Soller Oranges and Local Produce

Soller is known as the "Golden Valley" for its citrus groves, planted in terraces at the foot of the Serra de Tramuntana. Besides oranges you will find mandarins and lemons. Varieties grown include the Canoneta, Navelina and Valencia.

In 2016 the Sant Bartomeu Cooperative began a campaign to win Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for Soller oranges; press reports from 2021 expected registration in 2022. Check the product label for the current status.

The valley's output is limited and part of it is exported, so the surest way to eat a real Soller orange is to buy it locally.

The Canoneta is the variety most tied to the valley and is used mainly for juice. Accounts of its origin differ: one places it around 1900 on a Soller farm (Can Canonet), while others describe it as the result of centuries of local selection. That is why we give no firm date.

According to recent local press, the harvest falls in late winter (February and March, approx.). Outside those weeks you will find other varieties.

The two names are often confused:

• Fet a Soller is a private company that markets the valley's citrus. It registered the "Canoneta" trademark in 2018, according to Ultima Hora.
• Sant Bartomeu Cooperative (Cooperativa Agrícola de Sóller) groups the valley's farmers, runs its own shop and takes part in the Orange Fair with its citrus variety exhibition and the Mercat de la Taronja.

If you search for "fet a soller", you probably want to know where to buy the oranges or juice. The most direct options are the Cooperative's shop and the market stalls. Ask before you go where Fet a Soller currently sells.

Sources agree that the citrus trade with France was crucial for the valley. Because the mountains cut Soller off from the rest of the island, the fruit left by sea from Port de Soller for ports in southern France. The export boom is placed in the 19th century, although some sources date it to the 18th century and others link it to French exiles. Details vary by author.

That link helps explain why the valley built its own railway, the Soller train, and a tram to the port. Competition from other regions later reduced exports.

This is the yearly citrus festival. The 2025 edition (the 19th) ran from 5 to 13 April, opening on Plaça de sa Constitució. The first Saturday included:

• The Sant Bartomeu Cooperative's exhibition of citrus varieties.
• The Mercat de la Taronja, selling citrus products.
• Family workshops, a guided visit to the orange orchards and evening music.
• Restaurants serving citrus dishes at a reduced price (3 euros a dish in 2025).

Dates change every year: check the programme with the town council before planning your trip.

Photo: Kritzolina, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

• Olive oil: the Tramuntana has terraced olive groves. The designation of origin is Oli de Mallorca.
• Sobrasada: a soft, spreadable pork sausage with paprika, with PGI status as Sobrasada de Mallorca.
• Ensaimada: a spiral sweet pastry made with lard, with PGI Ensaïmada de Mallorca; sold in round boxes that travel well.
• Cheese: sheep and goat cheeses from the island.
• Wine: Mallorca has two designations, Binissalem and Pla i Llevant.
• Mallorcan herbal liqueur (hierbas): an aniseed liqueur with herbs, sweet or dry, a common souvenir.
• Orange and lemon ice cream: found in the ice cream shops around the square; see where to eat in Soller for more.
• Red prawn: a seafood product tied to the port; see the Port de Soller restaurants.

These are rough ranges: each year's weather brings the harvest forward or pushes it back.

• Sant Bartomeu agricultural cooperative: according to the mallorca.com directory, it is at Ctra. de Fornalutx 8 and sells local fruit, vegetables, olive oil, wine, bread, cheese, olives, jams, sweets and soaps. There is parking at the door. Call ahead to check opening hours.
• Saturday market and Municipal Market: fruit, cheese and local produce. Details are in the Soller market guide.
• Shops in the town centre and the port: packaged products for gifts.

• Oil, wine and liqueur: pack them well in checked luggage. In hand luggage, liquids over 100 ml do not pass security.
• Ensaimada and sweets: they travel well in their box.
• Sobrasada and cheese: rules depend on your destination. If you fly outside the EU (for example to the UK), check the import rules for meat and dairy first, as they may be restricted.
• Fresh fruit: same advice; check the customs and plant health rules of your destination.

Rules differ by country: check the official customs website of your destination before you fly.