THE HOLY WEEK IN SÓLLER

Visiting the Valley of Sóller is a unique and unforgettable experience that will lead you to discover the authentic Mediterranean, Mallorcan tradition and the nature of the Tramuntana mountain range with its incredible landscapes, whatever the time of year you visit. However, there are special dates when visiting this fantastic municipality in the Tramuntana becomes an even more complete and special experience. That is why today we invite you to discover the Orange Valley at one of the most important and special times of the year. A time full of tradition, culture and gastronomy: Easter. 

There are many things to do at this fantastic time of year, but we suggest a four-day stay, from Thursday to Sunday, in the municipality to make the most of everything that surrounds Easter in Sóller. 

DAY 1. HOLY THURSDAY. PORT OF SÓLLER, SANTA CATALINA AND SUNSET IN PLAZA CONSTITUCIÓ. 

On the first day, after breakfast at the Gran Hotel Sóller, we will go to the market tram stop, a minute's walk from the hotel, and take the tram to the Port of Sóller, enjoying a fantastic ride through orange groves and views of the Mediterranean Sea until we reach the last stop. Once there, we will head in the direction of Santa Catalina, the fishermen's quarter until we reach the Santa Catalina viewpoint, a perfect place to enjoy wonderful views of the Mediterranean Sea on one side, and the bay of the port of Sóller on the other, as well as the Museu de la Mar, located in the same viewpoint. We will then head towards the centre of the port, where we can enjoy a traditional market (only on Thursdays) and have an aperitif or coffee before continuing our visit towards the promenade and Jaume Torrens street, the most commercial areas where we can find characteristic products and crafts. 
Afterwards, we will take a break to have lunch and enjoy the local gastronomy and fishing culture in the restaurants of the area. We suggest the Airecel Restaurant. A magical place, with a terrace and an indoor dining room, where you can relax and discover Mediterranean cuisine in a different, creative and daring way. After lunch, we will head back to the harbour's fishermen's wharf, located at the end of the promenade, next to the military base. A magical place full of tradition where we can enjoy the arrival of the fishing boats (at 17.00h) and see the fresh fish that we can taste in the local restaurants as well as the "gatí" pies, the first of the typical products of these dates. After enjoying the essence of the Port of Sóller, we will head back to the tram stop and return to the centre of Sóller. At this point, we recommend you take a stroll around the main square and enjoy the atmosphere of Holy Thursday. The square will start to fill up with hoods in the costumes of the different brotherhoods and colours that will make their way to the parish church of St. Bartomeu to parade in the first Holy Week procession at 8 p.m. If you wish to see it, we recommend that you take a look at the procession. If you want to see it, we recommend you to stand near the stairs of the church, where you will be able to see the processions and the representations of this festivity much better. Finally, we will finish this first day by returning to the hotel and enjoying a very special dinner at Can Blau restaurant. 

DAY 2. GOOD FRIDAY. VIEWPOINT OF "SES TRES CREUS", "PANADES AND COCARROIS". 

As you already know, Sóller is the starting point for countless hiking routes, and for this time of year we bring you a very special and easy one. One that has a lot to do with Easter. We will set off from the Gran Hotel Sóller in the direction of Plaça del Estiradors, a small square in the northern part of the municipality which we will reach through picturesque Mallorcan houses. Once there, we continue uphill towards the Municipal Cemetery. A place that, in spite of its nature, has some of the best views of the municipality, despite its nature, it has some of the best views of the municipality and you can visit it, if you are curious, before continuing on. We then continue uphill, leaving the cemetery on the right until we see the GR-221 signpost indicating the path to "Ses Tres Creus". After less than 30 minutes, you will arrive at the top of Puig d'en Barrera, where, according to legend, the "Sagrades Formes" were hidden during the sacking by pirate corsairs on 11 May 1561. It is also the place where we can see the monument to the Heart of Jesus of "Ses Tres Creus" built in the 1940s and still unfinished. However, if we climb the stairs of this monument we will obtain the best and most complete views of the Valley of Sóller, the Port and even Fornalutx. All from the same place. After taking some photographs, we will return to the centre of the municipality, where we recommend you stop at one of the many bakeries in the area and buy a "Panada" or a "cocarroi". These are savoury pastries made with meat or fish, vegetables and sausages that are eaten, above all, 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 I RUBIOLS", THE "MERCADILLO" AND THE STREET OF THE MOON. 

