Palma City Info

Things to do

Palma de Majorca, Balearic Islands » Entertainment » Attractions

Palma (or Palma de Mallorca) offers plenty of tourist attractions, catering to every kind of traveller. Discover the heritage of the city through a wide range of cathedrals, castle ruins, museums and galleries. On the other hand, amazing cave formations, nature parks, golden beaches and botanical gardens put a modern twist on Palma's ancient past. Here are some of the most visited attractions to get you started.

Top 10 Landmarks of Palma de Mallorca


Cathedral of Santa Maria (Cathedral La Seu)   

More commonly referred to as La Seu, the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral built on a pre-existing Arab mosque site. King James I of Aragon began the construction of La Seu in 1229 and completed it in 1601. The length of La Seu is 121m; the width is 55m while its nave is 44m tall. Though the cathedral is designed in the Catalan Gothic style, it shows off Northern European influences as well.


Bellver Castle (Castell de Bellver)

One of the few circular castles in Europe, Bellver Castle was built in the 14th century for King James II. This Gothic-style castle was used as a military prison throughout the 18th to mid-20th centuries. It houses the City History Museum, which features unique pieces from archaeological excavations, municipal art collections and the Despuig Classical Sculpture Collection. In addition to exhibitions, the Bellver Castle also hosts a wide variety of cultural and leisure activities

 

Arab Baths (Banys Arabs)

A tiny tourist attraction near the Convent of the Cathedral, Banys Arabs (Arab Baths) shows the influence of Moorish occupation in Palma, who called it Medina Mayurqa. A fascinating historical site, the roof, and columns of this single small bathing chamber are wisely preserved. Its graceful colonnade and proportionate architecture have attracted many architects and history lovers. Banys Arabs show to what heights the Arab culture and architecture had reached during the Middle Ages.

 

Diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano)

The collection of arts in the Diocesan Museum highlights masterpieces from La Seu Cathedral and other churches and monasteries in the city. These collections are exhibited here, as they cannot be kept at their original places due to safety and security reasons. The museum is spread across three different levels and has a small residence of monks that permanently live on the site.

 

Town Hall (Ajuntament de Palma) 

Palma’s charming town hall dates back to the 17th century. According to the history of the hall, it was built in 1515 but burned down in 1842. The records of centuries of Canarian history and the island’s public archives were also destroyed. Today, it is a famous rendezvous spot as outside of the hall, some pretty stone benches have been installed where locals can sit, chat and discuss sport or politics…or just catch up on the latest gossip.

 

Passeig des Born 

One can enjoy a beautiful view of the cathedral sitting at any of the cool cafes on this avenue. The bars and cafes on this street are famous for their delicious food and drinks. Not only that but brands such as H&M, Massimo Dutti, and Zara are situated here and ready to serve your shopping hunger. People get attracted to Passeig des Born Avenue due to its beautiful and tranquil atmosphere. This is a great place to relax, spend a day, and hang around.

 

Pueblo Español (C- del Poble Espanyol)

Pueblo Español, also known as C-del Poble Espanyol is an architectural museum that mirrors a village-like design. It unfolds some facsimiles of the classical works of Spanish architecture. This can be a great day-trip spot when you are in Palma, as the weekdays here are full of entertainment. You can stroll through the various artisans' shops, restaurants, and bars operating within the museum and sip some drinks while enjoying the masterpieces in this museum.

 

Placa Major (Plaza Mayor) 

Now a hub of old town, Placa Major originally housed the offices of inquisition. The cobbled streets, old buildings, and the outdoor craft market are the main attractions of Placa Major. A vast range of good bars and restaurants can be found dotted around the edge of the square. In addition to this, it also has quite a number of art galleries and hence is known as the “artists’ quarter”.

