Ses Salines - Majorca
Ses Salines is an ecologically unique region of Majorca, a remote coastline on the south-east of the island known for its many fine white-sand beaches. Much of the coast is protected as wildlife reserves, and the beaches are fringed by pine trees that provide shade and shelter for beach lovers. The inland landscape is mostly agricultural, and dotted with windmills that once pumped fresh water for the crops grown here. The area remains one of the most undeveloped in Majorca, and provides a perspective of the authentic ways of life on the island.
The regional capital of Ses Salines is a spacious and modern town a few kilometres inland. The spire of its elegant parish church, Sant Bartomeu, has for centuries served as a reference point for fishermen working along the coast. The name of the town is derived from the Latin word for "salt", a reference to the nearby marshes and lakes that have been a source of salt since before Roman times. The production of salt was once the major industry of the region, and Ses Salines remains a source of the exclusive "flor de sal" sea-salt prized by gourmets.
The coastal town of Colònia de Sant Jordi is the most popular beach resort in this region, set on a rocky peninsula surrounded by several of the most beautiful beaches on Majorca. The beach of Sa Platja des Port beside the town's marina and fishing port is the most developed, and offers swimming, sailing and snorkelling just a few hundred metres of the town centre. There are many excellent restaurants here, and the local sea-food is famous throughout Majorca.
North of the town, the beaches at Ets Estanys and Es Trenc form the front of the nearby salt flats - an area where the light from the marshes and the sea create an especially scenic landscape with several plant species found nowhere else on Majorca. The salt ponds used for the production of "flor de sal" stretch inland for several kilometres, and are coloured red and orange by micro-organisms in the water that have adapted to the briny environment. These micro-organisms form the base of a food chain that brings many wading birds to the area, such as stilts, redshanks, ospreys and spoonbills. More than 150 bird species have been recorded in this region, and Ses Salines is renowned as one of the most famous bird-watching areas in Spain.
The beaches at Es Carbó and Ses Roquetes, south of Colònia de Sant Jordi, form one of the most unspoiled sections of this coast, a region of calm crystal-clear water stretching south to the island of Cabrera. It takes about half an hour to walk here from the town, and these beaches makes a good alternative to Ets Estanys and Es Trenc in the crowded peak season. The nearby Finca Sa Valle estate features an botanical garden with an impressive collection of many types of cactus.
The island of Cabrera lies about 10 kilometres south of the Ses Salines coast, and can be reached by scheduled boat tours that leave from Colònia de Sant Jordi each day. The island and its surrounding waters are protected as a natural park, and are especially popular with divers, snorkellers and birdwatchers. Cabrera is heavily forested, and visitors can walk in the shade to a medieval fortress and religious hermitage on the island, and to the lighthouse on its highest point.
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Puerto Andratx, Majorca.
Puerto Andratx is a town nestled among the Serra de Tamunan mountains in Majorca's south-west, which has become popular with holiday-makers who want to get away from the main tourist resorts. It was founded in the early Middle Ages as the port of the nearby regional centre of Andratx - which, like many Majorcan towns, was built a few miles inland to protect it against pirate attacks.
Today the town's harbour is dominated by a marina and yacht club, filled with hundreds of luxury yachts taking advantage of the shelter provided by the surrounding hills. Local fishing boats also use the port, unloading the days catch just a short distance from the many excellent seafood restaurants that line the waterfront. In the 13th Century this region was an important centre of Majorcan culture - and King Jaime I of Aragon, one of the most powerful kings of the reconquest period, had a palace here. Almost eight centuries later Puerto Andratx is still a very desirable place to live, and many international celebrities own villas in the town and surrounding hills.
The old buildings and narrow streets of Puerto Andratx give the town an authentic Majorcan feel. The pace of life is very low-key, and it makes an excellent holiday choice for anyone who wants to escape the crowds at Majorca's busiest resorts. The local night-life is generally limited to walking along the waterfront during the warm evenings and dining in its restaurants - but most visitors to this region have not come to party all night. Instead, many holiday-makers use Puerto Andratx as a base to explore the remote coves, beaches and mountain landscapes of the west of the island.
There is just one small beach in the town itself, Ses Bassetes, between the waterfront promenade and the pier - but one of the best beaches in the region is just five kilometres away at Camp de Mar, a small and exclusive resort set in a peaceful sandy bay. Beach-lovers can also reach the small island of Sa Dragonera by boat trip from Puerto Andratx, or from the nearby town of Sant Elm. Sa Dragonera is now protected as a wilderness reserve, but it was once the haunt of pirates and smugglers. Today there is a small settlement on the island, but no tourist accommodations The island is home to several sea-bird species, and was famed in the Middle Ages for the hunting peregrine falcons that nested here. Visitors can take a number of easy walking routes around the island, including a climb to the lighthouse on its highest peak, where they will be rewarded with a stunning view of the Majorcan coastline and mountains.
The inland town of Andratx is very picturesque, with several old buildings and the remains of the defensive wall that once protected it from pirates. The upper part of the town features narrow cobbled streets and the fortress-like church of Santa Maria. The view back over the old town over towards Puerto Andratx makes the walk uphill worthwhile. Compared to Majorca's heavily developed resort regions, there are relatively few few hotels and holiday complexes in the Puerto Andratx area, but there are many private villas and apartments available to let on a long or short-term basis.