What you can see on the Port de Sóller webcam
The yacht club's camera looks out of the bay to the open Mediterranean, with the steep wooded cliffs of the headland on one side. You can see the state of the sea beyond the shelter of the harbour, how much swell is coming in from the north-west, whether white horses are running and how clear the horizon is. It plays as a time-lapse of the last 24 hours rather than as live video, so you can see how the sea has changed through the day.
The mouth of the bay at Port de Sóller
This camera belongs to the yacht club of Port de Sóller and looks out through the mouth of the bay to the open sea. The steep cliffs of the headland rise on the right, dark and wooded, and the rest of the picture is sea and sky.
It is the camera to check before a boat trip along the Tramuntana coast or a walk on the cliffs: from here you can see whether the sea outside the bay is calm or covered in whitecaps, and how much swell is breaking at the foot of the cliffs. It plays here as a time-lapse of the last 24 hours, so you can see how the sea has changed through the day.
A harbour in the mountains
The Serra de Tramuntana, the mountain range behind the port, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape in 2011 for its terraces, dry-stone paths and centuries of farming on steep slopes. Sóller grew rich on oranges, and from 1912 a narrow-gauge railway linked it with Palma through the mountains. A year later a tram began running down to the port, and the old wooden carriages still make the trip.
When to watch Port de Sóller
Mallorca is one hour ahead of the UK. The bay opens to the north-west, so evenings bring sunsets over the sea at the mouth of the harbour, especially in summer. North-westerly winds, most common in winter, send heavy swell against the cliffs; on those days the camera shows why the bay is so prized as a shelter. Boat trips along the coast depend on calm seas, so it is worth a look before booking.
Around Port de Sóller
Sóller town is about 2 miles (3 km) inland. The lighthouse at Cap Gros, above the port, is a short climb with views over the bay. Deià, Fornalutx and the Tramuntana walking paths are within easy reach.
Visiting Port de Sóller
Palma airport is about 25 miles (40 km) away; the road tunnel under the mountains has shortened the drive. The beach in the bay is sheltered and shallow, with lifeguards in season. Walks in the Tramuntana are best in spring and autumn, when it is cooler.
