I am almost sure that the village of Orient on the border between the Tramuntana mountain range and the region of Es Raiguer may well be the smallest village on the whole island, with only 27 inhabitants in the 2001 census. This tiny gem, during the 13th century known as Aurient, is situated in the centre of the Vall d’Orient, and forms part of the municipality of Bunyola. Only a handful of houses make up the picturesque pueblo (well, perhaps 25 houses). A rather pretty església parroquial, named after Sant Jordi, the village patron saint, crowns the village.

A few months ago, the Consell de Mallorca initiated a process of assigning the village of Orient protection as a Bien de Interés Cultural which, if successful, would give the place a heritage status.

If walking in unspoilt, fertile landscape suits your tastes, a number of peaceful walks originate from the village, both, in the direction of Sóller and also up to the nearby castle of Alaró.

The photo was taken outside of Orient, Mallorca, Spain. The date: January 10th, 2009. The time was 14:36:57.