Valldemossa

Valldemossa is a village high up at 420 metres above sea level in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains - in the north west of Mallorca. Valldemossa get's it's name from the Moors who knew it as 'Vall d'en Musa' which translates to 'valley of Musa' who was the owner of the original estate. In the 14th century, the asthmatic King Sancho built a palace there to take full advantage of the clean air. This palace was given to the Carthusian monks in 1399 who established a monastery there know as La Cartuja, the monastery where Chopin and his lover George Sand spent a winter in 1838. A famous daughter of the island is Santa Catalina Thomas, Mallorca's own saint who was born in Valldemossa in 1531 and canonized in 1930. And of course, like many other places in Mallorca, Valldemossa has some international celebrities having properties in the area, the American actor Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta Jones have a house nearby and also he helped to establish the cultural centre Costa Nord. Just after leaving Valldemossa heading south west towards Banyalbafur there is a turn off about a kilometre or so after Valldemossa that twists and turns for 6 kilometres to the Port de Valldemossa. This was once an important connection to the outside world. The shingly beach offers one possibility to bathe among the waves and a restaurant is known for its excellent seafood. The West of the island, this is Mallorca at its most spectacular, dominated by the Tramuntana mountain range and its breathtaking scenery, and is home to some of the most historical and picturesque towns on the island. The amazing windy coastal road stretches the full length of the North coast, climbing high to reveal dramatic sea views and dropping lower into the picture postcard villages of Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Esporles, Valldemossa, Deia and Sóller.