The Holy Week in Sóller
Discover the Best Easter Activities in Soller
The Sóller Valley is a fantastic and unforgettable destination to visit at any time of the year. A destination that will take you to discover the heart of the Sierra de Tramuntana, Mallorcan tradition and nature in a magical place between the sea and the mountains. However, there are special dates when visiting this fantastic Mediterranean town is an even more complete and special experience. Dates like the one we bring you today to discover the Sóller Valley at one of the most traditional and picturesque times of the year. A time full of local gastronomy, culture and tradition: Easter Week.
Now that we are well into spring, there are countless things to do and see during Easter Week. We propose various activities that you can do with a four-day stay, from Thursday to Sunday, in Puerto de Sóller to enjoy everything that surrounds Easter in our municipality to the full.
DAY 1. HOLY THURSDAY. PORT OF SOLLER, SANTA CATALINA AND SUNSET IN PLAZA CONSTITUCIÓ.
After breakfast at the Aimia Hotel, we will walk from the hotel in the direction of Santa Catalina, the picturesque fishermen's quarter. Once there we will walk up towards the Museu de la Mar through the picturesque alleys until we reach the Mirador de Santa Catalina, an idyllic place to enjoy the views of the Mediterranean Sea on one side, and the bay of the Port of Sóller on the other. After taking some photographs, we have the option of visiting the Museu de la Mar, located at the same viewpoint, or continuing our route. After this break, we head back to the centre of the port in the direction of the Aimia Hotel, until we reach the traditional market that is held only on Thursdays. A typical market of artisan and gastronomic products. We will then continue our visit towards the promenade and Jaume Torrens street, two of the most commercial areas of the port where we can have a snack or a coffee and discover local craft items such as esparto grass baskets, thread shirts, etc.
After visiting the shopping area, we suggest you take a break for lunch and enjoy an authentic culinary experience at the Airecel Restaurant. A magical place where you can relax before continuing on to enjoy Mediterranean cuisine in a unique and daring way. After lunch, we will head to the fishermen's wharf, located at the end of the promenade, next to the military base. A place where you can discover the essence and the fishing tradition of the Port of Sóller by watching the fishing boats arrive (at 17.00h) and the fresh fish which you can later taste in the local restaurants and in the "Panades de gatí", one of the typical gastronomic products of Easter. Then, after having taken our photographs, we will go to the tram stop, located in the centre of the port, and go up to the centre of Sóller on a fantastic walk through the orange groves. Once in the Plaça Constitució, we recommend that you take a stroll through the centre and enjoy the atmosphere of Maundy Thursday and the square full of hoods in the costumes of the different brotherhoods and colours that make their way to the Parròquia de St. Bartomeu for the first procession of Holy Week at 20.00. If you want to see it, we advise you to stand near the stairs of the church to get a better view of the processions and the representations of this festivity. Finally, we will finish this first day returning to the hotel by taxi.
DAY 2. GOOD FRIDAY. VIEWPOINT OF "SES TRES CREUS", "PANADES AND COCARROIS".
Sóller is, without a doubt, the centre of an infinite number of hiking routes and, of course, we propose a very special and easy route closely related to Holy Week. We will depart from the Aimia Hotel towards the centre of Sóller (we can go up by tram, bus or taxi). Once there, we will walk to the Plaça del Estiradors, a small square located in the north of the municipality, which we will reach by walking among picturesque Mallorcan houses. Once we get there, we will see a sign indicating the way to the municipal cemetery. So we head in that direction until we reach it. Although it is true that it is a cemetery, we must say that it has some of the best views in the municipality. So, if you are curious, you can visit it before continuing. After a brief pause, leave the cemetery on the right and continue along the route until you see the GR-221 signpost indicating the path to "Ses Tres Creus". After less than 30 minutes, you will reach the peak of Puig d'en Barrera. This is the place where, according to legend, the "Sagrades Formes" were hidden during the landing of the pirate corsairs on 11 May 1561, and where we can contemplate the monument of "Ses Tres Creus", built to the Heart of Jesus in the 1940s and still unfinished. We will then climb the stairs of the monument and once at the top we will be able to enjoy our reward: the best and most complete views of the Valley of Sóller, the Port and Fornalutx. After enjoying the scenery, we return to the centre of Sóller. Here we recommend you stop at one of the many bakeries in the area and buy a "Panada" or a "cocarroi". These savoury pastries made with meat or fish, vegetables and sausages are a tradition at this time of year. Finally, we can enjoy this fantastic snack with a drink in the centre before returning to the hotel or watching the Descent from the Cross in the parish church of St. Bartomeu and the Good Friday procession.
DAY 3. SATURDAY. CRESPELLS AND RUBIOLS, THE FLEA MARKET AND CARRER DE LA LUNA.
