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Focus on Puigpunyent, a pretty mountain town with easy access to Palma

September 17, 2009 // Posted in Mallorca photo galleries, Places in Mallorca (Tags: , , , ) |  No Comments

1077-Puigpunyent townhouses

Puigpunyent is located in a valley of the same name. It is a small town surrounded by the Puig de Galatzó, Mola de la Planícia, and Fita des Ram mountains which range from 833 metres to 1035 in height. The area is heavily forested, mostly with pine but also some old oak trees. It is without doubt an area of exceptional beauty.

Aside from the scenery the key attractions of Puigpunyent to property buyers are its proximity to Palma and the unspoiled traditional nature of the town. Puigpunyent is a friendly and tight-nit community with a mixture of local farm workers and people who commute daily to Palma and other larger towns on the southwest coast.

The church of la Assumpció de la Mare de Déu is the main architectural attraction and there are many pretty stone cottages in the town and dotted around the surrounding mountains. Overlooking the town is the luxurious 5 star Gran Hotel Son Net, one of the most well-known and highly reputed hotels in Mallorca.

Puigpunyent is not a major tourist destination and for those that visit or buy homes here this is undoubtedly a major part of the attraction. Other beautiful mountain towns such as Esporles and Bunyola are within easy reach making this a great location for walkers and cyclists.

For days out by the sea, golfing or participating in other leisure pursuits, the resorts of the southwest coast of Mallorca are also within easy reach. Furthermore the capital Palma de Mallorca is just 15 to 20 minutes away by car making this an unusually convenient place to reach for such a mountain location.

≈ Find out more about properties in Puigpunyent

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Focus on Soller, Northwest Mallorca

September 14, 2009 // Posted in Mallorca photo galleries, Places in Mallorca (Tags: , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

IMG_1564-historic railway, the Ferrocarril de Soller

Soller is one of the better-known old towns in Mallorca. Set in “El valle de los naranjas” (The Valley of the Oranges) on the north west coast, the town is 3 kilometres from the Port de Soller and the villages of Fornalutx, Biniaraix and Binibassi are close-by. The population in this area is around 13,000.

Soller has a distinct character. In the past the town was cut off by the mountains from the rest of the island and journeys to Palma or other towns meant long walks or donkey rides over the winding mountain paths. There was much trade with the South of France with oranges and olives making up the main exports. The French influence on the local culture is still apparent to this day.

Today however Soller is linked by an historic railway, the Ferrocarril de Soller, as well as by the highway which runs through a toll tunnel through the mountains. So Palma is an easy 20 minute drive away. There is also a highway that runs along the Traumantana from Andratx to Pollensa – this is a mountain road with stunning views and well worth driving along, albeit not the best option if you are in a hurry to get somewhere!

The centre of Soller, the Plaça Constitució, is a colorful location with many cafés. The tram passes through the Plaça on its way to the main station which also incorporates a museum of Picasso and Joan Miro. Other prominent buildings in the Plaça include the church of Sant Bartomeu, the town hall and the Banco de Soller. There are some grand mansions in Soller too demonstrating the wealth the town has enjoyed through its history.

Soller has an air of culture and sophistication to it. The town plays host to a week-long international folklore festival every July (see Aires Sollerics), and there are classical music and other cultural events throughout the year.

There is plenty on offer to holiday makers and people looking to move permanently to Mallorca. The Port of Soller is close-by with its beaches, excellent seafood restaurants, and its harbour offering a range of leisure boating opportunities. The surrounding mountains provide some of the most beautiful scenery on the island with wonderful walks and country drives.

In terms of property Soller itself offers a classic and characterful old town setting. There are traditional townhouses, renovated apartments and also new build apartments built in a traditional style. Outside of the town there are some very beautiful country houses. There are also “olivars” – old farm worker cottages, many of which have been restored and turned into comfortable and charming mountainside homes.

≈ Click here to see more about properties in Soller

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Focus on Arta, Northeast, Mallorca – history, culture, lifestyle, and value-for-money …

June 19, 2009 // Posted in Mallorca photo galleries, Places in Mallorca (Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

Santuari de Sant Salvador - Arta, Northeast Mallorca - 30

Arts is the main town in the Northeast Coast region of Mallorca.

