Would you like to get to know and use in person an advance that revolutionised the way of life in Mallorca in the past? Then this post will be useful for you.
Let’s start with a brief introduction to better situate ourselves: Sóller is a picturesque Mallorcan village, well known for its orange groves and its delicious prawns, obtained directly from the Mediterranean Sea. In the 20th century the commercialisation of its products was very limited due to its precarious communications and access, as it is located just behind the Serra de Alfàbia mountain range, and goods could only be transported to the capital by sea or along a narrow dirt road that snaked around the well-known “Coll de Sóller”.
To connect the isolated village of Sóller with Palma, and transport both goods and passengers, the Sóller train was inaugurated on 16th April 1912, followed, years later, by a tramway that connected the village with the local port.
Over the years, as the roads improved and the use of cars increased, the train was on the verge of closure. It was then, thanks to the support of the citizens, that it was decided to give the Sóller train a tourist use. This new use allowed passengers, tourists and residents, to travel the same route as the train did in its early days and, at the same time, to keep the company afloat, ensuring that the parts and carriages that make up the railway were still the original ones.
Powered by an electric traction engine, the Sóller railway is the only one of its kind in operation today. Along its 17 miles journey, which takes around an hour, the train passes through 13 tunnels that cross the Tramuntana mountain range until it reaches its final destination, Sóller, where passengers can visit the town and, if they wish, use the tram to reach the port in the traditional way.
The Sóller train is a member of the European Federation of Historical and Tourist Railways (Fedecrail), an association that brings together 650 railways and railway museums from 27 European countries, and is undoubtedly one of the best experiences to enjoy both as a couple and as a family in Mallorca.
If you would like more information or to check timetables and prices, don’t hesitate to visit their website. It’s worth it!
