Valldemossa, Sóller and Port de Sóller Tour by Bus and Tram Mallorca

Valldemossa, the stone village of the Tramuntana

Valldemossa sits at around 400 metres in a green valley of the Serra de Tramuntana, a mountain range listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage cultural landscape. Its cobbled lanes are lined with honey-coloured houses, green shutters and pots of geraniums, and many doorways carry painted ceramic tiles dedicated to the village's own saint. Above the rooftops rises the bell tower of the Charterhouse, a monastery founded by Carthusian monks at the end of the 14th century on the site of an earlier royal residence.

On this Valldemossa day trip you have about 90 minutes, enough to walk up to the Charterhouse, visit its cells, cloister and old pharmacy if you wish (entry is paid on site), and still sit down with a coffee and a coca de patata, the soft potato bun the village is known for. Is Valldemossa worth visiting? For most travellers it is the prettiest village on the island, and arriving early keeps the lanes calm.

The Tramuntana coast road, Deià and Sa Foradada

Between Valldemossa and Sóller the coach follows one of the most scenic roads in Mallorca, cut into the mountainside high above the sea. Pine forests, olive terraces built in dry stone over centuries and sudden views of the open Mediterranean follow one another, and your guide points out the landmarks along the way.

The drive passes Sa Foradada, a rocky peninsula pierced by a large natural hole, the tiny hamlet of Llucalcari and the hill village of Deià, where stone houses climb towards a small church and cemetery with sea views. This 45-minute stretch is the reason many visitors prefer a Tramuntana mountains tour by coach: the driver handles the narrow bends while you enjoy the coastline from the window, a view you rarely get when driving yourself.

Sóller, the valley of oranges

Sóller lies in a wide basin enclosed by mountains, famous for its orange and lemon groves. For centuries the valley was easier to reach by sea than by land, so its merchants traded citrus fruit with France and brought back wealth and new styles. That is why the main square, Plaça de sa Constitució, is framed by elegant buildings, among them the parish church of Sant Bartomeu with its striking Modernist façade and the neighbouring Modernist bank building.

You have about an hour and a half to explore the square, the shopping lanes and the covered market, taste fresh orange juice or an ice cream made with local fruit, and watch the tram rattle through the centre. Sóller is also the best place on this tour to have lunch, with many terraces around the square.

The Sóller tram and Port de Sóller

The Sóller tram has linked the town to its port since 1913. Its wooden carriages, some of them open-sided, cover a little under five kilometres through orange groves and then along the seafront, a ride of about 20 minutes that is one of the classic experiences of Mallorca. Your tram ticket is included, so you simply board with the group.

Port de Sóller is a natural harbour shaped like a horseshoe, protected by two lighthouses and backed by steep mountains. The promenade is lined with seafood restaurants, cafés and a sandy beach, and fishing boats still moor beside the yachts. With about 45 minutes here you can walk along the water, dip your feet in the sea or simply sit and watch the boats before the coach takes you back. The best time to visit Port de Sóller is late afternoon, exactly when this tour arrives.