador Pujol de'n Banya - a lovely stop for getting photographs of the valley below
Soller station
Soller station is a railway buff's dream. I don't know much about trains but there were a lot of enthusiasts around on the day I visited. Sadly, due to Spain's obsession with rules and pedantry, you're not that welcome to get pictures beyond the platforms however for all you rail geeks, I did get these pics..
Soller station
A quick word about the Soller tram..
As if the train wasn't enough excitement, there is also a tram which takes you from outside Soller station to Port de Soller. It runs very frequently throughout the day and it is well worth the trip to the Port where you can have a lovely relaxing lunch by the water.
The Soller - Port Soller tram
Conclusion
This is a brilliant but busy attraction that now carries more than one million visitors a year. Here are my top tips for a great day out:
- Book up to 7 days in advance on the website
- Online is cheaper and includes e-ticketing which means no queueing
- The tunnels can be noisy, so bring earplugs
- Soller is a lot cooler than Palma, so bring a jumper or light jacket, just in case
Do allow time to get to Puerto de Soller on the tram or to have lunch in Soller itself
Tickets start at €29 return and you must specify your outbound and inbound journey times.
I highly recommend this trip and suggest allowing a full day for maximum enjoyment.
Add comment
Comments