Port de Soller: What to See and Do

Port de Soller (Puerto de Soller in Spanish) is the coastal village of the municipality of Soller, on the north-west coast of Mallorca. It is about 3 km from the town centre and has around 2,500 inhabitants, a number that multiplies in the high season.

Its great attraction is the bay: an almost circular inlet between Cap Gros de sa Moleta and Forat des Dragó, with an entrance of only 450 metres that widens to about 830 metres inside. That makes it one of the safest natural harbours on the island and the main port of the Serra de Tramuntana, a World Heritage Site.

Around the bay you will find the seafront promenade with restaurants and hotels, the fishing and leisure harbour, the Santa Caterina district at one end and Repic beach at the other.

• The seafront promenade: it runs around the whole bay, with the tram running alongside the sea. It is the best place to watch the sunset over the bay entrance.
• Torre Picada: a 16th-century watchtower built to defend against pirates and corsairs. It overlooks the whole bay.
• The Cap Gros lighthouse: on the western headland of the bay. The walk up from the port is one of the most popular, with views of the bay entrance and the open sea.
• The Museu de la Mar: housed in the former Santa Caterina oratory, above the fishermen's quarter, it tells the story of Soller's relationship with the sea.
• The Santa Caterina district: fishermen's houses and narrow lanes in the upper part of the port, next to the oratory.
• The fishing harbour: traditional boats (llaüts) moored along the promenade.

The two headlands that close the bay entrance each have a lighthouse, and the hillside above the bay holds the old defence tower. These are the best viewpoints in the Port:

• Cap Gros lighthouse: the best known, at the top of the western headland. You walk up from the end of the promenade along a winding road; at the top there are views of the bay entrance, the Tramuntana coast and the open sea. It is the classic spot to watch the sunset.
• Sa Creu lighthouse: smaller and lower, right at the entrance to the bay, next to the water.
• Torre Picada: a 16th-century watchtower above the bay. From the top you see the whole bay with the village behind it.

Bring water and comfortable shoes: the climbs are short but steep, and the sun is strong in summer. More walks in our hiking guide to Soller.

At one end of the port, above the fishermen's quarter, stands the former Santa Caterina oratory, now the Museu de la Mar. The museum tells Soller's seafaring story: fishing, the orange trade with France, the corsairs and life in the port. The esplanade in front of the oratory has one of the prettiest views of the bay.

The lanes of Santa Caterina, with their low fishermen's houses, are the most authentic part of the Port and the quietest even in summer. Check the museum's opening times before you go, as they change with the season.

Because they sit inside an almost enclosed bay, the beaches of the Port have calm water and little swell, ideal for families:

• Beach in the centre: next to the marina, fine light sand, very busy in summer.
• Repic beach: on the other side of the bay, lined with palm trees, with sand and small pebbles, and quieter.

Both have restaurants nearby, sunbeds, parasols and showers. Full comparison, nearby coves and tips in the guide to Soller beaches.

• Swim at Repic beach or at the beach in the centre of the port. We help you choose in our guide to Soller beaches.
• Take a boat trip along the Tramuntana coast: the trip to Sa Calobra takes about an hour and lets you walk to the Torrent de Pareis. There is also a boat back from Cala Tuent. Options, timetables and tips in boat trips.
• Rent a boat without a skipper or a motorboat to explore the nearby coves.
• Walk to the Cap Gros lighthouse or Torre Picada.
• Kayak, paddleboard or snorkel in the calm waters of the bay.
• Eat fish and seafood by the sea: recommendations in restaurants in Port de Soller.
• Watch the sunset from the promenade or from the Cap Gros lighthouse.
• With children: beaches without swell, the pedestrian promenade and the tram ride make a perfect family plan.

Port de Soller is a quiet destination: there are no nightclubs and no party scene. In the evening, life centres on the terraces and cocktail bars along the promenade, with views of the illuminated bay. For something livelier, people usually head to Palma.

• From Palma airport: about 40 minutes by car or taxi through the Soller tunnel; by public transport you need to combine a bus or train. All the options in how to get to Soller.
• Parking: scarce in summer, so arrive early or leave the car in Soller and take the tram down. See parking in Soller.
• Is it expensive? Front-line restaurants and hotels charge the prices of one of Mallorca's top tourist destinations. To spend less, look in the streets behind the promenade or in Soller town centre.
• Supermarkets and services: there are supermarkets, a pharmacy and shops in the Port itself; the weekly market is on Saturday in the centre of Soller.
• Webcam and weather: you can see the bay live and the forecast in the weather in Soller.

• Tram: the prettiest way. It leaves from the centre of Soller, next to the train station, and reaches the promenade in about 30 minutes. Everything about timetable, price and stops in the Soller tram guide.
• From Palma: combine the Soller train and the tram, go by bus, or drive on the Ma-11 and through the Soller tunnel. We compare the options in how to get to Soller.
• By car: parking in the Port is difficult in summer; see the options in parking in Soller.

The seafront promenade has most of the restaurants, with terraces facing the bay and Mediterranean cooking, fish and rice dishes. The streets behind it have quieter and cheaper options. Our selection is in restaurants in Port de Soller.

For accommodation, the Port has everything from large front-line hotels to apartments and guesthouses. If you prefer the atmosphere of the town, you can also stay in the centre of Soller and take the tram down. We compare areas and hotels in hotels in Port de Soller.

• May, June, September and October: the best balance. Mild sea, long days and fewer people.
• July and August: lively atmosphere, but beaches, restaurants and parking are full. Book ahead.
• Winter: very quiet, some restaurants and hotels close, but it is ideal for walking. Check the weather in Soller before you go.

For centuries the port was Soller's real gateway to the world: the valley was cut off from Palma by the mountains, and oranges left by sea for France and the rest of Europe. That connection explains the French influence still visible in some of the town's houses.

The port was also the way in for danger: Torre Picada was built in the 16th century to watch for the arrival of pirates and corsairs. Every May, Soller commemorates the landing and the battle against the corsairs in 1561 with the Es Firó festival, which has one of its stages in the Port.

The tram arrived in 1913 and still connects the port with the town centre, and since the middle of the 20th century tourism has transformed the old fishermen's quarter into one of the most visited corners of the Tramuntana.