Salt Loading Pier

About this heritage

The Salt Loading Pier of the Colònia de Sant Jordi, in the municipality of Ses Salines, in the south of Mallorca, has a history linked to the exploitation of the salt flats in the area, which are among the oldest in Europe.

To learn more

The Levante Salt Flats were already exploited since Roman times, and possibly even earlier, during the Phoenician era. The Colònia de Sant Jordi arose precisely as a strategic point to export the salt extracted in the area.

To know it better

During the 19th century and early 20th century, salt export intensified and the loading pier was built to facilitate the shipment of salt to other parts of the Mediterranean. Ships anchored near the pier and were loaded directly from the platforms using barges or pulley systems.

This pier became a symbol of the economic development of the Colònia de Sant Jordi, when it was still a small community of fishermen and salt workers.

Although today the pier is no longer used for industrial salt loading, it is preserved as part of the town's historical heritage. Salt is still produced in the area, though with modern techniques and for a more gourmet and tourist market.