How to book a luxury yacht charter in Mallorca and try their oranges

Did you know that all oranges in Europe up until about the first half of the 17th century were bitter ones?  When you are anchored near the charming town of Sóller during your luxury yacht charter in Mallorca, find out why they were a status symbol among the aristocracy back in the day! The higher up the social scale, the more bitter oranges you would find throughout their household. The distillation of orange blossom was used by the wealthy to scent baths and also as an eau de cologne. In the kitchen it was used to flavor all kinds of dishes, but especially desserts.

Everyone associates oranges with Spain, but this is not the country where oranges originated. The bitter oranges were brought to Mallorca by Arabs in the early Middle Ages, while the first sweet oranges didn’t reach Europe until the 1630s, making their way from China via Portugal. It is from these trees from China that all sweet oranges in Mallorca descend. The sweet orange was soon much more popular than the bitter variety, although a huge bitter orange crop is still harvested in southern Spain and bought by Buckingham Palace, mainly for the British marmalade market, of course. Sweet oranges at first were only for the very rich. For the rest of the population, and in cookbooks, an orange meant a bitter one.

After a perfect morning onboard of your private yacht, the crew will tender you ashore to explore the Valley of Oranges in Mallorca in Sóller. The beautiful and authentic town of Sóller is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, dominated by the highest peak in Mallorca, the Puig Major. Even though the area was isolated from the rest of Mallorca by the mountains, Sóller became wealthy thanks to trade of oranges with France. As a result, many locals emigrated to France and returned to the island with considerable fortunes, which they invested in the modern buildings that can now be admired in the city center. With the Palma Railway and eventually a tunnel linking the town with other places on the island, import and export became much easier for the residents, adding to the wealth of the town. 

Sóller is hiding a rich heritage in churches, monuments, mansions and museums, combined with an overall feel of tranquility and peace. 

While there are citrus fruit groves all around the island of Mallorca, Sóller is the most famous one and known for its high quality oranges and it’s a must to visit during your yacht charter in Mallorca. The orchards in this valley are brimming with oranges, the fruit that is at the very heart of the culture of this town. All the orchards are situated in Valle de los Naranjos, one of the island’s most stunning landscapes. Your private guide will take you and your loved ones on an exhilarating hike across the orange fields to discover local products and indulge in orange-infused delights.

Your guide will bring you to the Sa Vinyassa Orchard, under the impressive rocks of the Alfabia ridge, between Fornalutx and Biniaraix, to learn all about the history of the orange trees and the main types of oranges grown in Mallorca. You will get to savour freshly squeezed organic orange juice and a typical snack. Some of the main types of orange grown in Mallorca include the navel orange, which is sweet and easy to peel, the canoneta orange, which is used for making juice, and bitter oranges, which are perfect for making bitter orange marmalade. The orchard is also specialized in harvesting orange blossom. The orange blossom is handpicked and are carefully dried at the farm. Did you know that orange blossom is used in the therapeutic field, by way of tea and ethereal oil, for its calming effect and its ability to promote a good night’s sleep?  

Orange juice is added to all kinds of Spanish pastry, and to good effect. Most of Mallorca’s lamb pies known as panades are made with pastry that contains a glass of orange juice.

Orange juice also finds its way into custards and flans, giving these desserts and others a pretty colour and a delicious flavor.

If you happen to charter in Mallorca during the end of March and beginning of April, visit the orange market at Soller! During this event, you can try different types of oranges, traditional Mallorcan recipes and liqueurs based on this delicious fruit. Various restaurants take part and to round off the celebration, there are activities for the whole family like yoga and arts and crafts throughout the town. In June, the quality of the oranges and lemons is honored by the town during a fair know as Fira de la Taronja, or Orange Fair. 

For several days, delicious dishes with orange as their key ingredient are served, and the aroma of the citrus fruits is even more intense. One of the restaurants to participate in the fair is Jumeirah’s Restaurant Cap Rroig Brasserie.

Of course, orange is one of our favourite local ingredients. Start your day on a sweet note with a Soller crepe with orange jam, vanilla and chocolate for breakfast at Cap Roig Brasserie, while you admire the dramatic clifftop vistas over the azure Balearic Sea. And for dessert, you can order a low-temperature orange cream with sobrasada ice cream at Es Fanals after indulging in a mouth-watering selection of tapas.