Is Visiting SOLLER an AWFUL Experience? [MALLORCA Summer 2025]

Is Visiting SOLLER an AWFUL Experience? [MALLORCA Summer 2025]

So, I must be absolutely crazy to be visiting Soya Oldtown this summer in peak season in 2025. Now, you may well have seen the news reports. This old town is quite possibly the most popular in Mayorca. It does attract swads of holiday makers year round and in particular as well, it’s one of the reasons too for many of the the protests that have taken place due to the high volume of tourism that we do have here in Soyair. Now on the other side of this as well and very recently we have seen news reports saying that restaurants here are lying empty and we haven’t had quite the level of tourism that we’ve seen here in previous years. So I thought I’d come over here to Sawya Oldtown and we’re going to see what the old town is like today. I’m starting this video right in front of the fereral carill and this is the wooden train station which will take you down to Palmer and also bring you up to Soyer Valley from Palmer City. And we have a few changes here for summer 2025. Okay. So, normally if you’re coming into Soyer station, you come up these steps here and there’s a ticket office on the platform. But you can see that that is actually closed this afternoon. And that’s because we have a couple of wooden trains going back to Palmer and both of them are completely sold out and full. Now, we’re just waiting for the 6:00 train to go and they are only letting those people with tickets onto the platform. And that’s from that’s from outside. So let’s head on outside. And just to point out as well to guarantee yourself a space on the Ferro Carill, make sure you book your train tickets online first before you travel or indeed as part of an excursion. And I’ll drop a couple of links below that you may be interested in. So we can see up ahead of me here a very very packed platform waiting for that 6:30 train back to Palmer. But um that isn’t going to bother us today because we’re going to go and take a look around the old town. And look, it’s heading off bang on time. The time is 6:00 and they’re now allowing passengers. We’re due to get the 6:30 back to Palmer onto the platform. Now, as is the case with visiting many of these very popular old towns during the summit, you’re going to find that many of them do empty out later on in the afternoon as holiday makers head back to their hotels for dinner. Now, also as well, if you’re looking at the the fereral carel, the wooden train timetable coming up from Palmer to Soyer, that you’re going to see that there are no trains running from 10 3 until 6:30. So there’s this big gap here in Soya town that doesn’t have this big influx of visitors. This may well be a really really good time to visit because you’re going to find like I said the old town to be a little bit quieter. Now admittedly in the afternoon you’re going to see some of the shops closing for a siesta but they will be open up opening up again later on as the as the evening starts again but you may just have a completely different experience. Anyway, let’s wander into the main square. But before that, I’m just going to show you the taxi rank two because if you’ve been watching my content, you will know that the bus services this summer are a little bit saturated. At time of filming, there is a TIB red and yellow bus strike um around the island and buses are running running a very limited timetable. So, you may want to get a taxi if you can find one. So, let’s go and check out the taxi rank here. So, that was good timing. We’ve just seen the tram coming up from Port Soyer coming in. These run a lot more frequently during the summer months. They run approximately every half hour. And I will be filming over in Port Soyer as well today. So, hit that subscribe button if you haven’t done so already and the notifications bell and don’t miss that video. But in the meantime, we’re going to just check out the taxi prices here for summer 2025. as I just run the camera down the balls. Now, you can’t see prices for every single destination here, but just to give you an idea, it’s €51 to the airport at night, €46 during the day. And if you’re heading over to Palmer City to Pleather Espa, you’re going to be paying €35 during the day. Might well be well worth taking that that taxi actually if the buses are busy and there are four of you. that could represent quite good value. Now, as we head on down to Pla Constitution, you can see another tram has just rolled up in the background. They are laying on more trams for summer 2025 to account for the the huge amount of visitors that we have over here in Soya. But let’s go and check out Soya Oldtown. So, I have to say at this time of day, Soya Oldtown is absolutely glorious. There’s a lovely breeze blowing here through the old town. Just taking the edge off from the heat. You see, we’ve got a few more visitors heading on into the center of the old town this afternoon. But let’s go let’s go and see how busy it is. So, as we can see, we’ve got plenty of little bars open here. I think these are quite popular with the locals. Some bars though have already closed for the day as I have said previously. You may get a better experience during the day in terms of having more places open than you would do say on a Saturday afternoon. But if you are looking for a quieter experience, this could well be the time to visit. So immediately we’re just coming up to a little pizzeria here. Look, they’ve got a menu delier here. €12. You get a drink and a pizza and a dessert. I think that’s quite possibly the most um wellpriced menu delier that I’ve seen on the island so far, especially this summer. Some restaurants do put the prices up during the during peak season, but um and not here in Soyer. So, we’re just coming up to the entrance of the Sant Bartu Cathedral. I think they may be having a mass on