Skip to content
Mallorca Fritz Discover the island Saved places
Menu
Fornalutx seen from above, with closely packed stone houses and tiled roofs on the hillside, terraces of orange trees and cypresses between them.

Places / Serra de Tramuntana

Fornalutx

Mountain village

The island’s steepest village, built from the rock it stands on. Stepped lanes replace streets, painted tiles line the eaves and terraces climb towards the north face of Puig Major.

View on the map
Find
Fornalutx
Location of Fornalutx in Mallorca
Location of Fornalutx

Fornalutx in 30 seconds

The essentials at a glance

Worth visiting for
A short visit
Best for
You enjoy walking, with access to the Barranc de Biniaraix nearby.
Best months
January–May, September–December
Time to allow
An hour for the village, or a full day including the Barranc de Biniaraix.
Without a car
Hire car needed
Parking
Very few spaces at the entrance; better to park in Sóller and walk via Biniaraix.
Keep in mind
You need an easy parking space.
Access
Pushchairs: Not suitable. · Wheelchairs: Not suitable.
  • Mountain village

Get a feel for Mallorca. Find your kind of place.

A broad stone stairway between stone houses in Fornalutx, lined with pots of flowers and agaves, with cypresses above.

There are few ordinary streets. Most routes uphill involve steps.

A narrow paved lane in Fornalutx with closely arranged plant pots against house walls and green shutters.

With little space for gardens, plants gather outside the front doors.

A stone house with a wooden balcony and green shutters in Fornalutx, with rugged Tramuntana ridges behind.

Beyond the last house, the rocks rise. This view captures the village’s setting.

Getting to know Fornalutx

Does Fornalutx suit your plans?

What to expect and what to know before you visit.

Who it suits

  • You enjoy walking, with access to the Barranc de Biniaraix nearby.
  • You’d like a village without coaches passing through.
  • You want to see the January orange harvest below snow-covered mountains.
  • You’re comfortable walking uphill.

Things to bear in mind

  • You need an easy parking space.
  • You dislike steps; the village is full of them.
  • You’re visiting with a pushchair or wheelchair.
  • You expect peace and quiet in high summer.

Drive from the airport

50 minutes

45 km

Bus connections

Minibus from Sóller

Region

Serra de Tramuntana

Nearest beach

Port de Sóller

4 km

Elevation

180 m

above sea level

A glimpse of Fornalutx

A broad stone stairway between stone houses in Fornalutx, lined with pots of flowers and agaves, with cypresses above. A narrow paved lane in Fornalutx with closely arranged plant pots against house walls and green shutters. A stone house with a wooden balcony and green shutters in Fornalutx, with rugged Tramuntana ridges behind. A cobbled lane between rough-stone houses with dark shutters, a wooden door and plant pots.

More photographs of Fornalutx →

Season guide for Fornalutx

November Worth a visit

Very quiet Some places closed

Worth a visit Worth considering Less suitable Closed

Worth visiting in January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November and December. Less suitable in August.

Location

Location of Fornalutx

Location of Fornalutx in Mallorca Palma Alcúdia Manacor
Location of Fornalutx
Population
700
Elevation
180 m above sea level
Airport
45 km , around 50 minutes
Hire car
needed
Worth visiting for
a brief stop
Coordinates
39.7827,2.7409

Open in Google Maps Open in Apple Maps

About Fornalutx

Fornalutx is a mountain village in the Sóller valley, three kilometres above the main town and around 150 metres higher. Roads from Sóller lead towards the Coll de Sóller and Puig Major, Mallorca’s highest mountain at 1,445 metres. You can see its radar domes from the upper lanes.

The setting explains the village’s layout. Fornalutx occupies terraces climbing the hillside. Lanes double as staircases, and the houses use the stone found here. Orange and lemon groves surround it, watered by the mountains.

Sóller is ten minutes away by car or a good hour on foot via Biniaraix. Paths lead to the Barranc de Biniaraix and on into the higher Tramuntana.

The painted tiles

Look beneath the eaves for roof tiles with painted undersides, decorated with figures, animals and patterns. Several houses have them, but you’ll only spot them if you look up.

They’re worth taking a moment to find.

Looking steeply upwards at an ochre house front in Fornalutx, with green shutters, wrought-iron balconies and stone window surrounds.
You find yourself looking up all the time. Watch for the painted tiles beneath the eaves.

How the village has survived

Fornalutx is too steep for much redevelopment. Coaches can’t get in, hotel complexes have no room and parking is scarce.

The terrain has helped protect the village.