The centre of Arta is an old Moorish stronghold, a classic and beautiful Mallorca old town set on a hill overlooking the surrounding countryside and very close to the coastal area of Capdepera.

Less known amongst the British than Pollensa Old Town in the North, or Soller in the Northwest, Arta is non-the-less a place of great character with beautiful old town properties, a lively and historical town centre, plus beautiful countryside and a stunning coastline with great beaches close-by.

The town is the historical centre of the Northeast region. The name Arta is derived from the Arabic word “jertan” meaning garden, and the main features of the town are the grand parish church of Transfiguracio del Senyor and the Santuari de Sant Salvador set in an old fortified wall at the top of the hill. The Santuari dominated all around and offers stunning views over the surrounding area. Going back further in time, to the south of the town there is one of the most important megalithic sites on Mallorca, Ses Paisses, which dates from 1200-800 BC.

Arta town has grown up around the parish church and Santuari, with a pedestrianized “main street” populated by restaurants, cafes and boutique shops. The old town gives way to newer properties in the outskirts but the town has never become too built up and there are no large modern apartment blocks to blight the picturesque nature of the town.

The lifestyle in Arta is very relaxed – some might say chilled! The restaurants generally have a casual air about them but the food on offer is varied and invariably good. Some of the establishments are exceptional, regarded as the best in the region. This is a cosmopolitan place being home to a mixture of local Mallorquins, Spanish from the mainland, Scandinavians, Germans and some British.

Whilst being a tourist destination it is more a place for day-trips from the popular coastal resorts of the Northeast and East of Mallorca. With a regular Tuesday market – again a mixture of tourist-targeted trinkets and handicrafts alongside varied and super fresh local produce – there is a great sense of community all year round.

Arta – images of the town – 02.06.09: 9 photos

Who might be interest in properties in Arta?

Arta itself has been regarded as more likely to be a location for those seeking a permanent residence, yet more and more people are seeking properties in the Mallorca old towns as holiday or semi-permanent homes, and Arta is one of the most interesting and most accessible both culturally and in terms of journey time from Palma and the airport (around 40 to 45 minutes by car).

The countryside around Arta offers some of the best country houses in Mallorca. See our Top 10 Country Houses in Arta feature blog (link below) for a current selection.

And the coastal resorts in the Capdepera area offer some great beaches and a variety of styles of resort from the quiet and relaxed, to more busy and beach-holiday focussed places that have built up with the package tour holiday trade. These are well contained though and most of the coastline is unspoilt and protected from further development.

Importantly, property prices in Arta are lower than other locations better known to the British. This applies both the old traditional townhouses as well as the country houses referred to. All-in-all, Arta and the area around it are certainly worth considering for anyone looking for a slice or real Mallorca for a holiday or permanent location.

≈ Location guide to Arta, Northeast Mallorca
≈ Top ten country houses for sale in Arta, Mallorca
≈ View all our selected properties sale in Arta
≈ Brief MPP to find your ideal property in Arta
≈ Read more about our Mallorca property finder services

Arta – Old town properties – 02.06.09: 6 photos

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Focus on properties in Porto Cristo, East Coast, Mallorca

May 30, 2009 // Posted in Mallorca photo galleries, Places in Mallorca (Tags: , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

IMG_0523 - the beach - Porto Cristo 160509.JPG

Porto Cristo is a mixture of holiday resort, fishing port, yacht marina and residential town for locals on the East Coast of Mallorca.

The town has a great deal to offer those seeking a relaxed and very picturesque seaside location with plenty to do, great restaurants, and not too built up. It is quite different to the busier package-tour resort locations such as Sa Coma just to the North of Porto Cristo, and Cala Millor and Cala Bona a little further to northward.

Part of the charm of Porto Cristo is its setting. It is based around a natural harbour that has a super sandy beach with a very attractive rocky headland to its northern side, and has moorings for a mixture of luxury yachts and leisure boats along with the local fishing boats stretching from its southern side and up the estuary of the El Rivet river.

There is a wide range of things to do in the town and surrounding area. Boating of course is a major pastime, and there are day-trip boating cruises including glass bottom boats that run down the very pretty stretch of coastline. The Caves of Drac and Caves of Hams are just outside of the town which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year represent one of the island’s premier tourist attractions. There are many great beaches within easy reach, and there are some great fish restaurants along the sea front. For those looking for a more lively night out with more frenetic bars and discos Cala Millor and Cala Bona are within easy reach.

