The Village of Fornalutx

In the shadows of the Sierra Tramuntana is the small medieval village of Fornalutx.  It was in this town of 692 people where we decided to stay during our week in Mallorca.  Fornalutx was about as untainted as a place I have ever been.  There were no Marriott hotels, no Starbucks on the corner, and no hordes of tourists piling off buses.  I imagine the inhabitants of the town lived a peaceful and simple life similar to the way their ancestors did hundreds of years ago (minus the wifi and TVs). 

The town of Fornalutx taken from a hiking trail. 

The beautiful mountain range of the Sierra Tramuntana
at twilight. 

Now there was the occasional tourist during the day, usually a couple who may have hiked from a near by town.  However, it was my our group that stood out like an elephant in a dog park.  Seven loud Americans rumbling through town in their monstrous mini - van; holding up traffic, occupying tables at the restaurants and of course, wiping out the local bakery of all the pastries in the morning.

Our plate of pastries every morning. 

One night a restaurant was unable to seat us because
we had to large a group. 

The town itself was exactly how you picture a Spanish hillside town.  Narrow cobblestone streets, houses made of stone, picturesque stairwells and of course a square in the epicenter of town.  Flowers, orange groves, olive trees and all sorts of healthy foliage were all over making each picture of town prettier than the last.   While this was a storybook town, the one downside for Samantha and I (and my parents) was that running was no easy task.  It was the tradeoff for the hillside beauty and cobblestone streets.  Luckily, hiking paths surrounded the town providing great vantage points of the entire region all the way to the sea.

Picture perfect stairwell. 

The square in the center of town. 

Most of the action in town was centered around the square (seen above).  That's of course if you want to call it action; in any city this square's liveliness would be a refreshing pause from the hustle and bustle of a major metropolis.  Regardless, we ate at some establishment in or around the square almost every night, the local bar and bakery were here and this is were most of the locals of Fornalutx would pass the time.  At night, adults would sip on cervezas or cafes as their kids would whiz by on bikes just like any 8 year old would be doing on a hot summer night.  And on Thursday's there is live music at bar that has the best mojitos (according to my sister).

The girls right outside the square. 

Our group eating at a table outside in the square. 

In regards to the people of Fornalutx, I did not find them to be the most friendly.  They were not rude by any means, but they certainly did not go out of their way for you such as people would in other areas I have traveled too. In general, how could anyone blame them; most of them grew up in Fornalutx and are hardly bothered by needy tourists.   An to be honest, how many American's would go out of their way if they saw a tourist in the middle of Michigan Ave to point them to the best off the beaten path restaurant in Chicago?  Not many.  

Night time brought an eerie medieval feeling to the town. 

The only light in town after dark were provided by old school lamp posts. 

Fornalutx was an incredible town.  Whether you stay here or not, when traveling to Mallorca it is an absolute must see destination. Even if it is to have a refreshing mojito in the town square or a fluffy buttery croissant from the local bakery.  Either way, wander the streets and be transformed back to the simple life of the 14th century. 

Mountainous views were visible from every angle
(this being the town square) in the town.

The street outside our villa.