Valldemossa
In a car journey from Palma Airport it takes approximately 28minutes to Valldemossa, at 26km/16miles.
Situated in the hills of the Tramuntana mountain range, Valldemossa is one of the most charming villages in Spain. Enclosed by woody hills and earthy green countryside the village stands out being built with a light sand colored stone.
The village has the typical narrow streets and lanes of any traditional medieval European town. These little streets are filled with gift shops, cafes and family bakeries that sell traditional Majorcan pastries and breads.
The 13th century monastery is the focal point of the town and a major tourist pull. It was initially created as a royal residence until altered to be a monastery in 1399.
Artists and writers have resided here, absorbing inspiration from the building, Valldemossa town and the surrounding mountains. One famous resident was Polish composer Frederic Chopin, who lived here during the winter of 1838-39.
Valldemossa makes for a lovely day out and pleasing cultural visit definitely worth the drive here. The town is quiet most of the year but does get very busy and quite hot during the summer months.
Valldemossa like many inland towns and villages in Mallorca claims port. It’s not very big but has a quaint pebbled beach and a very small harbor with a few fishing boats.
Things to do in Valldemossa
Valldemossa Charterhouse
Open Weekdays 9:30-17:00 and 18:30 in summer, Sundays 10:00-13:00
There is an entrance fee. The ticket allows access to view the church, monastery, Palace and museum. Originally this complex was a royal residence, Palacio del Rey Sancho, for king Jaime II, who built it as a palace for his son. Later it became a Carthusian order monastery when it converted in 1399 and stayed so until 1835.
Real Cartuja or the Royal Carthusian Monastery is the draw of Valldemossa. Walking through the monastery grounds it’s possible to see various rooms such as the monks dinning and personal cells, the old pharmacy. A lot of the rooms contain paintings, furniture, documents and old libraries.
A bronze relief of Frederic Chopin’s face, the famous Polish musical composer, sits in front of the monastery. Chopin stayed during the winter of 1838-39. There is a cell dedicated to Chopin and George Sand but to see his room and piano and his musical notes you have to pay a supplement to the ticket.
Included in the ticket for the monastery is Museo Municipal. It is a small museum but is an unexpected bonus and has an art collection that includes Miro and Picasso. There is also an old press and printing plates to view.
Alongside the monastery it’s possible to view the gardens, Jardins Joan Carles I.
Places of Interest
Valldemossa Port
It’s about 6km/4miles away from the village and is reasonably picturesque, there are a number of fishing boats and a little mooring. A restaurant conveniently sits there.
The port isn’t much to see when compared to typical Mallorcan coastal harbors but the road down is very scenic, zigzagging along the side of shear mountain drops.