So many visitors to Puerto Soller spend part of their holidays walking the route between the two lighthouses of Soller. This is also a recommended cholesterol walk, for those under instructions from their doctors to take this as exercise, every day. We have a fascinating history which results in us having not one, but two of these special buildings. Located on each side of the entrance to the bay of the Puerto Soller, these two lighthouses have illuminated the entrance to the horseshoe bay of Puerto Soller since their construction in 1859 and 1864, respectively.
The Capgros Lighthouse, white and 22 meters high, is 120 meters above sea level at the Morro des Xoriguer. Accessible from Puerto Soller from the road built to it from the Repic Beach. This is a much loved and photographed area. The Muleta is also in this area where hostel accommodation is available on this most majestic of spots. In recent years this has also become an unofficial parking place for the proliferation of camper vans who head this way for the spectacular sunsets. There is much controversy about this and of late the powers that be seem perplexed about what to do. Some nights there are up to 30 vans overnighting up there.
On the opposite side of the bay stands the Lighthouse of La Cruz, 13 meters high and painted with blue and white stripes. It stands 35 meters above sea level on the hill of Puerto Soller. Very close to the lighthouse tower is a "bufador": a hole in the rock that allows the sea to crash into it on stormy days. This causes a large stream of water which rises 30 meters and collapses on the lighthouse, plus a regular whooshing sound. This is said to be the sea dragon telling us he has been woken from slumber. This lighthouse is soon to get a new road and path created to allow visitors to walk up close to the lighthouse.
On September 22 and 23 trainloads will be arriving to the port from Palma for the Havaneres Festival which takes place on the Repic Beach. This is the month Puerto Soller is the ‘hot ticket’.
The hotels of Puerto Soller all take their turns in introducing new elements to give them the ‘edge’. One of the biggest successes is that of the Eden Hotel's Roof Terrace, which is like a secret world. To access it you have to take a small lift to the rooftop. The lift is almost hidden on the ground floor and a most unlikely introduction to this breath-taking space. The bay of Puerto Soller just there in front of you and a photographer’s paradise.
New hotels are a rare breed in this place and renovating the older hotels have been done instead. Sometimes the only answer is to knock something down and start again. To get permission for this, is extremely unusual, but we are led to believe this might be happening, as this season ends, to one such place. I can’t say more than that in case it just doesn’t happen. If this does occur many local people will be fascinated to watch the phoenix rise from the ashes.
The building projects announced earlier in the year, including a large supermarket and a cut price petrol station, have all gone very quiet. Another example of many words spoken which don’t translate into action.
Soller concentrates on the sea front and the port for the remaining weeks of the summer. Hotels are at full occupancy and fine chefs very busy as the ‘foodies’ are in Town. All eyes in the sea and the glorious sunsets the Northwest coast of Mallorca is famous for.
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