The third day of our visit to the heart of the Mediterranean will allow us to see the historic centre of Sóller at its best. After breakfast at the Aimia Hotel, we will go to the tram stop to go up to the market square of Sóller. And just as we are arriving we will notice that something different is happening. On Saturdays there is a weekly market in the valley of Sóller. A picturesque market that allows you to enjoy the municipal market full of fresh, local products, the atmosphere of the village, the essence of life in Mallorca and the many stalls selling both foodstuffs and typical, handcrafted products. So, after visiting the "mercadillo" - which stretches from the Gran Hotel to the Plaça d'Espanya, located behind the town hall - we will go to one of the many bakeries in the centre of Sóller to buy the sweet pastries typical of Easter in Sóller: "crespells" and "rubiols". Made with flour, butter, olive oil, egg yolk, sugar, grated lemon peel, orange and water, crespells usually come in different shapes such as stars or fish, while rubiols are always half-moon shaped and filled with angel's hair, cottage cheese, chocolate or custard. Without a doubt, these pastries are a must try, as are the "Panades" and the "Cocarrois".
Then, after having bought our Easter pastries, we will continue our walk in the direction of the Calle de la Luna. A very special street that on Saturday is even more lively and full of local craft products such as esparto grass baskets, ceramics and albarques, among many others. Without a doubt, a perfect plan to get to know the daily life of the inhabitants of the municipality and the atmosphere of Saturday morning in the Sóller Valley. At lunchtime, we suggest you finish the visit with a fantastic Mediterranean lunch with high quality products at Can Blau Restaurant, located in the Gran Hotel Sóller. After lunch, we suggest a stroll to discover the contrast between Saturday mornings and afternoons in the centre of Sóller. A unique contrast that will allow you to enjoy this magical Mediterranean place in two totally different atmospheres before returning to the port to enjoy a pleasant stroll along the seafront with the sunset as the main attraction.
DAY 4. SAINT SUNDAY. THE ENCOUNTER, FORNALUTX AND THE LLOGARET DE BINIARAIX.
On the last day of our visit we suggest that you get up early to experience first-hand one of the oldest and most special traditions for the inhabitants of Sóller: El encuentro, the procession in which Jesus and the Virgin Mary meet after the resurrection of Jesus. Although it is a religious event, we recommend you to see it whether you are a believer or not, as it is a special event that only happens once a year in the municipality. So after breakfast we will go to the Plaça Constitució, in the centre of Sóller, to be there at approximately 08.40h and get a good spot to watch the procession. It should be noted that we do not recommend that you take the tram to get to the centre, as the first tram leaves at 08.30h and you will not arrive on time.
Once in the square, we recommend that you stand on the perimeter of s'Alameda, the little square in front of the church. At this point you can see how the square fills up with people until, suddenly, an overwhelming silence fills the entire square. A silence that marks the beginning of The Gathering, which lasts approximately 20 minutes and is accompanied by the music band of the Sóller Valley. After watching the procession, we suggest you visit another magical place in the Mediterranean: the neighbouring village of Fornalutx, awarded on several occasions as one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.
As you already know, you can get to Fornalutx via the different hiking routes that link the two municipalities and even by bicycle; however, we suggest you take a taxi. Once there, we recommend that you let yourself get lost in its picturesque stone streets, full of nature, light and fresh air. After enjoying the scenery of this magical place in the Sierra de Tramuntana, you have the option of having lunch in one of the restaurants in the municipality, which offer all kinds of options for all tastes. After lunch, we invite you to walk down from Fornalutx towards Sóller to discover another magical place in the Valley of the orange trees: Biniaraix. Following the road in the direction of Sóller, you will find a turning on the left that will show you the way to Biniairaix. After a pleasant 25-minute walk from the centre of Fornalutx, you will discover "Ses Rentadores de Biniaraix", a historic place where the locals used to wash clothes in the olden days, and the start of the Barranc de Biniaraix, one of the most popular hiking routes in Mallorca. After taking some photographs, we can enjoy a glass of fresh orange juice in the little square of the "llogaret" and discover the essence of the Tramuntana in a quiet and peaceful place. Finally, we continue down towards Sóller until we reach the Calle de la Luna, which will lead us back to the centre. At this point we can take the tram or a taxi and return to the Aimia Hotel to end our four days in the heart of the Sierra de Tramuntana with a fantastic dinner at the Airecel Restaurant. If you are staying at our hotel, do not hesitate to ask us for any questions or information about the different activities you can do during your stay in the Sóller Valley.
INFORMATION OF INTEREST
Day 1
Tram timetable | Port Sóller - Sóller: hourly at half past. Sóller - Port de Sóller: hourly at o'clock |
Opening hours Museu de la Mar | From 10 to 15hrs |
Arrival of fishing vessels | At 17hrs |
Good Friday procession timetable | At 20hrs |
Day 2
Duración excursión Ses Tres Creus | 2 hours approx. from the Plaça Constitució |
Typical Easter savoury pastries | Panades and Cocarrois |
Timetable of the Descent from the Cross and Procession on Good Friday | At 20hrs |
Day 3
Flea market timetable | From 9 to 15hrs |
Typical Easter sweet pastries | Crespells and Robiols |
Day 4
Encuentro timetable | At 9hrs |
Taxi stop | Plaça d’España (behind the town hall) |
Duration of the excursion Fornalutx - Biniaraix - Sóller | Approx. 3 hours with a stop in Biniaraix |