The villa of Fornalutx It is one of the most beautiful Mallorca. Located on the slopes of the Puig Mayor, the highest mountain in the Tramontana mountains and the entire island, it is a magnificent starting point for hiking trails around it.
But, above all, this town of just seven hundred inhabitants has retained all its primitive charm. It had its origin in a arabic farmhouse, the name given by this culture to what we would call farmhouse, a thousand years ago and has known how to preserve its streets and houses. To encourage you to visit Fornalutx, we are going to show you everything you can see and do in this beautiful town.
The Plaza de España and the Town Hall
Fornalutx Town Hall with its XNUMXth century tower
This square is the nerve center of the Mallorcan town and in it you will find bars and restaurants with terraces, as well as some shops remembrances. The narrow, cobbled streets of medieval layout that make up this beautiful town start from it. Be sure to walk through them and appreciate their traditional houses built in exposed stone and adorned with flower pots. It is remarkable the main Street, which has nothing of it, since it is a long staircase framed by typical houses.
As an anecdote, we will tell you that in the center of the square you have a fountain about which there is a legend. This says that whoever drinks from it will return to Fornalutx. But, in addition, in the square you have the beautiful building of the Town hall. It is also a traditional-style building, but it also has an attached defensive tower XNUMXth century.
In any case, practically all the buildings that make up this town are worth seeing for their typical architecture and beauty. Not in vain, Fornalutx has been chosen most beautiful town in Spain. Another of these buildings is Can Xoroi, an old noble house that you can visit as it constitutes a kind of ethnographic museum. In it, numerous old photographs are exhibited that will allow you to discover what life was like in the town dozens of years ago.
But, above all, it houses a permanent exhibition of painted tiles, a centuries-old tradition on the island of Majorca. Likewise, Can Xoroi had a tafona or mill where the olives were squeezed. There were many in the area, but it is the only one that remains with its original machinery.
The Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God
The Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God
It is the most important temple of the Mallorcan town. It was built in the XNUMXth century, although it has undergone several reforms that have added baroque features to their early gothic style. For its construction, exposed stone was also used, in accordance with the houses that surround it and its forms are austere, without great ornaments.
Its square tower stands out, as well as another smaller octagonal one, as well as a third one of even smaller dimensions that houses a clock. Precisely, one of the most characteristic elements of the temple is a sundial that you can see on its rear facade. Finally, on one of its sides it has a small terrace with orange trees and even a palm tree.
Monuments around Fornalutx
Balix d'Avall
This Mallorcan town belonged to the municipality of Sóller until the XNUMXth century. But, since then, it has been an independent council that also has places of monumental interest in its surroundings. One of them is binibassi, a farmhouse from the Arab period that was preserved after the Catalan conquest of the Mallorcan island. The fact that it is one of the places where the fault de Guillem de Torroella, literary work of the fourteenth century.
It is also the case of the call, in Majorcan, Balitx d'Avall, which is located near the torrent of na Mora. It is a set of agricultural buildings that were built in the XNUMXth century, although its existence as a farm dates back to the XNUMXth century. At the same time, the defensive tower of Na Seca and, already in the XNUMXth century, the chapel that completes the complex. It will not be difficult for you to find this place, since it is an obligatory step on the Costera, one of the main hiking routes on the island, which we are going to talk about next.
Hiking trails in the area
Binibassí farmhouse, on the path of the same name
Fornalutx is the ideal starting point for you to do the hiking trails that run through the Tramuntana mountains, declared a World Heritage Site. Now we will talk about them, but first we are going to do it the Coastal, which we have just mentioned. This is one of the most classic on the island. It covers a good part of the coast of the municipality of Escorca, but it also goes inland.
Specifically, you can start the route in the impressive viewpoint of the Barques, from which you have wonderful views of the port of Sóller. Then go through Fornalutx and the Bàlitx that we have mentioned, continue through the Coll de Biniamar and reaches the small beach of Cala Tuent. It also offers you wonderful views of mountains such as the Puig of the Commune or Moncaire.
Another hiking route that you can do in the area is the path of binibassi, which passes through the aforementioned farmhouse and is barely three kilometers long. It is very simple because, in addition, it lacks relief. And it's also very pretty path of Es Creuer, eight kilometers long and a little more difficult than the previous one, both because it is longer and because it climbs about two hundred meters. However, it is not very complex either.
Instead, it requires an experienced hiker level route that goes to Puig de L'Ofré. If you decide to do it, you will have to dedicate a little more than six hours to it. And, in order not to get lost, take a good look at the standing stones that mark the path.
On the other hand, you may prefer the Mountain biking. In this case, the area also offers you ideal routes to practice it. For example, the legendary climb to The Calobra It's not too far. If you do not bring your bicycle, you can rent it in the port of Sóller.
How to get to Fornalutx
Typical street of Fornalutx
precisely, from Sóller you have Bus that take you to the villa that concerns us. There are also from Palma de Mallorca. We advise you to use them because, if you travel by car, you will have to leave it on the outskirts of the town and then continue walking. However, there you have several parking lots.
If you prefer to travel in your vehicle or in a rented one and you come from the capital of the island, we will explain the route you have to take. The road you must follow is the Ma-11 to, after Sóller, take the Ma-10. There are barely thirty kilometers that will take you less than half an hour. But, as we have told you before, if you are an athlete you can get to Fornalutx walking along the Costera or by bicycle from Puerto de Sóller. Thus, you will have a good excuse to try the delicious gastronomy that this Mallorcan town offers you.
What to eat in Fornalutx
Tumbet prepared in a clay
Despite its small size, you have good restaurants in the Mallorcan town. You will find in it tapas bars, but also more formal places. However, in all of them they will offer you products such as olives or oranges of the area, but also olive oil, jams and honey. And, above all, the typical recipes of its gastronomy. There is no lack among these the well-known ensaimada, the typical Mallorcan sweet par excellence. But also the crepells and robiols, which are filled with cottage cheese and angel hair. Waves cockroaches, some empanadas of Arab origin that carry vegetables, raisins, pine nuts and sugar.
More forceful are dishes like the Frito Mallorquín, which has pork or lamb liver, potatoes and peppers, although it is also made with fish. This is also accompanied by tumbet, a garnish of different garden products such as aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, garlic and olive oil. To make it even more traditional, it is prepared in a clay, name given to a large mud fountain.
A delicious ensaimada
As for the salads, the trembled, which is perfect for summer. It has Mallorcan white pepper, onion and tomato with a seasoning of olive oil and salt. But you can't miss the rice either. The most typical is the brut rice, whose translation is "dirty". It becomes soupy and contains mushrooms, different types of meat, snails and vegetables. In contrast, cook the dry rice, which is similar to paella.
As for the sausages, you have to try the sobrassada, which is the most typical of the island. But, equally, you have the butifarrón, which resembles the Catalan sausage, and the camaiot, which is prepared with pork, paprika, black pepper, salt and anise. Also the porcelain It is a dish that contains pork, but in this case roasted with potatoes and aromatic herbs such as rosemary. Finally, the scaldoms they are a kind of turkey or chicken stew with potatoes and meatballs. And, to drink, you can ask for some wine from the geographical denomination land of majorca, which is being well received.
In conclusion, we have shown you what you can see and do in Fornalutx. It only remains for us to advise you that you take advantage of your visit to this town to get to know all the Majorca island, one of the most beautiful places in our country. And, above all, its beautiful capital and other towns as unique as the historical Sineu, the near Sóller o Valldemosa.