Balancing beauty and bottlenecks in Soller Valley

General view of the centre of Soller which is getting harder to visit due to traffic jams. | plozano

Shirley RobertsPalma27/09/2024 12:22

We are shifting uncomfortably into autumn. This beautiful time of the year in the Soller Valley is appreciated by many. Therein lies the rub. Those on the island in the autumn spend some of their time sightseeing and roaming the island in all its beauty. Why wouldn’t they – its glorious. The sun is shining, the temperature is manageable and there is much to see. The museums, galleries, shops, and restaurants are delighted by the visitors who come on their day trips. Unfortunately, this year they are often driving in traffic jams and finding it impossible to park.

There are many reasons for this which I will not repeat but suffice it to say that ‘sheer weight of traffic’ is the problem. This is a mix of hire cars and many local people owning more than one car. Indeed, in the Soller Valley there are as many resident cars as people. The canny know that to make this sort of trip easy they need to be out early to get a parking space. Unfortunately, that puts them on the road at the same time as people are going to work and children are going to school. This is another trigger point of the conversation, as walkers like to get the bus as the children are trying to get to school. There is an unwritten rule in all tourist areas for this. Leave the early busses for those getting on with their lives. A recreational walker should not stop a child getting to school on time or a worker arriving to their place of employment.

The autumn festivals in Soller keep many visitors right here. Last weekend the Havaneres Festival and this weekend the Festival of the Sea, both in Puerto Soller. The mushroom gastronomic season is about to begin and fill the restaurants with October specialities. The Classical Music Festival is underway with concerts every Saturday in Puerto Soller Church. As many of Mallorca’s tourist resorts are thinking about winding down the Soller Valley is still jumping and will do well into November.
In the meantime, the talk of solutions is ongoing and make little visible progress. The future planning is always a big ambitious scheme, and the here and now, a stalemate. Life is full of short- medium- and long-term solutions. Unfortunately for the us the first two seem the hardest to put into place.

Today is the last Friday of September 2024. October is just around the corner and the brain direction is towards Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The mix of people who live here celebrate all this and more. We are all very happy to join in the important dates for all the people who live here. One local restaurant seems to be really going for the Halloween prize with a three-evening extravaganza of set menu, entertainment, and music. This will be a first in Soller and we wait for the posters. Thanksgiving has always had an importance for the many Americans living here. It is always an honour to be included at their table.

The circle of life rolls on in the Soller Valley. We have said a final goodbye recently, to a number of much loved Soller friends. We have welcomed the beautiful babies of our community. We have watched the wonderful musicians play for us at celebrations and fiestas. We have shared concerts, recitals and had picnics on the beach sunrise and sunset happen every day and we know we live in a beautiful world.

Many of our autumn friends are returning to take up residence for a couple of months. Some find the summers too hot but love to be back for October and November. It is always good to see them. A few local businesses and restaurants are heading for winter closures from November to January and they are making plans for their vacations. There are still plenty of places left to shop and eat at that time, but different from summer choice. The Soller train will close for a few weeks from mid-December, as usual. The bus service will continue its regular services. Life goes on here for residents and visitors all year round.