The Alfabia Gardens: An oasis in the Tramuntana Mountains

The largest of the Balearic Islands offers much more to its visitors than just a relaxing beach holiday, and visiting the Alfabia Gardens is one of the best things to do in Mallorca. These are marvellous gardens and a house where you will be able to contemplate valuable historical elements.

At ROIG rent a car Mallorca, we offer you our car hire fleet, so that you can move around the island at your own pace and discover authentic wonders such as the Alfabia Gardens, an oasis in the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range.

History and origins of the Alfabia Gardens

The best way to get to the Alfabia gardens is through the car hire service in Mallorca that we offer at ROIG.

The Alfabia Gardens were an old Arab farmhouse in the Middle Ages. They were owned by Bet Abet, a very famous personage on the island of Mallorca. Since then, the gardens have passed through the hands of different owners, until reaching the Zaforteza family, who oversee all their renovations and care.

This garden has witnessed one of the most ancient cultures that dominated the island and still maintains a perfect symbiosis between Islamic tradition and other styles, such as Italian Renaissance.

The gardens are in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountain range, so they can collect water from the mountain range to irrigate the plants. This mineral water is responsible for feeding the varied vegetation that lives here, including the orange trees that add so much colour to the scenery.

There is also an 18th century pergola with water features that are still active today.

Unique garden design and features

Driving around Mallorca is not for everyone, especially if you come in high season and don’t want to waste a minute finding a parking space. That’s why, at ROIG, we have provided our clients with a premium chauffeur-driven car hire service in Mallorca, so that a professional driver can take you to the most emblematic places you want to visit.

Access to the Alfabia gardens is via a very romantic avenue lined with large plane trees. At the end of this avenue is the façade surrounded by palm trees, which gives access to the most emblematic part of the garden: its pergola.

In this space we find a pergola reconstructed at the beginning of the 18th century with its water features and adorned with ivy.

Further into the garden, we find a space with a tropical feel and a water lily pond, with a wide variety of palm trees that are native to Mallorca and currently protected. The design and unique characteristics of this garden make it one of the best places to spend a pleasant morning on holiday.

Once you have finished strolling through the garden, you can enter the house where the passage of time has left a small remnant of each period, without losing the balance of the whole. The evolution of this house is a clear example of respect for the past and the innovation of the present moment.

Inside, we would like to highlight the ground floor, where most of the rooms are furnished, such as the Sala Gran, with a wainscot depicting images of Palma and other towns in Mallorca.

Flora and fauna: a botanical tour of Alfabia

The Alfabia area is a historic estate and, as such, is a lover of the environment and the surroundings of its land. That is why they work specifically to conserve and care for the fauna and flora of the Balearic Islands and more specifically that of the Serra de Tramuntana area.

That’s why, when you walk through the gardens, you can see how the island’s typical black pigs are being reared for slaughter in the winter months. This is how they obtain the best quality sobrassada sausages. They also raise Mallorcan and Ibizan goats, as well as peacocks, ducks, and other birds.

The Alfabia Gardens are located just 25 minutes’ drive from the airport. This means that you can hire a transfer service from the airport to take you directly to your first visit, as soon as you set foot in Mallorca. This way you will enjoy a taxi in Mallorca that will take you from door to door, so that all you must worry about is enjoying your stay.

The Alfabia Gardens today: conservation and tourist visits

The gardens are open daily from 15 February to 31 October, coinciding with the best weather months on the island. You can visit the garden area and the house from 9.30am to 6.30pm, but please note that the last entrance is at 5.30pm.

Because of the history and architecture of the gardens, there are some areas that are not properly adapted for people with reduced mobility. You can get to the gardens in 4 different ways:

• By car: Put the following address in the GPS: Ctra. Palma – Soller, Km 17. Bunyola – Mallorca.

• By bus: Take bus number 204 from Palma.

• By train: The famous Tren de Sóller makes a stop at the gardens, “Los Jardines de Alfabia”.

• By helicopter: Take a helicopter ride over the Tramuntana mountain range and land in the Alfabia gardens for a visit with snack or private dinner.

Now you know the Alfabia Gardens and their history perfectly. That means it’s time to start organising your getaway to the Balearic island. Look at our ROIG website to see the car hire offers in Mallorca that we have available. Count on the professionalism, experience, and reliability of our team to ensure you have a smooth holiday.