Travel Guide to Deia, Port de Soller and Soller in Mallorca

Overview

Mallorca Island is one of the most beloved summer destinations in the Mediterranean and after visiting this year, I think the reputation is well deserved. Most of the tourists, head to Mallorca for the typical summer vacation, sunbathing but this part of Spain, has some of the prettiest towns I have ever seen. Deia, Port de Soller and Soller in Mallorca are three beautiful towns that should not be out of your radar when travelling in the Balearic Islands.

This Travel Guide has travel tips, which will help you when visiting Deia, Port de Soller and Soller in Mallorca, Spain

But first, what are these towns? Let’s give a short overview of the three places mentioned above. Deia, Port de Soller and Soller are located northwest of the island, where the terrain is mostly mountainous and hilly. The area is part of Serra de Tramuntana, UNESCO World Heritage. Soller lies in a valley and after 3 km, direction northwest you reach the coastal town of Port de Soller. On the opposite, Deia has an altitude of 300 m and is 11 km from Soller. The towns have a typical Mallorcan architecture, 2-4 store buildings with a sand colour exterior and large symmetric windows in green shutters. Each of the towns has its highlights and I will dive deeper in this post.

The topics included in this Travel Guide are as follows:

When to visit?

The towns have a Mediterranean climate, which means a lot of sunshine throughout the year. The best time to visit is April-June and September-October. Generally, during these months, you have a pleasant weather, convenient prices and no big crowds as in July and August. Europe is becoming more and more crowded after the pandemic and avoiding peak season is a very good idea.

How to go there?

Vintage Train from Soller to Palma — On the way to Palma from Soller with Vintage Train

Reaching this part of Mallorca first, you should land at the only airport on the island Palma de Mallorca Airport. In addition, another way is Port de Palma de Mallorca if you are coming with a ship. You can move around by car, as a more comfortable choice or use public transportation. After reaching Palma, you can go further in Soller on bus 204 for half an hour, every thirty minutes or you can take the Vintage iconic Train for one hour.

Port de Soller is only 5 minutes by bus 204 from Soller and is the same line that comes from Palma. A fantastic ride is the Vintage Tram, another option from Soller to Port de Soller. To reach Deia, you can take bus 203 from Soller for 45 minutes, every 1 hour. The road takes more than needed for an 11 km distance because of the mountainous terrain. As noticed, this part of the island is well covered with public means of transport, which was the one that we used to move around and they were not only convenient but also comfortable.

Where to stay?

Soller, Mallorca — View from the hostel room

We were accommodated in Soller and that was the perfect location to explore the rest of the area. From there you can reach Port de Soller in less than 10 minutes and Deia in 45 minutes. This part of Mallorca was our favourite and offers many lovely things to do. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to explore more but if you have more days extend your stay in Soller and your trip would be unforgettable.

What to do?

Vintage Train from Palma to Soller in Mallorca

Vintage Train from Soller to Palma de Mallorca

Vintage Train trail views from Soller to Palma de Mallorca — Views from the Train

Let’s start with the most interesting experience we had in Mallorca, the vintage train from Palma to Soller. Two towns are connected together through a railway system since 1912 and it runs nowadays the same as it once was. The train is very well maintained and runs in both directions, Soller to Palma and Palma to Soller.

Mainly this means of transport is for tourists since the costs are way higher than bus tickets. One way ticket is 18 €/person and you can buy it at the train stations in Palma and Soller. Anyway, we recommend taking one way for the experience it offers. The direction from Palma to Soller has many more people than the other way. So, to enjoy the one-hour journey take the direction from Soller to Palma. We took this way and on our wagon was only one other lady. Pretty comfortable. It’s important to say, sit on the left side of the train for the best view along the way.

Soller in Mallorca

Soller town is beautiful to visit and one day to explore is more than enough. Firstly, the main attraction in Soller is the Sant Bartomeu de Sóller church in the city centre. The square has plenty of cafes and restaurants to rest after exploring the city. The tram from Soller to Port de Soller ride goes through this square and is one of the most iconic Instagram places these days. The rest of the day we went on exploring the alleys of Soller. We want to suggest one in particular as in the picture above, Carrer de sa Lluna.

Vintage Tram Soller to Port de Soller

The Vintage Tram from Soller to Port de Soller or the other way is the second part of the historic ride in Mallorca. The first one as described above is Vintage Train from Palma to Soller and then you head to the famous Tram to finish the total ride at Port de Soller. The Tram is very pretty, with an old yet iconic style. It has 3 wagons while two of which are open, with no windows. For the best experience of the 15-minute ride, stay at one of these wagons. The ticket costs 8 €/person and you can buy it at the tram. If you decide to take the whole trip from Palma to Port de Soller by train and tram, the ticket costs 32 €/person and you can buy it online. Keep the hints in mind and enjoy the ride.

Port de Soller

Port de Soller is close to Soller and presents a more touristic infrastructure than the other two towns. It lies along a bay, which at the north part of it has the old quarter and the rest has hotels and restaurants in a more modern style. The port of the town is quite important for the area since it connects this part of the island with the rest of Mallorca. The boulevard along the bay is a great option for an afternoon walk and beautiful views of the town.

During the day, the Port de Soller beach offers lots of space for sunbathing. I recommend staying at the south of Port de Soller beach as there the water seems clearer and you will avoid the pollution and noises of the port. The Historic Tram mentioned earlier in this post goes along the bay and has a beautiful panoramic view of the coast. If you have time and want to take it easy, some days in Port de Soller are a great choice.

Deia

Deia definitely has my heart. This small village is so special and beautiful. You should visit it yourself and I am sure you will love it. Deia is a tourist destination but from everything I have read or seen on the internet, everyone loved it.

The village became famous thanks to the English writer and author Robert Graves. His home is now a museum in Deia and a top attraction. Unfortunately, it was closed the day we were, but I think you should give it a visit. Deia has a great viewpoint as in the first photo of the village above which is the perfect location for photos and videos. Then we headed towards the top of the village, through the alleys and enjoyed the different perspectives of Deia. The village is pretty small and one day is more than enough to explore.

All the attractions suggested here at Soller, Port de Soller and Deia in Mallorca were top activities in Mallorca. We liked the area very much and it will be on our travel missions list again.

What to eat?

Mallorca is part of the Mediterranean, which has the richest cuisine in Europe. Being so, with a fantastic climate, it offers plenty of delicious food to try. We went for local food and below are our top recommendations for the area:

Soller Prawns

Soller Prawns were a great suggestion from the locals in Mallorca and we went for it and after trying, it should be a must-dish for you too. The red prawns were so fresh and delicious and the place to eat is in Soller. The dish is really really good.

Orange ice cream in Soller — Soller orange ice cream

Orange, the symbol of Soller in Mallorca and everything made from it

We made quite a plan before heading to the Balearic Islands but didn’t find on the internet much information regarding the old tradition that Soller has with oranges. Certainly, after going there, you will notice directly. Soller is the place of the Oranges. Starting with ice cream, liquor, juice, jams etc. Soller loves oranges and they know how to make delicious dishes and drinks from them. Our highlight was ice cream with such a refreshing taste. You can take it at any ice cream shop in the main square. Orange liquor was good but we found it with a high percentage of alcohol for a liquor.

After a long walk through the alleys of Deia, we stopped for a lemonade, much needed that day and the drink was very good, especially during the summer season.

Soller, Port de Soller and Deia are great destinations in Mallorca, even though the places are not typical beach vacations, they surprised us a lot and become our favourite part of the trip. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below and we are more than happy to answer! Happy Travelling!