Fornalutx’s main street with shops, a pharmacy marked by a green cross, wrought-iron balconies and mountains at the end.
A main street runs through the village, with steep lanes branching away from it.

The Barranc de Biniaraix

A paved dry-stone path climbs around 800 metres through the gorge as part of the GR 221. It’s an extraordinary piece of traditional path building.

March and October are the best times to walk it. Heat builds up in the gorge in high summer.

When to come

January. The oranges are ripe in the valley and Puig Major may have snow, a view few people associate with Mallorca.

Otherwise, choose March or October for walking. In August, cars can outnumber parking spaces three to one.

A steep street corner with stone houses, wooden gates, green shutters and a 20 km/h speed-limit sign.
Even 20 km/h feels generous here. The lanes leave little room to go faster.

Parking

It’s best to avoid parking in the village. For a relaxed visit, leave your car in Sóller and walk up via Biniaraix.

A broad stone stairway between stone houses in Fornalutx, lined with pots of flowers and agaves, with cypresses above.
There are few ordinary streets. Most routes uphill involve steps.

Photographs

Fornalutx in Mallorca

A broad stone stairway between stone houses in Fornalutx, lined with pots of flowers and agaves, with cypresses above.
FornalutxThere are few ordinary streets. Most routes uphill involve steps.
A narrow paved lane in Fornalutx with closely arranged plant pots against house walls and green shutters.
FornalutxWith little space for gardens, plants gather outside the front doors.
A stone house with a wooden balcony and green shutters in Fornalutx, with rugged Tramuntana ridges behind.
FornalutxBeyond the last house, the rocks rise. This view captures the village’s setting.
A cobbled lane between rough-stone houses with dark shutters, a wooden door and plant pots.
FornalutxRough stone, timber and cobbles were the building materials available here.
Fornalutx’s main street with shops, a pharmacy marked by a green cross, wrought-iron balconies and mountains at the end.
FornalutxA main street runs through the village, with steep lanes branching away from it.
Broad steps and a square in Fornalutx with a white market-stall canopy, a tall stone wall and a palm above.
FornalutxA stall, a canopy and a square, a small market for a village of 700 people.
Looking steeply upwards at an ochre house front in Fornalutx, with green shutters, wrought-iron balconies and stone window surrounds.
FornalutxYou find yourself looking up all the time. Watch for the painted tiles beneath the eaves.
A row of houses with wrought-iron balconies and green shutters, beneath plane-tree branches against a blue sky.
FornalutxIn summer, the plane tree provides the square’s shade.
A street through Fornalutx between stone houses with green shutters, with wooded Tramuntana slopes at the end.
FornalutxThere’s a mountain at the end of every view down a street.
An uphill street beside a high rough-stone wall in Fornalutx, with houses and balconies opposite.
FornalutxRetaining walls fill the spaces between houses. They make level ground possible.
A steep street corner with stone houses, wooden gates, green shutters and a 20 km/h speed-limit sign.
FornalutxEven 20 km/h feels generous here. The lanes leave little room to go faster.

How much time do you have?

Things to do in Fornalutx

Three hours

Climb the stepped lanes to the church square, look for painted roof tiles and walk to the village edge for views of Puig Major.

Half a day

Walk up the Barranc de Biniaraix and back, admiring some of the island’s finest traditional path building.

A full day

Combine it with Sóller, Biniaraix and a drive over the Coll de Sóller or to Deià.

On a rainy day

Not a good choice. The steps become slippery and the mountains disappear into cloud.

Practical details

Parking
Very few spaces at the entrance; better to park in Sóller and walk via Biniaraix.
Public transport
Minibus from Sóller, with only a few services each day.
Time to allow
An hour for the village, or a full day including the Barranc de Biniaraix.
Good to know
The Barranc de Biniaraix is a stone-paved, dry-stone path climbing about 800 metres through a gorge. It’s an outstanding example of traditional path building and forms part of the GR 221.
Bus
Minibus from Sóller, with only a few services each day.
Shops and services
Supermarkets: Small village shop. · Pharmacy: In the village. · Medical care: In Sóller. · Cash machines: In Sóller. · Fuel: In Sóller.
Access
Stepped lanes and cobbles, steep throughout. · Pushchairs: Not suitable. · Wheelchairs: Not suitable. · Dogs: Keep dogs on a lead; walking trails are generally straightforward.
What you will not find
Plenty of parking · Level paths · Hotel complexes · Coaches
Coordinates
39.7827,2.7409 Google Maps Apple Maps

