The beautiful city of Palma de Mallorca offers everything: a perfect climate, the beach, a charming old town, atmospheric nightlife and plenty of things to do during the daytime for entertainment.
Palma is the largest city on the island of Mallorca, it´s the cosmopolitan capital of the Balearic Islands and a huge Mediterranean tourist destination. You can not avoid Palma de Mallorca, this is where the airport and main port are both located, so you´ll be coming through this city no matter how you arrive. A lot of visitors don´t stop off long in the capital, usually going straight from the airport heading to their beachside villas in Majorca.
But, we think that your stay in Mallorca is incomplete without a visit to Palma, let us take you on a tour of this exciting and fun city. Spend at least one day here, strolling through the charming streets and discovering the more hidden and interesting places - you definitely won't get bored.
La Seu Cathedral
La Seu Cathedral requires no introduction. The vast Gothic church sits next to the sea and the harbour and is one of the three largest in Europe (44m high, 121m long and 55m wide). It is certainly one of the best things to see in Mallorca and rises up from the earth like a great stone beast - a symbol of pride for the city and the island.
Inside the Cathedral, you can admire a spectacular hanging chandelier created by Gaudí, which is beautifully reminiscent of a crown of thorns. Amazing stained glass rosettes adorn the windows, forming a spectacle of multicoloured lights. The largest section of the stained glass window is the 'Gothic Eye', which is located above the main altar and has a diameter of almost 14m!
The Cathedral and Parks
The area surrounding the Cathedral deserves a little attention too. Looking towards the sea, between the walls of the temple and motorway is one of the most prominent parks in the city - El Parque del Mar. A significant part of the park consists of a huge saltwater pond and fountain, a palm tree-lined promenade, green lawns and a children's playground.
On the other side of the Cathedral you will find the Royal Palace of La Almudaina (Palacio Real de La Almudaina), a remnant of the Arab rulers which was later taken over by Spanish Kings. A walk through the chambers, bedrooms, halls and courtyard will transport you back in time to an ancient era. Also, if you have the time and curiosity, visit the delightful Royal Gardens of S'Hort del Rei which are full of lush greenery, bright flowers and cooling fountains.
The Royal Gardens of Almudaina are located near Plaça de la Llotja, which is where the building of La Llotja can be found. This building used to be the former stock exchange and is now a cultural centre and art gallery. The Parque de la Feixina is also not far from here. It´s a very nice park that has fountains, fitness equipment, and a children´s playground.
There is also a towering monument dedicated to the crew of the ship 'Baleares', which sunk during the Spanish Civil War in March 1938. The park is divided into three terraces at different heights. In the first terrace at the top, there is a fountain whose water delicately flows down to a pond which surrounds the monument located on the middle terrace. On the lowest terrace, there is a huge stone, pyramid-shaped sundial and a small, circular fountain. From here, it´s not far to the promenade by the sea.
Paseo Marítimo
One popular tourist destination in this area is the Paseo Marítimo, the famous promenade which runs along the sea and port. It makes this city a relaxing place for a holiday stay, especially if you choose one of the apartments in Palma de Mallorca. The marina is filled with anchored yachts, calmly bobbing and patiently waiting to be freed. The promenade is lined with palm-trees and benches, creating a shady and sunny space for locals and tourists to run, walk, ride a bike or sit and watch the world pass by.
Across the street, stretches a strip of bars, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. Paseo Marítimo is in fact the central nightlife hub on this island and late at night, it fills up quickly with party and entertainment seekers. If you are yourself a clubber or a raver, two places deserve a special mention. Try Tito´s, the most famous club in the city. It has three floors and plays a different type of music on each floor. The second is Pacha, the Mallorca branch of Ibiza´s famous nightclub, which regularly hosts international DJs.
In this area, you will also find the large modern shopping centre Porto Pi if you choose to indulge in some retail therapy. It has a wide range of shops across six levels and is a perfect place to go after visiting the Palma de Mallorca sights.
Windmills
The old windmills are a typical aspect of the landscape of Mallorca. You can find them in many towns such as Muro or Campos, which both have a lovely collection of windmills.
If you take a stroll through the centre of Palma, between the Cathedral and the Paseo Marítimo, you definitely won´t miss the windmills near the Hard Rock Café, located in the Jonquet area. Originally, there were seven windmills, which could be seen from the sea; today only five remain. One of them, El Molí d'en Garleta, was restored by the city and made into a little museum where you can go and discover everything about the windmills.
Plaça Major
Plaça Major is the main central square of the city. It is surrounded by the characteristic yellow buildings of Mallorca, complete with little green window shutters. Below are the bars, restaurants and shops and in the middle of the square you will find a huddle of stalls selling homemade products. If you have come to Palma by car, there's an underground carpark nearby which is a little bit cheaper than parking on the city streets. Best thing to do is pop your car in the underground carpark and explore by foot!
La Rambla and Passeig des Born
During your exploration of things to see in Palma de Mallorca, there are two streets which you can´t miss. Firstly, La Rambla boulevard which has grown on top of the old riverbed of La Riera and offers a huge variety of floristry stalls. To get to La Rambla, go down the stairs from Plaça Major. Off the main drag of La Rambla you will find small, atmospheric streets filled with equally cosy and characterful pubs.
The second, unmissable walking boulevard is the famous avenue of Passeig des Born, connecting the Plaza Juan Carlos I to the Avenida de Antonio Maura. This boulevard is decorated with Sphynx statues - two on each side - and is lined with tall trees creating a peaceful, shady walkway. It is also full of eclectic bars and restaurants, where you can sample some traditional dishes of Mallorca.
Save some time to wander down this pleasant boulevard and stop for a coffee or a beer. Along the Passeig des Born you can find a selection of designer boutiques, making it one of the busiest shopping areas in the city. During the Christmas season, the boulevard is impressively decorated with beautiful illuminations.
Palma de Mallorca Aquarium
A visit to the Aquarium in Palma is a great plan for your Majorca family holidays. This is one of the largest aquariums in Europe and is divided into thematic zones, with species from the different seas around the world. It also has the deepest shark tank in the whole of Europe and so, is named the Big Blue.
Palma Aquarium offers plenty of attractions and organised events such as weddings, communions and birthday parties. You can also swim with stingrays or dive with the sharks! For the shark dive, you are accompanied by an instructor and immersed in the Big Blue tank with 11 sharks from two species - the sand tiger shark and the sandbar shark. This experience costs €200 and lasts one hour, but to do it you must hold a diving licence.
Marineland
Dolphin lovers and families with children may be interested in visiting Marineland. See how these intelligent mammals perform incredible tricks and stunts, jumping out of the water and carrying objects. There is also a colourful parrot show and a troop of adorable performing sea lions. For an additional fee, there is the opportunity to meet the dolphins (but not swim with them). You can find out all about their lives and stroke them from the side of the pool.
Marineland is open mid-May to the end of October and it is located in the village of Costa d'en Blanes (Calvia), which is approximately 13km from Palma de Mallorca.
If you would like to visit this beautiful island but you are on a low budget, plan a cheap holiday to Majorca and experience all it has to offer.