 

Plaçade Cort 

Plaza Cort, also famous as Placa de Cort is a square in the centre of Palma, where the Town Council of Palma is situated. This old centre of Palma boasts of an eye-catching Baroque styled facade made from numerous elements of 17th-century architecture. The Gothic church Iglesia de Santa Catalina here is also a popular tourist spot.

 

EsBaluard Contemporary Art Museum 

A modern art gallery and museum, EsBaluard is located on the old Palma’s harbourside fortifications. The museum boasts a large and permanent display of works by Spanish modern artists. Along with them, exhibitions by various artists from corners of the world are also displayed here. It attracts art lovers and those who are keen to enjoy their sunset drinks in the spectacular views of the Palma harbour.

More Attractions of Palma de Mallorca

La Almudaina

Palau de l'Almudaina stands opposite to the cathedral entrance. The Palace was originally a citadel built by the Moorish governors. It was converted into a palace at the beginning of the 14th century on the orders of King James II. Today, the Almudaina Palace houses the "Capitania General" or Harbour Office of the Balearic Islands.

Majorca Museum (Museo de Mallorca)

Museo de Mallorca is believed to be one of the best museums on the Balearic Islands. This famous museum, located near to the La Seu Cathedral, displays a superb collection of prehistoric artefacts.

Church of Santa Eulalia

Located just northeast of the Town Hall is the 13th century High Gothic church of Santa Eulalia. Access to this church is through Plaça de Santa Eulalia, one of the oldest squares in the city. It was the first church to be built after Jaume's arrival. The Jews of Palma were baptized here in 1435 after they converted to Christianity to avoid being burnt at stake.


Photo Credit: Chixoy / CC BY SA-3.0

Cap de Formentor

Located on the North-Eastern coast of Mallorca, Cap de Formentor forms the eastern end of Frometor peninsula. The natural landscape provides many wonderful lookout points with stunning views. The prehistoric cave at Racó de Xot, the sandy beaches, weird rock formations and scary drives through the pine woods are some other attractions of this spectacular wild peninsula.

Cala Agulla

Cala Agulla is one of the most beautiful beaches in Palma. It is surrounded by pine trees and mountains. The sea has clean deep blue waters. Tourists can enjoy swimming and participating in marine sports. The beach is especially popular during the summer season.

Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation ( Visit Site )

Fundacion Pilar y Joan Miro was formed in 1981 with a donation by Catalonian artist couple, Joan Miró and his wife Pilar Juncosa.Along with the artist's studios, the collections of works by Miró include paintings, drawings, graphic work and an important collection of documents. The museum has since expanded to add new exhibits of other artists such as Canogar, Mompó, Sempere and Villalba. This is one of the major exhibition centers in Majorca.

Port de Soller

Port de Soller is a delightful little village situated on Mallorca's harbour. Surrounded by the Tramuntana Mountains, this is good spot to enjoy the calm and shallow beaches. Besides the weekly market held inland in Soller, one will find a quite a few al fresco restaurants and touristic shops on the beach. The warm, sheltered bay is good for swimming, yachting and luxury cruising. In fact, it is the starting point for many boat trips that travel to Sa Calobra. The views of the bay, the town and surrounding mountains are lovely.

Cales de Mallorca

Situated on the east coast of Mallorca (or Majorca), Cales de Mallorca is a land of wonderful beaches. Around 70 km away from Palma international airport, this is an excellent choice for a family holiday and the best place to explore the east coast of Majorca. This is a place for beach lovers; Cales de Mallorca has three small sandy bays called Cala Antena, Cala Domingos Grans and Cala Domingos Petis that offer facilities like water sports and pedal boats.

Palau March ( Visit Site )

This museum displays a range of contemporary sculptures. Also, look out for the book room which features unique manuscripts and nautical maps dating back from the 15th-18th centuries.

Convento de San Francisco

This 13th century Gothic convent houses one of the most important churches in Palma. San Francisco is located to the east of Santa Eulalia. It was built between 1281 and 1317.




Photo Credit: José Luis Filpo Cabana / CC BY 3.0