Selva: Village Culture at the Foot of the Serra de Tramuntana

Selva showcases Mallorca’s peaceful inland side: The municipality is located in the heart of the island at the foot of the Serra de Tramuntana and has a rural village character that clearly differs from a coast-oriented holiday setting. As a town and municipality of the Balearic Islands, Selva is located in Mallorca’s Raiguer region, near Inca. Between the historic townscape, market life and the wider mountain landscape, this creates a destination whose various facets gradually reveal themselves during a leisurely stay.

Culture and Townscape

An important landmark of Selva is the Gothic church of Sant Llorenç. Forty-two steps lead up to it; this access in particular emphasizes the monumentality of the façade. The historic townscape also includes the Baroque stone cross of Valella. It is classified as protected cultural heritage and bears the designation Bien de Interés Cultural. Both structures are among the town’s defining cultural points of reference, without needing grand staging to make an impression: The church and the cross blend into Selva’s organically developed structure.

A well-established way to experience the town and its cultural heritage sights is to take a leisurely walk through Selva. Moving slowly through the town connects the individual impressions of the historic surroundings, from the church with its distinctive steps to the Baroque cross of Valella. The walk remains a simple form of exploration and focuses attention on the townscape itself.

Places and Market

The villages of Caimari, Moscari, Biniamar and Binibona belong to the municipality of Selva. They can be regarded as associated local stops within the municipal area and broaden the view beyond the main town itself. Another established facet of public life is the Wednesday market on Plaça Major. Mallorcan products from the region and distinctive handcrafted goods are offered there. Selva can also be combined with a visit to the town and shopping in nearby Inca.

Landscape

The surrounding area of Selva is also home to several notable destinations in Mallorca’s mountain and countryside landscape. These include the Cova del Camp del Bisbe and the Coves de Campanet, as well as Puig de Massanella, Puig des Tossals Verds and Puig d’Alaró. Each of these places belongs to the area surrounding Selva; they are not combined here into a single excursion destination, but instead represent the different names and landscape connections around the municipality.

Selva’s character remains rural and peaceful: The municipality lies inland on the island, on the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana and away from a resort-oriented coastal landscape. Together with the walk through the town, this location forms the landscape setting in which the historic sights and surrounding mountain destinations are situated.

Culture

The wider regional surroundings of Selva include Can Prunera, the Museo Balear de Ciencias Naturales and Galeria Maior. These destinations are not part of Selva’s immediate townscape, but they extend the cultural scope of a stay to the wider regional surroundings. Thus, alongside the Gothic church of Sant Llorenç and the protected cross of Valella, institutions and cultural venues outside the narrower municipal area also form part of the regional context.

Exploration

For further orientation among the associated destination pages, Binimar, Caimari, Moscari and Binibona are available.

For the overarching travel overview: Mallorca.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Valldemosa, Sineu, Sant Llorenç Des Cardassar, Fornalutx.