Attractions in Palma | Where to Go

There's plenty of popular tourist attractions to see in Palma catering for all tastes. Palma is split into several areas with each area having its own unique places to see and things to do:

Cathedral Area

Palma is famous for La Seu, its vast cathedral originally built on a previous mosque. Although construction began in 1229 it didn't finish until 1601 and local architect Antoni Gaudí was drafted in during a restoration project in 1901. The Parc de la Mar (Park of the Sea) lies just south overlooked by the great building which sits higher than it on the city's stone foundations. Between these two are the town walls. There is a vast canopé of blue and yellow diamonds strung over a low area here, and shaded by this rows of outdoor wooden pews.

The Old City

The Old City (in the south-east area of Palma behind the Cathedral) is a fascinating maze of streets clearly hinting towards an Arab past. With the exception of a few streets and squares which allow traffic and are more populated with tourists most of the time, the walkways of this city quarter are fairly narrow, quiet streets, surrounded by a diverse range of interesting buildings, the architecture of which can easily be compared with those in streets of cities such as Florence (Italy), for example.

The majority are private houses, some of which are open to the public as discreet museums or galleries. The tall structures, characteristic window boxes, detailed metal carvings and overhanging eaves of these buildings make a stark contrast with the view of the bay that is obtained by stepping out of the shady alleyways next to the cathedral and onto the old city walls. The Old City is also home to the Ajuntament (or Town Hall), the Convent of the Cathedral and the Banys Àrabs.

Banys Àrabs

The Banys Àrabs, or Arab Baths, one of the few remnants of Palma's Moorish past, are accessed via the quiet Ca'n Serra street near the Convent of the Cathedral, and include the lush gardens of Ca'n Fontirroig, home to Sardinian warblers, house sparrows, cacti, palm trees, and a wide range of flowers and ferns. The small two-roomed brick building that once housed the bath is in fact of Byzantine, dating back to the 11th century and possibly once part of the home of a Muslim nobleman. The bath room has a cupola with five oculi which let in dazzling light. The twelve columns holding up the small room were pillaged from an earlier Roman construction. The floor over the hypocaust has been worn away by people standing in the centre, mainly to photograph the entrance and the garden beyond it. The whole room is in a rather disreputable condition. The other room is a brick cube with a small model of the baths as they once were in the corner. Unfortunately one of the columns in this model has fallen over.

Garbage Collectors

Rather more modern additions to the old parts of the city are the attractive and subtle bronze garbage collecting bins. They operate under the simple method of putting one's refuse into the cylinder at the top of the machine and turning a handle which then revolves the cylinder, tipping it into the lower area of the bin.

Palma City Sightseeing Bus

The Palma City Sightseeing bus (which is numbered line 50 on the EMT bus maps) does a circuit of Palma that includes tourist attractions like Pueblo Español and major shopping centres like Av. Jaume III and Porto Pi, as well as the ferry and commercial ports. The buses are double-decker and the top floor is open air. A basic audio tour is free with the tickets. The tickets are €13 adults and €6,50 children for one day (24 Hours) which is much higher than the other city buses, but they are valid for reboarding as many times as you like within 24 hours, and this is the only bus route that visits the Castell de Bellver. The Two-day fare is € 16,25 for Adults and € 8,13 for children from the age of 8 to 16. The first bus in the winter season starts from the Cathedral at 10:00am and the last bus in winter starts from the same place at 06:00pm.

You Should See!

Castell de Bellver. ph 971 73 06 57 or 971 45 12 03. fax 971 45 43 73. Bellver Castle is built on the ruins of a Muslim site. It contains a museum of archaeological finds and classical sculptures, as well as having an excellent view of the bay. It is open on weekdays from 8.00 a.m. until 8.00 p.m. (October to March) and from 8.00 a.m. until 9.00 p.m.(April to September). It is open on Sundays and public holidays from 10.00 a.m. until 5.00 p.m.(October to March); from 10.00 a.m. until 7.00 p.m. April to June); from 10.00 a.m. until 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. until 8.00 p.m. 9 July to August), and from 10.00 a.m. until 7.00 p.m. (September). Admission is €2,10 adults and €0,87 members and concessions.

Pueblo Español, C- del Poble Espanyol. Ph: 971 73 70 70 or 971 73 70 75, fax 971 73 15 92, e-mail: p.espanyol@baleares.com. This architectural museum is designed like a small village containing facsimiles of the major classical works of Spanish architecture. During the week there are numerous artisans' shops, restaurants and bars operating within the museum. Open from 9.00 a.m. until 7.00 p.m. Admission is €5 adults and €3 children.

Paseo Maritimo, If you enjoy nightlife, don´t miss the Paseo Marítimo, along the ocean in Palma. Clubs stay open until about 6.00 a.m. and the clubs here do not get extremely busy until at least midnight on most days. It is a great place to people watch, even if you cannot stay up until the sun rises on the island!

Catedral de Mallorca and Museo Catedralicio, C/ Capiscolato, 2. Ph: 971 72 31 30 or 971 71 31 33, fax: 971 71 93 87, e-mail: info@catedraldemallorca.org. Mallorca's spectacular cathedral is located close to the sea-side. The museum, located in the chapter room and vestry, has exhibits of religious paintings and silverware. The museum opens at 10.00 a.m., and its weekday closing hours are 5.15 p.m.(April to May), 6.15 p.m. (June to September), 5.15 p.m.(October) and 3.15 p.m.(November to March). On weekends it closes at 2.15 p.m. (all year).

Banys Àrabs, C/- Serra 3. Ph: 971 72 15 49. The Arab bath building is the only building in Palma dating to the Arab settlement. The baths were constructed in the tenth century, and were sauna-style: the floor was heated and water added to make the room steamy. A small courtyard and the two rooms of the baths themselves are open to ten people at a time. €2,00 adults and free for children.

Museo de Arte Español Contemporáneo, Sant Miquel, 11. Ph: 971 71 35 15 or 971 71 04 28, e-mail: museupalma@expo.march.es. 10.00 a.m.to 6.30 p.m. weekdays and 10.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. Saturdays. This branch of the museum of contemporary art has a permanent collection of over seventy pieces by modern Spanish artists including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Juan Gris and Salvador Dalí. Free admission.

Plaça del Mercat, church and interesting art nouveau buildings.

Bull Ring, located on the Avenue de Gaspar Bennazar. If you are not in to animal cuelty then just have a look around the arena. It is unlocked when there are no events taking place. It is a fairly impressive structure.

Aqualand, Palma – Arenal Motorway, exit 13, Km 15. This water park has slides and pools of varying degrees of adventurousness. Open from early May to early October each year, its opening hours are 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. May - June, Sept - Oct) and 10.00 am. to 6.00 p.m. July - August). Admission is €20 adults, €18 seniors and €14 children.

Beach. This doesn't seem to be sign-posted from the town centre but just follow the ones to the Parc de la Mar (the park by the sea). When you get there face the sea and walk left along the main coast road for 5-10 minutes. This part of the beach is fairly noisy due to the traffic so go to the other end where the road veers away. There are also some showers here.