When I visited Mallorca a couple of weeks ago, every guide said the exact same thing: you have to go to Sóller.

So I did. I had hoped to take the historic wooden train from Palma, but tickets were sold out, so I hopped on the bus instead. Luckily, I still got to ride the vintage tram down from the town to the port, which was a highlight of the trip.

The port sits in a nearly perfect horseshoe bay framed by the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, keeping the water calm, clear, and vivid blue. Whitewashed houses climb the surrounding hillsides, and the bay is dotted with sailboats.

I got incredibly lucky with the weather, as you can see in the photo above. If you only have time for one day trip outside of Palma, make it Port de Sóller. I can’t wait to return the next time I’m in Mallorca.

I remember a few years back in Berlin, when locals would ask a Spanish colleague and friend of mine where he was from. Whenever he mentioned he was from the island of Mallorca, the reaction was almost always the same: a look of disbelief, followed by the inevitable question, “So what are you doing here, man?” I’d always been curious about the island and wanted to understand the appeal of the Balearics, and a few days ago I finally got the chance to see it for myself on a visit to Mallorca. It truly is beautiful, just as my friend had told me.

One of the activities I enjoy most when visiting a city is cycling, whenever possible, and on this trip, staying in Can Pastilla, I found that the hotel offered affordable full-day bike rentals. So I set off to visit the cathedral and its surroundings, as well as Bellver Castle, where I took the photo you can see above. I really enjoyed this visit, and I can’t wait to go back!