As an all-year-round residential town Porto Cristo feels less like a holiday town than other East Coast and Southeast Coast Mallorca resorts such as Sa Coma and Cala d’Or. There is an old town area to which the church is the central focal point. In more recent history Porto Cristo was a naval base and was the only town on Mallorca to see action during the Spanish Civil War when Republican troops landed in an unsuccessful attempt to take control of Mallorca from General Franco. This history adds to the feeling that Porto Cristo is rather different to many of the East and Southeast Coast resorts.

In terms of property, this is somewhere to consider if you are looking for an apartment in a pretty harbour resort that is relaxed and offers a feeling that you are in a “real” Mallorcan seaside town. There are also some superb villas on the outskirts of the town. To-date these properties have been more popular amongst locals and Spanish from the mainland who have second homes here. Increasingly though discerning British buyers and other nationalities looking to get away from the more glitsy side of the Southwest coast are finding Porto Cristo has a lot more to offer than many of the tourist guides would suggest.

In terms of property prices, Porto Cristo is more expensive than many East Coast Mallorca resorts, but less expensive than the better-known Porto Colom with which it is sometimes compared (although they are quite different!). It is also quite a bit less expensive than Southwest Coast harbour resorts such as Puerto de Andratx Puerto Andratx and Port Adriano.

≈ Location guide to Porto Cristo
≈ View our selected properties in Porto Cristo
≈ Brief MPP to find your ideal property in Porto Cristo
≈ Read more about our Mallorca property finder services

Porto Cristo gallery – 16.05.09: 15 photos

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Focus on properties in Puerto Andratx, Southwest Coast, Mallorca

May 17, 2009 // Posted in Mallorca photo galleries, Places in Mallorca (Tags: , , , , , , , , ) |  No Comments

IMG_0320 - harbour front - Puerto Andratx 150509.JPG

Puerto Andratx is one of the most well-known and sought-after property locations in Mallorca. It is an old fishing town and still has a fleet of small fishing boats that bring daily catches to the island. You can buy the fish practically straight from the boats by going to the little fish market on the quay in the early evenings.

Puerto andratx has been said to be the prettiest harbour in the Mediterranean. Whether this is true or not, the town does unquestionably have a great deal of charm and a lot to offer:

  • the small harbour, pretty bay and marina
  • the mountain scenery surrounding the town
  • the harbour-front cafes and restaurants
  • the fact that there are few hotels here and the town does not become over-run with tourists
  • property development being tightly controlled with very little scope for further development
  • the ease of access from Palma de Mallorca and the airport

All of these things contribute to the appeal of this as a location to own property.

Consequently Puerto Andratx has quite a sophisticated or “chic” air about it. It is not a beach resort (there is one small beach on the far side of the bay), and inevitably prices in such a location are relatively high. Regardless of this we still recommend Puerto Andratx as one of the best places to invest if you are looking for such a location for a holiday home or permanent residence. The limited supply of properties, particularly with sea views, and the continuing tight controls on on planning permissions, ensures that demand for Puerto Andratx will continue to outstrip supply and this trend looks set to continue well into the future.

In terms of prices, Puerto Andratx has been affected by the global recession – nowhere in the world has escaped this! But prices have been less affected overall than most locations and owners who are not under pressure to sell are often choosing to take their properties off the market until things improve. Having said this there are some good deals to be had and this is a good time to buy in Puerto Andratx if you are in a position to do so.

For sea villas you should allow Euro 1.500.000 to have any choice. There are one or two exceptional opportunities at present for less, and there are also plenty of properties well in excess of this amount.

For apartments you should allow Euro 300.000 for a small 2-bed sea view property. Once again this is very much a starting figure and there is not much choice at this level. There are more options from Euro 550.000 upward and for a premium location and development prices rise up to Euro 800.000+ for two beds and around Euro 1.000.000 upward for 3 beds.

≈ Location guide to Puerto Andratx
≈ View our selected properties in Puerto Andratx
≈ Brief MPP to find your ideal property in Puerto Andratx
≈ Read more about our Mallorca property finder services

Puerto Andratx gallery – 15.05.09: 18 photos

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