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The municipal town of Fornalutx sits deep in the heart of the Sierra Tramuntana mountain range, approximately 40km or 25 miles, north west of the capital Palma, and the Son Sant Joan International Airport.

Up to a few years ago, the isolation of the area by the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range, necessitated one of the longest jorney times from Palma on the island.

However, since the opening of the direct Ma-11 Carretera de Palma al Puerto de Soller road, passing through the impressive "Túnel de Sóller", journey time has now been cut to a more respectable 40 to 45 minutes.

As with the other destinations on this site, a detailed version of the route from Palma, complete with links to maps where appropriate, is available from the Route Map link on the left hand frame of this page.

The geography of the area consists of a spectacular valley, which starts from the Puig Major and descends towards the town of Soller.

The actual village of Fornalutx is considered by many to be one of the best preserved and most beautiful on the whole island.

Because of its appearance and enviable state of conservation, over the years Fornalutx has received several different prizes and awards. In 1983 it was awarded a Silver Plaque for the defence and maintenance of the village, by the Majorcan Tourist Board. The same year the Spanish General Secretary for Tourism awarded Fornalutx another prestigious prize for being one of the best preserved villages in the whole of Spain.

The history of Fornalutx starts over 1,000 years ago, when it was an Arab property – probably a farmstead. After the Catalan conquest of the island in the 13th Century, the population of the area started to grow and a church, which is still standing today, was completed in 1639. Fornalutx was part of the municipality of Soller until 1837, when it gained its independence.

The charm of Fornalutx lies in just how untouched and untainted it is by the modern world – the contrast with Palma and some of the other more developed areas of the island could not be greater. The stone streets and steps of the old centre are just wonderful, carefully adorned as they are with many pots and plants; the doorways of many of the ancient stone houses are left wide open by the locals – although, today, many of them are now second homes or holiday residences.

As you stroll around, be careful to take a look at the eves of the houses where you can see the famous painted tiles, known as "Arab tiles", which date from the period between the 14th and 19th Centuries. These little works of art are drawings in red on the white background of the roof tiles, which sit under the projecting roofs which extend out over the small houses. The drawings portray a jumble of different things – from plants and animals to people and religious imagery. However, the tiles are not simply decorative - they have symbolic meaning and are said to protect the occupants of the house from bad luck.

One of the most notable buildings in the village is the Town Hall, or "Casa de la Vila", which includes a defence tower dating from the 17th Century. The aforementioned Parish Church is also another of the village’s outstanding buildings and really should be seen. It has undergone many renovations since its original construction in the Gothic style, and is now perhaps more Baroque in appearance, with a single nave covered by a half-barrel-vault ceiling and lateral chapels.

The entire village is simply a delight, the streets are so winding and narrow that cars are seldom seen and all the houses are fine examples of traditional Majorcan mountain architecture.

Despite its small size, the village has a large variety of restaurants and also a small hotel, the Hotel Fornalutx, which used to be a nunnery many years ago. For years the village has attracted artists, many of whom have settled in the area, so keep an eye out for the little galleries that are dotted around the ancient streets.

As you walk around take a look up the mountains to see the lush vegetation on the mountain terraces and the orchards where the famous oranges are grown, reflecting the agricultural heritage of the area, which dominated the economy up until the latter half of the last Century.

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