This third day of our stay in the heart of the Tramuntana mountain range will perhaps be the day when we will be able to see the centre of Sóller at its best. After a leisurely breakfast at the Gran Hotel Sóller, we will head towards the entrance and already at this point we will realise that there is a different atmosphere. The central location of our hotel gives us the privilege of being literally "inside" the weekly "flea market" that takes place every Saturday. So from the moment we leave the hotel we can start to enjoy the atmosphere of Saturday mornings in the centre of Sóller, its market, and the many stalls selling both food and typical items and crafts of this picturesque market. So, after enjoying a pleasant stroll through 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 typical Easter Week pastries in Mallorca: "crespells" and "rubiols". The crespells, made with flour, butter, olive oil, egg yolk, sugar, grated lemon peel, orange and water, usually come in different shapes such as stars or fish; while the rubiols are made with the same ingredients but with the difference that they are half-moon shaped and filled with angel hair, cottage cheese, chocolate or cream. We recommend you to try them together with the "Panades" and the "Cocarrois". After having bought our typical Easter pastries, we will go to the Calle de la Luna, a place that on Saturday is even more full of life and local artisan products such as esparto baskets, ceramics or porqueres, among many others. Then, after having enjoyed the Saturday morning market in the Sóller Valley, we suggest you have an aperitif to enjoy the atmosphere of the village and meet the local people before returning to the hotel and completing our outing with one of our Mediterranean dishes made with fresh, high quality products at Can Blau Restaurant. After lunch, we suggest you relax in our Hotel facilities and at around 18.00h go for a walk to discover the contrast between the mornings and afternoons of Saturdays in the centre of Sóller. A unique contrast that will allow you to enjoy this magical Mediterranean place in two totally different atmospheres. 

DAY 4. SAINT SUNDAY. THE MEETING, FORNALUTX AND THE LLOGARET DE BINIARAIX. 

On the last day of our visit, we suggest you have an early breakfast so that you can experience first-hand one of the most ancient and most lived traditions of the inhabitants of Sóller: The Encounter, 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 something unique that only happens once a year in the village. So after breakfast, we will go to the Plaça Constitució to be there at approximately 08.40h and get a good place to watch the procession. We recommend that you stand on the perimeter of the Placita de s'Alameda, the little square in front of the church. Once there, you will see how the square fills up with people until, suddenly, an overwhelming silence fills the entire square. This is the moment when The Gathering begins, which lasts approximately 20 minutes and is accompanied by the music band of the Sóller Valley. After watching El Encuentro, we suggest you visit the neighbouring village of Fornalutx, which has been awarded as one of the most beautiful villages in Spain on several occasions. 
Obviously you can get to Fornalutx by hiking or cycling, but we suggest you take a taxi. Once there, the best thing to do is to let yourself get lost in its picturesque stone streets, full of plants, light and colour, as it is a very small municipality and you can't get lost in it. After contemplating this idyllic spot in the Tramuntana, you can have lunch in one of the local restaurants, which offer all kinds of food to suit all tastes. Finally, we suggest you leave the municipality on foot to discover another magical place in the Sóller Valley: Biniairaix. Following the road in the direction of Sóller, you will find a turning on the left that will show you the way to Biniairaix, which you will reach after a 25 minute walk from the centre of Fornalutx. Once there, you can enjoy "Ses Rentadores de Biniaraix", a historical place where the people of the "llogaret" used to wash clothes, or the beginning of the Barranc de Biniairaix, one of the most spectacular hiking routes in Mallorca. Afterwards, we can have a drink in the picturesque little square of the "llogaret" and discover the essence of the Mediterranean, feeling as if we were in a film in an idyllic place. Finally, we continue descending towards Sóller until we reach the Calle de La Luna, which will lead us back to the Gran Hotel Sóller to end our four days in the heart of the Sierra de Tramuntana. If you are staying at our hotel, do not hesitate to ask us for any questions or information. 
 

INFORMATION OF INTEREST

DAY 1 

DAY 2 

DAY 3 

DAY 4