Puente de las Siete Bocas

Millions of people each year pass through the airport in Palma, Mallorca’s capital city. From there, they can take a taxi, bus, or car to the city center. Wouldn’t it be great to have the option of a train or a tram as well? Unfortunately, despite the popularity of this idyllic Mediterranean island, there isn’t one. But there used to be!

A train line once connected Palma to the town of Santanyí on the southeast coast of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands. The railroad ran parallel to the Arenal coastline, passing right by the airport area. But this particular line of the Mallorcan railway network was not fated to survive (unlike the charming Sóller train, the historic wooden tram connecting Palma to the Sóller Valley). The tracks were dismantled in 1964, but happily, one wonderful relic still remains: a long viaduct with seven magnificent arches.

Called El Puente de las Siete Bocas, or “The Bridge of Seven Mouths,” the imposing bridge stands 65 feet high and stretches 255 feet long. Each of the seven arches is 25 feet wide and rises as tall as a six-story building. Concealed in the forest surrounding Arenal, this truly spectacular bridge is a jewel of Mallorca’s railway heritage, and one that’s sure to provoke a bittersweet feeling of nostalgia in those who know its history.