Arriving by train at SÓLLER , the obvious option is to continue by tram (every 30min or 1hr from 7am-9pm; 15min; ¬0.70) down to the seashore, a rumbling, 5km-journey ending at Port de Sóller . If you pass straight through, however, you'll miss one of the most laid-back and enjoyable towns on Mallorca, an ideal and fairly inexpensive base for exploring the surrounding mountains. Rather than any specific sight, it's the general flavour that appeals, the town's narrow, sloping lanes cramped by eighteenth- and nineteenth-century stone houses, whose fancy grilles and big wooden doors once hid the region's fruit-rich merchants. All streets lead to the main square, Plaça Constitució , an informal, pint-sized affair of crowded cafés just down the hill from the train station. The square is dominated by the hulking mass of the church of Sant Bartomeu , a crude neo-Gothic remodelling of the medieval original, its only saving grace the enormous rose window cut high in the main facade. Inside, the cavernous nave is suitably dark and gloomy, the penitential home of a string of gaudy Baroque altarpieces.
Although the options are very limited, there's a good chance of finding a vacant room in Sóller during the high season. Options include the Hotel El Guía , c/Castanyer 2 (tel & fax 971 630 227; April-Oct; ¬36-48), a lovely, old-fashioned one-star hotel just down the steps from the train station platform and turn right; Casa de Huéspedes Margarita Trías Vives , c/Reial 3 (tel 971 634 214; April-Oct. ¬27-36), in an attractive old terraced house also close to the train station; and Hostal Residencia Nadal , c/Romaguera 27 (tel & fax 971 631 180; ¬27-36), a simple, central two-star, in a neatly decorated and well-kept house about five minutes' walk north of Plaça Constitució. The best place to eat is at the Hotel El Guía . It may be a little formal for some, but the prices are very reasonable, with a delicious menú del día for around ¬15. Closed Mondays and limited opening hours from November to March. Alternatively, Restaurante Es Carrete , c/Cetre s/n (tel 971 633 996) is a great neighbourhood spot done out in rustic style. Chicken for as little as ¬5.50, but the swordfish is more of a treat even if it does cost twice as much.