Tren de Sóller - the historic railway of Mallorca

Tren de Sóller is a 27km long railway line opened in 1912, which connects the island's capital, Palma de Mallorca with the small town of Sóller in the Serra de Tramuntana.

History of the Tren de Sóller

In 1912, the railway line from Palma de Mallorca to Sóller on the northwest coast of Mallorca on the west coast was put into operation. The narrow-gauge railway was then needed to transport olives and oranges more quickly from the fertile basin of Sóller. The small town is located in the west of Mallorca in the so-called "Valley of Gold". The gold here is a metaphorical reference to the precious olive oil, which was referred to as liquid gold and the golden yellow oranges that matured on plantations in the Sóller region.

Until the opening of the railway line, the fruit had to be transported across old mule tracks across the mountains with donkey carts to the capital of the island. The Tren de Sóller with its historic carriages is now a tourist attraction and is one of the most famous attractions on the island.

Railroad romance in historic carriages

A ride on the historic Tren de Sóller railway is one of the highlights of a visit to Mallorca for many tourists. On the tour, you can enjoy a variety of views of the fascinating mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana in the north of Mallorca, which was added to the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage in 2011. A natural obstacle on the track is the Sierra de Alfàbia. To cross the pass, the historic train needs to deal with tracks laid at a height difference of almost 200 m over a seven-kilometre stretch.

The Tren de Sóller passes through a total of 13 tunnels ranging in length from 30 to 2,900 m on its journey from Sóller to Palma. One of the highlights along the route is the Cinc-Ponts viaduct, which consists of five round arches with an eight-metre-wide opening. The viaduct is 52 metres long. The Tren de Sóller runs several times a day in both directions and a one-way ticket costs 22 euros per person. (As of 2016)