Within reach

Places to visit

Nearby

The turquoise-green Gorg Blau reservoir between wooded Tramuntana slopes, with bare limestone peaks beneath a blue sky. Gorg Blau 7 km east (straight-line distance)

Mallorca’s largest reservoir sits in the heart of the Tramuntana beside the MA-10. Swimming is forbidden, there’s …

 A long pergola at Jardins d’Alfàbia with stone columns and balustrades spraying fine jets of water across the path. Jardins d'Alfàbia 7 km south-west (straight-line distance)

At the foot of the Sóller pass, this garden has irrigation rooted in Moorish times. Palm groves, a pergola with …

 White circular pavilion with columns and a dome on a terrace high above the deep blue sea at Son Marroig, with the steep Tramuntana coast behind. Son Marroig 10 km west (straight-line distance)

Archduke Ludwig Salvator's country estate above the west coast, with a white marble pavilion on the edge — the …

 A Gothic arcade with slender stone columns in Miramar’s garden, covered with red leaves and flowers. Monestir de Miramar 11 km south-west (straight-line distance)

Ramon Llull founded a school for Eastern languages here in 1276. Six hundred years later, Archduke Ludwig Salvator …

 A wide view from Santa Llúcia across Mancor de la Vall's rooftops and the wooded plain towards mountains on the horizon. Santuari de Santa Llúcia 12 km east (straight-line distance)

A pilgrimage church on a rocky ledge above Mancor de la Vall, documented since 1275. The terrace looks across much …

 Raixa's manor house behind an orange grove and tall cypresses, with the wooded Serra de Tramuntana slopes beyond. Raixa 13 km south-west (straight-line distance)

A country estate near Bunyola, transformed by an 18th-century cardinal into an Italian-style villa. A terraced …

 Lluc's Baroque church façade, clock and bell gable framed by a dark stone archway. Santuari de Lluc 13 km east (straight-line distance)

Mallorca's spiritual centre, a sanctuary at 525 metres in the heart of the Tramuntana, with guest rooms, a …

Distances without a driving time are measured in a straight line. The road journey can be much longer; known driving times are shown alongside.

Where to swim nearby

Beaches and swimming nearby

Elevated view of Port de Sóller's almost circular bay, marina, waterfront houses, wooded slopes and narrow entrance to the open sea. Port de Sóller 4 km west (straight-line distance)

An almost circular, sheltered bay with a sandy beach, two lighthouses and a tram that has run down from Sóller …

Explore from here

Sóller 3 km Orient 6 km Sa Calobra 9 km Deià 10 km

Your questions answered

Your questions about Fornalutx

Why is Fornalutx considered such a beautiful village?

Its steep setting has left little scope for redevelopment. Coaches can’t get in, hotel complexes have no room and parking is scarce. The terrain has helped preserve the village.

What are the painted roof tiles?

Tiles decorated underneath with figures, animals and patterns. Look up beneath the overhanging roof edges as you explore.

How do you reach the Barranc de Biniaraix?

On foot from Fornalutx or Biniaraix. The stone-paved, dry-stone path climbs around 800 metres through a gorge and forms part of the GR 221. It’s an outstanding example of traditional path building.

Where should you park?

Ideally, outside the village. There are very few spaces at the entrance, and in summer cars can outnumber them three to one. For a more relaxed visit, park in Sóller and walk up via Biniaraix.

Practical questions

When is the best time to visit Fornalutx?

Recommended months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December. Orange harvesting in the valley, with occasional snow on Puig Major above. The most striking month here.

Is Fornalutx worth visiting in July and August?

July: worth considering with some reservations. Usually busy. Parking is very limited; in summer there can be three times as many cars as spaces. August: another month may suit you better. Usually busy.

How far is Fornalutx from Palma airport?

About 45 km from Palma airport. Allow roughly 50 minutes by car. About ten minutes uphill from Sóller via Biniaraix on a narrow road. There are very few spaces at the village entrance. A more relaxed option is to park in Sóller and walk via Biniaraix.

Do I need a hire car for Fornalutx?

A car is needed Minibus from Sóller, with only a few services each day.

Where can I park in Fornalutx?

Very few spaces at the entrance; better to park in Sóller and walk via Biniaraix.

Can I visit Fornalutx with a pushchair or wheelchair?

Stepped lanes and cobbles, steep throughout. Pushchairs: Not suitable. Wheelchairs: Not suitable.

Are dogs allowed at Fornalutx?

Keep dogs on a lead; walking trails are generally straightforward.

Fornalutx features in our Mallorca highlights

Words and photographs: . Exploring Mallorca since 2013 — by bike, on foot and with a camera.