because it is open. Normally during the day you can get tickets here for I think it’s about2 €2 to take a look inside but it is currently open. So it does look like a mass is about to take place over here in the in the church. So I am going to drop the times of the masses on the screen here. Anyway, let’s take a look at the main a path path of constitution this very late afternoon as we roll on into the evening. And you can see here, look, it’s not looking busy at all in Suya Oldtown. Like I’ve said, the majority of the visitors have now left for the day, or they’re in the process of leaving, which gives this old town very much very local feeling. Now, we can just see the tram as well, heading on back down towards Soy airport. It’s a very low take up actually on the tram this afternoon. Look, very few people heading on down to Soy airport. But like I said, if you are coming over here, maybe come on a Saturday afternoon, get the tram down to down to Port Soyer and maybe have dinner there and head back. But anyway, let’s head on down into the commercial center. So in context to the subject of this video, if you are visiting Soya at other times, so say you came first thing in the morning, you just have a completely different experience. So, you’re watching this and probably thinking, “So, yeah, it’s very, very quiet.” But, of course, I’m filming this on the time of day and week when you’re going to get, like I said, a completely different experience. And I’ve got to say, it’s lovely to hear local kids out playing this afternoon. And we are passing by some empty restaurants that are just starting to open up now for dinner. So, I could quite inaccurately title this video Soya is dead. There’s nobody here. It’s completely empty. Holiday makers avoiding the area. But like I said, this is nothing new for for 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. Okay. So, we’re going to head on down into the commercial center here. Just lies to the right hand side of the church in the square. And we’re going to see if there’s anything open. Now, the one thing I do love about Soya Oldtown is the amount of um absolutely gorgeous shops they have. Yes, they are very tourism related. Got this uh little shoe shop here selling traditional Mayo Keen shoes. But this once again is very geared towards tourism. It’s not something you’re going to find locals doing every single day of the week. Same goes over here. Look, got another very uh traditional shop here selling selling traditional items like the floor to sell salt. Things that you take home with you from holiday. Momentos from your holiday. Look, more wonderful shops here. We’ve got a little art studio here. I think I’ve featured it in a previous video. Remember the lovely chap inside actually gave me a a bookmark one year as well. Handmade bookmark. We also have a bakery as well and an ice cream shop. Got a few products left at the end of the day. But of course, it’s probably not the time to get uh baked goods, but you can also see as well on the Saturday afternoon, you’re going to find many shops closed. I’m just walking past the optitians. You’re going to find though that ma most tourist shops are going to probably remain open during peak season. We’ve got a little shoe shop here as well. And all the clothes shops as well are going to be staying open too, even on a Saturday afternoon. Whether or not they closed for a siesta, I don’t know. Somehow, I doubt it. not during peak season for for this summer. You’ll also find this bakery as well. It’s a chain of bakeries around the island. You see them in Palmer. You also see them over at Palmer airport, too. So, um that’s still open. And we can also see a sign up as well that says El Peno Commercial L. And it’s little heart sign El Corathon del Pueblo, which means that this commercial center is at the heart of the town here in Soyer. But look, like I said, not everything is open. Let’s keep walking down to the end. Look, they do have some really lovely shops here. If you’re coming over from America or from Northern Europe, you’re going to absolutely love these. But you can see, look, it’s not packed. It’s not busy. But like I said, you’re just not going to find everything open. And look, this is very cute. Look, you can see the the street decorations here for for summer 2025. Just going to zoom in here. Look, little handmade handmade ornaments back on the main street here. Look, got many more absolutely gorgeous shops. And even more surprisingly, look, we’ve got a a bike shop here, bike repair shop right in the heart of Soya Oldtown. This is again new for 2025. Obviously to account for the huge amount of cyclists that we do have visiting the town. And right at the ends of of the commercial center here, look what can Pruner, which is the art gallery. Now, this is open on Saturdays until 10:00 at night. Check this out. They’ve got the opening times, which just like shot past me, but um again, a really, really nice place to visit as well. and somewhere that’s open late on in the afternoon, too. Going to check some modern art out over here in Soya Oldtown. So, also new for 2025. And we’re just turning around here and heading back into the center. I have spotted some other new restaurants. You if you think you’ve seen it all over here in Soyer, then think again. Restaurant here to my right hand side, Nakarat it’s called. Looks very, very lovely. but they’re gearing up for the for the evening ahead. Let’s just get a quick idea of prices for summer 2025. And look, main courses here are in the region of around €28ish. And also to my left as well, just heading back, another restaurant here, Luna Restaurant 36 it’s called. Looks very, very nice, too. I’m pretty sure that’s a new addition to Soya for this summer. So, just a little bit further down the commercial center here, I can see some more shops. I’ve said it in the past, but don’t forget to