Palma de Mallorca

Sights in Palma de Mallorca

The cathedral of La Seu: Overshadowing Palma is the colossal gothic cathedral of La Seu, which is located in the old town, close to the sea – only the state-of-the-art Parc de la Mar and city motorway stand between the church and the port. It took centuries to build this sacred building.

The construction began with the reintroduction of Christianity in Mallorca in 1229, and was not completed until 100 years ago in 1904 by the architect Antoni Gaudi. You have to pay an entrance fee to see the cathedral of La Seu from inside (€4 in 2008), and it’s worth the money. If you really want to save money, you could simply join a church service....

The Palace Palau de l’Almudaina: This imposing building next to La Seu is the second most important building in the Old Town of Palma de Mallorca. Construction started when the Moors were still living here, and was completed in the 13th century at the time of King Jaume II.

Going inside the Palau de l’Almudaina costs €4 (the same as the cathedral of La Seu). If you cannot see both, for financial or timely reasons, I would recommend the cathedral of La Seu. Opening times in winter are from Monday –Friday (10am-1.15pm and 4 – 5.15pm) and in summer from 10am – 5.45pm. At weekends the whole year opening times are only from 10am – 1.15pm.

Our page about Ship Tours Berlin, on river and lakes.

Parc de Mar: This ultramodern city park, built in the last 30 years, has lots of interesting water features. You can find it behind the cathedral of La Seu and the Palau de l’Amudaina. This is also the best spot for taking photos of the cathedral.

Placa Major: This is the main square of the Old Town and it has a unique atmosphere. It’s a great place to sit down and relax in a street cafe for a while.

The small alleys in the Old Town: The best thing to do in the old town is just simply strolling through the narrow streets of the Old Town. Most of the streets are car-free, and contain interesting little shops, houses and small things to stumble upon.

Passeig d’es Born and Passeig de la Rambla: These are the two famous promenades of Palma de Mallorca. The Spanish enjoy taking a walk in the evening to see and to be seen. The Passeig d’es Born and the Passeig de la Rambla both have broad promenades and are made for this activity.

Accommodation in Palma

There is no shortage of hotels and pensions in the medium to higher price range in Palma. For €70 or more you will have no problems finding a double room here. It’s a lot more difficult to get cheap, single rooms in Mallorca’s capital. There is no hostel in Palma de Mallorca.

One of the cheapest pensions – and I place I recommend – is the Hostal Apuntadores, located in a narrow street in the centre which has the same name as the pension (it is house number 8). A bed in the dormitory is €18 and a double room €45 (Spring 2009). If you want to stay a few days or longer you can bargain about the price – especially in winter. The place is run by a friendly Englishwoman who understands the needs of travellers. Homepage: http://www.palma-hostales.com. Reservations are recommended in popular places, even in low seasons. The rooms themselves are simple and lack a bathroom. There is a free safe in the room, and breakfast is not included. You can enjoy a cheap, filling breakfast on the roof accompanied by a fantastic view of the Old Town of Palma de Mallorca.

When the Hostal Apuntadores is full you can try your luck next door in the Hostal Ritzi. The rooms are a little better but cost more. Generally, most backpackers visiting Palma de Mallorca stay around the small Apuntadores Street. There are many cheap bars and restaurants around here.

Public Transport in Palma de Mallorca

Almost all buses (city, long distance), trains and the new underground stop at Placa d’Espanya. The Placa has been completely renovated in the last few years, and now it is a big, modern interchange station for public transport..

City buses: An excellent service with many bus lines and buses with cheap prices! An important bus for tourists is #1 which goes from the airport, then to the centre and then on to the port: a simple service. The other 30 lines serve the suburbs. The two lines which go to Europe’s biggest tourist area (Playa de Palma) can be jam-packed even if they leave every few minutes (#15 and #23). Prices for the city buses cost €1.17 (2007) wherever you go – with the exception of the airport, which costs 20 cents more. You can buy tickets at kiosks which are excellent value – 10 rides for €8 (often sold out). The tourist office provides an excellent and free map of all bus routes in the city.

Long distance buses: Long distance buses also leave from Placa d’Espanya. The bus station provides a free map and time table service. There are many buses to all the towns and the bigger villages on Mallorca. Some places are served hourly, others only 2-3 times a day.

Train Stations: There are two stations, both on Placa d’Espanya. One is for the museum trains to Soller, the other for modern trains is an underground service. From here there are services every 30 minutes to Inca. Every hour trains leave for Manacor and Sa Pobla.

Taxis: All taxis have meters in Mallorca, and the fare is similar to one you’d expect in the UK. There are plenty of taxis.

Coaches: Horses and carriages are a trendy ‘to do’ for the richer visitors to Palma. You’ll have to negotiate a fare with the coachman. How much it is depends on where you’d like to go.

Shopping in Palma de Mallorca

Department Store El Corte Inglés: El Corte Inglés (“The English Yard”) is Spain’s biggest chain of department stores. The cellar contains a food hall with plenty of food and an international selection. The ground floor contains clothes. Floors 4 and 5 sell electronics, cameras and sporting goods.

El Corte Inglés is popular with foreigners, because things are much easier for them here. The staff usually speak English, and the information desk on the ground floor always has someone who can speak French and German. The prices are average. El Corte Inglés is located very centrally, some 200m from the Placa d’Espanya.


Market Hall (Mercat de l’Olivat): Palma’s central market lies next to the Old Town. In the Mercat de l’Olivat there is one hall just for fish, which is an interesting sight even if you don’t plan on buying anything. In the bigger of the buildings you can buy fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese for rock-bottom prices. A pound of fresh strawberries – even in winter – costs just €1.50! You can also buy tasty Spanish ham (Jamon Iberico). The small bars offer typical Spanish tapas – an excellent opportunity for a cheap, local lunch. The Market Hall is open in the morning only until about 12pm, and is closed on Sundays.