# Valldemossa: a day trip from Palma, Palma de Mallorca > Valldemossa is a mountain village on Mallorca, half an hour from Palma and one of the island's loveliest. Its great landmark is the Royal Charterhouse, founded in the early 14th century, where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838–1839. Around it are stone houses with green shutters, flowerpots on the walls and terraced olive groves in the Tramuntana mountains. Allow half a day. Web page: https://yesgo.io/spain/palma/valldemossa - City: [Palma de Mallorca](https://yesgo.io/spain/palma), Spain - YesGo score: 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 3 h - Opening hours: Village always open; monastery by day - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Village free; monastery ticketed - Getting there: Bus from Palma ≈ 30 minutes - Highlights: The charterhouse, the lanes - Time needed: Half a day - Mountains: Serra de Tramuntana, UNESCO - Location: ≈ 18 km north of Palma - Coordinates: 39.71168, 2.62258 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **14th c.** — the charterhouse was founded (source: English Wikipedia) - **1838–1839** — Chopin and George Sand's winter here (source: English Wikipedia) - **2011** — the Tramuntana joined the UNESCO list (source: UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 1371) - **St Catalina Thomas** — Mallorca's patron saint was born here (source: English Wikipedia) ## About Valldemossa Valldemossa is a village in the **Serra de Tramuntana** mountains in north-west Mallorca, about 18 km from Palma. It sits in a green valley of olive and almond groves, its stone houses and tiled roofs climbing the slope towards the monastery. Its fame began in the 19th century, when travellers and artists came, and Archduke Ludwig Salvator, who fell in love with Mallorca, made this corner known across Europe. Valldemossa is the birthplace of **St Catalina Thomas**, the island's patron saint, whose image appears on ceramic plaques by nearly every front door. ## What to see in Valldemossa - **The Charterhouse** — church, pharmacy and cells. - **Chopin's cells** — a piano, scores and letters. - **King Sancho's Palace** — next to the monastery. - **The old village lanes** — flowers and green shutters. - **St Catalina Thomas's house** — a tiny chapel. - **Valley viewpoints** — groves and Tramuntana peaks. ## The Charterhouse and Chopin The **Royal Charterhouse**, or Cartuja, was founded in the early **14th century**. Today you can see its painted church, an old monastic pharmacy with ceramic jars, the library and cells with small gardens looking over the valley. In the winter of **1838–1839**, composer **Frédéric Chopin** and writer **George Sand** rented cells here. Chopin worked on his preludes, and Sand later wrote A Winter in Majorca. The cells display a piano, manuscripts, letters and portraits, and piano recitals are held in the monastery in summer. > **When to go** Come in the morning: by midday tour coaches arrive and the monastery gets crowded, and towards evening the village quietens again. If you drive, the car parks by the entrance are small and paid, so the bus from Palma is often easier. ## The lanes and coca de patata After the monastery, simply wander. Narrow cobbled lanes wind between stone houses, geraniums hang on the walls and plaques of St Catalina adorn the doors. Find the house where she was born, now a tiny chapel. Valldemossa's signature treat is **coca de patata**, a fluffy sweet bun made with potato and dusted with icing sugar. Local bakeries make it, and it's eaten warm with hot chocolate or almond milk on café terraces. ## The Tramuntana around the village Valldemossa lies at the heart of the **Serra de Tramuntana**, UNESCO-listed in **2011** as a cultural landscape of stone terraces, irrigation channels and groves of olives, almonds and oranges. Walking trails start from the village, including the Archduke's path along the ridge above the sea. ## How to get there from Palma 1. Bus from Palma, about 30 minutes. 2. By car, about 25 minutes on a mountain road. 3. Continue along the coast to Deià and Sóller, 20–40 minutes. 4. Many Tramuntana tours stop in Valldemossa. ## Tips for your trip Valldemossa pairs well with a drive along the mountain coast: beyond the village the road leads to clifftop Deià and on to the Sóller valley. The mountains are cooler than Palma in summer, but the open streets are hot by day, so bring a hat. Wear comfortable shoes, as the lanes are steep, narrow and cobbled. Souvenir shops sell ceramics, olive oil and almond sweets; small shops away from the main street are better value. Children enjoy the old pharmacy in the monastery and spotting the St Catalina plaques on the front doors. Buggies struggle on the steep village streets, so a baby carrier is easier. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check bus times from Palma - [ ] Arrive in the morning - [ ] Visit Chopin's cells - [ ] Try a coca de patata - [ ] Find St Catalina's house ## Places in Palma: compare and choose Places in Palma rated by YesGo. - [Palma Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/spain/palma/palma-cathedral) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Valldemossa](https://yesgo.io/spain/palma/valldemossa) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; monastery paid - [Alcúdia](https://yesgo.io/spain/palma/alcudia) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 5 h · Free ## Don't mix it up Valldemossa is the mountain village with the monastery; Deià is the neighbouring clifftop village by the sea, 10 km along the same road. ## Tips - Fewer people in the morning. - Chopin's cells are in the monastery. - Coca de patata with coffee. - Comfortable shoes. ## Questions ### How do I get from Palma to Valldemossa? By bus in about 30 minutes, or 25 minutes by car. ### What is there to see in Valldemossa? The Charterhouse with Chopin's cells, the village lanes and St Catalina's house. ### Did Chopin live here? Yes, he spent the winter of 1838–1839 in the monastery with George Sand. ### How long do you need in Valldemossa? Half a day; a full day with Deià and Sóller. ### What should I try in Valldemossa? Coca de patata, a sweet potato bun. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia and UNESCO. Prices and schedules weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Valldemossa - UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 1371 — Serra de Tramuntana --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.