come off the side streets here and see what else there is in the old town. But before we leave Soyer today, the first bakery on the commercial center, I’ve just seen something that I’m going to pick up. They do orange marmalade. Now, I absolutely love orange marmalade. The only place you can get it is in Carry Falls Supermarket. So, where better than Soyer to pick up some locally made marmalade. I’m going to go and have to grab myself a jar. Okay. Probably the not the most healthy, but I have not had marmalade for absolutely years. And the only time I do have it is when I go back to the UK and I’m at my mom’s. But, um, that’s in the bag and I’m going to be enjoying some of that for my breakfast tomorrow morning. Anyway, we’re coming back into Pala Constitution. I can hear more trams have either come or indeed gone. I think we’ve just missed them coming through again. But just look how beautiful it is at this time of day. Got kind of the perfect light over here in Soya Oldtown. So the square has got a lot busier now even just in the in the 20 minutes from when I’ve been filming just down through the commercial center. Like I said, shops normally stay open till around 700 p.m. They stay open a lot later in resorts until around 11:00 p.m. But then this is a a working town here. It’s not a holiday resort, so locals do tend to close up a little bit earlier. Oh, I mean right in the path of the tram here. [Music] That’s hilarious. Every time a tram comes by, everyone gets their cameras out and films it. I’ve probably got a million photos as well and videos of the tram. But we’re going to head out towards the main road here actually because I am parked up on the main road. And we can see this Saturday evening that um we do still have quite a few shops open down here. And unfortunately too, we still have traffic coming through as well. I’ve always said actually that Soya is a very noisy old town just because of the traffic, the amount of traffic that we do have. But I do have good news a little bit later on as we keep walking. So keep watching. So just coming up past Carer Damar and there’s a museum down to my right hand side. Got some more clothes shops here. We’ve got the the one size 1s close shop you find in many of the resorts that’s now opened over here in Soya Oldtown. So, as we pass by the Grand or the main road which heads on more or less back in the direction of the bus stop over here in Soyer, I’m actually going to keep heading straight ahead. So, as we are walking up this side street here, it’s a lot quieter. The Grand Via does take the main traffic down towards the main roads, but if you do want a quieter experience, then I do recommend wandering down these these back streets. And just looking to my right hand side here, we can see an SOS residence sign hanging from one of the windows here in in Soyair. And that is referring to the touristification of this town. So, as we can see by this sign here, many of the roads in Soya Oldtown now uh only exclusively for use for for residents for driving through the town. Higher cars are no longer allowed. And that’s just because of the the huge amount of traffic that we do get in this old town during the the hot summer months. And we’re just coming down this very very quiet road. Look, this is lined by lemon trees. We’re just coming past the botanical gardens. Just give you the opening times here. Look, we’ve just missed them actually. 10 till 6 between March and October these are open. But um just having a peek inside. It looks absolutely beautiful in there. Maybe well worth a visit if that’s your your kind of thing. So do not even try to bring your hire car over here unless um you actually have permission from the hotel. You can see these cameras here reading the number plates coming into the town. You have to be resident now to drive in the center of Soyer oldtown which brings me on to the whole big subject of parking over here in Soyair. Now as normal as you come into Soyer, there are some spaces on either side of the road. Much of those spaces now have now been eliminated by Bolards. But coming over here on a Saturday afternoon, I did find plenty of spots. They have also opened up various new car parks as well a little bit further down this road. And there are some car parks as well kind of on the far end of the town too. So if you are coming during a busy time of day, well, you’re going to be fighting for those spaces. And trust me as well when I say there have been physical fights among holiday makers as well to get those spaces because well parking here is very difficult. So my advice is either get the wooden train, book that in advance or get the 204 TIB bus, but expect that to be busy. Alternatively, do as I did and come up here on a Saturday afternoon where you’ll get an allgether different experience visiting Soyer Oldtown. Okay, I’m now going to head on down to Port Soyer. I’m going to see what it’s like in the evening as we approach the end of July. Subscribe to the channel to catch that video. I’m also going to drop a couple of videos appearing both here and here on YouTube to help you out with your holiday. Don’t forget, you can also find me in the Facebook group and on my Instagram, also called Morca Under the Sun. And I look forward to seeing you on the next video. Goodbye for now.

With all the news about visiting Soller being either too busy or completely empty, find out if visiting Soller in Mallorca is an awful experience in Summer 2025.

I hadn’t wanted to visit Soller Old Town following my experience in Soller Port in April 2025, so see what it’s like in peak season. Was I absolutely crazy to visit? Find out here, or if indeed I had found the perfect time to visit.

Mentioned in this video
Port de Soller in April 2025

Top Tips for visiting Soller Old Town
https://youtu.be/bCGTOwiihQs?si=pBE9RwKUas9B1m8Q

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