Selva

Selva is located right where the Pla de Mallorca begins to rise towards the Serra de Tramuntana, north of Inca, and this border position between plain and mountain is its strongest argument. It is a small municipality, with three stone village settlements, a term of terraced olive groves and oak forests, and the mountain above. It has no coastline or urbanisations, but it offers Tramuntana scenery at prices that are not those of Tramuntana, and a regional capital with all services just a few minutes away. For those seeking a characterful village house or a finca with olive groves in a mountain setting, without paying the price of Sóller or Valldemossa, it is one of the most interesting options in the interior.

The term is divided between the flat Raiguer and the foothills of the mountain, with a relief that rises quickly: terraced olive groves supported by dry stone walls, oak forests, and streams flowing down from the mountain. It is a transitional landscape, with the characteristic stone architecture of Tramuntana already present in the villages. Selva is the main settlement, a small village with the church at the top and sloping streets, overlooking the Pla; Caimari, at the foot of the historic access to the mountain, is linked to the olive and oil, with a fair dedicated to olives that is its most well-known event; and Biniamar and Moscari are even smaller and quieter settlements. The municipality retains an intact village life, without tourist transformations, and a very direct relationship with the mountain behind it.

Selva has several small and very distinct settlements by character, although not so much by price. Selva village is the administrative head, with the municipality's services and the best views over the plain. Caimari is the settlement with the most life linked to the mountain: it is the gateway to the historic path that ascends to the mountain and has its identity in the olive and oil. Biniamar and Moscari are tiny stone hamlets, very quiet, with a very limited and highly sought-after housing offer for those looking for exactly that. Surrounding them is the rural land with fincas, terraced olive groves, and country houses, the product with the most land and character in the term. There are no urbanisations: here, one chooses between four villages and the countryside.

The settlements of Selva have the basics —local shops, municipal services, first-rate healthcare and education— and for everything else, the reference is Inca, which is just a few minutes away and is the regional capital of Raiguer, with its own entry in this guide: secondary schools, regional hospital, extensive shopping, and market. This combination —a very quiet village with a city of services nearby— makes it feasible to live here all year round without the burdens of an isolated mountain village. Local life is constant throughout the twelve months, and there is no noticeable tourist seasonality. It is a comfortable municipality for families, for permanent residents, and for those who telecommute and want a rural environment without losing access to services.

Selva has no sea: its environment is the mountain. The municipality is one of the natural gateways to the Serra de Tramuntana —from Caimari, the historic path begins that ascends towards the sanctuary and the interior of the mountain— and this makes it an excellent base for hiking, with the landscape of dry stone terraces, olive groves, and oak forests that is part of the Tramuntana ensemble recognised by UNESCO as a cultural landscape. Cycling is intense in the area, both on the flat Raiguer and on the climbs to the mountain. Culturally, life is that of the villages: patron saint festivals, fairs, and, above all, the tradition of olive and oil, which is the agricultural identity of the term. For beach, theatre, or major concerts, one must venture out: the northern coast is a reasonable journey away, and Palma is a bit further.

Selva is very well situated for a mountain municipality: just a few minutes from Inca and, from there, with the motorway that connects to Palma and the airport in a comfortable journey. It also connects by road to Lloseta, Mancor de la Vall, Campanet, and, climbing the mountain, to the interior of Tramuntana. There is no train station in the municipality, but the Palma–Inca–Sa Pobla line passes through Inca, very close, allowing for train use with a short prior journey. Within the term, a car is necessary: the four settlements are separated, the countryside is dispersed, and the roads to the mountain are narrow and winding. The town centres are small and on slopes, which is worth considering regarding parking.

The characteristic product is the stone village house, in several floors, often stepped on the slope, with a patio or terrace and views of the Pla or the mountain; many are in need of renovation, and rehabilitation with care is a common and valued project here. There are also some apartments and more recent housing on the outskirts of Selva and Caimari, and single-family homes with plots on an occasional basis. In the countryside, fincas and country houses with olive groves and terraces are the most sought-after product by buyers from outside and the ones that set the high price brackets in the term. New builds are very limited, conditioned by the size of the settlements and by the protection of the mountain landscape, so the market operates in the second-hand and renovation sector.

Selva offers the same as Tramuntana —stone, terraces, mountains— at prices that are not those of the coastal Tramuntana, and that is the key to its market. The demand mixes local and regional buyers of main residences with a growing interest from Palma and abroad for the characterful stone house and the finca with olive groves, a product that is much more expensive and highly contested in Sóller, Deià, or Valldemossa. Caimari and the small hamlets concentrate interest for authenticity; Selva village, for views and services. The published offer is modest but constant for the size of the municipality, and it is advisable to read it as a market with low turnover. Long-term residential rentals are scarce, although here they do not compete with seasonal rentals.

Selva particularly suits those who want Tramuntana scenery at interior prices, those seeking a characterful stone house to renovate, those wanting a finca with olive groves, families and permanent residents who value having Inca nearby, and hiking and cycling enthusiasts. It is worth considering, however, that there is no sea and that the beach is a drive away, the limited services within the municipality and the dependence on Inca, the necessity of a car due to the separation of the settlements and the mountain roads, the condition of many of the stone houses —which often require extensive renovation, with the specific challenges of building on a slope and in a protected landscape—, the parking in small and sloping town centres, the low volume of supply, and a mountain winter that is cooler and wetter than that of the coast. For the right profile, it is one of the best-kept secrets left to discover in the interior of Mallorca.