Palma de Mallorca
A golden-stone Mediterranean city where Gothic grandeur meets turquoise coves, and every alley leads to another hidden courtyard or tapas bar.
1 day in Palma de Mallorca
Only got 24 hours? Here's how to experience the best of Palma de Mallorca in a single action-packed day.
Cathedral, Old Town & Harbour in a Day
La Seu Cathedral & Old Town
Start at La Seu — Palma's spectacular Gothic cathedral rising above the harbour, with a Gaudí-redesigned interior and Miquel Barceló's surreal ceramic chapel. Entry €9. Walk through the old town's honey-coloured lanes past aristocratic courtyards (peek through the gates of the casas senyorials on Carrer de Can Savellà). Coffee at Can Joan de s'Aigo — Palma's oldest café since 1700, famous for hot chocolate and ensaimada pastries.
Mercat de l'Olivar & Santa Catalina
Lunch at the Mercat de l'Olivar — Palma's main food market with fresh seafood counters, tapas bars, and local produce. Try pa amb oli (bread with olive oil and tomato, €3–5) — the Mallorcan national dish. Walk to the Santa Catalina neighbourhood — a former fishing village now lined with brunch spots, wine bars, and independent boutiques. The narrow streets around Carrer de Sant Magí are full of charm.
Harbour Sunset & Tapas
Walk the Passeig Marítim seafront promenade as the sun sets behind the harbour — the cathedral lit up against the darkening sky is magical. Tapas at La Rosa Vermutería on Carrer de la Rosa for excellent vermut and small plates (€4–8 per tapa). Then to the Lonja district for drinks — La Lonja de Palma (the 15th-century exchange building) is beautifully lit at night, and the surrounding streets buzz with bars.
3 days in Palma de Mallorca
A carefully curated route mixing iconic landmarks, hidden gems, street food, culture, and adventure — designed for younger travelers.
Cathedral, Old Town & Santa Catalina
La Seu Cathedral & Arab Baths
Start at La Seu — Palma's Gothic cathedral with its Gaudí-redesigned interior and Miquel Barceló's ceramic chapel. Entry €9. Walk through the old town to the Banys Àrabs (Arab Baths, €3) — a rare 10th-century Moorish hammam with horseshoe arches and a garden courtyard. Continue to the Palau de l'Almudaina — the Moorish-turned-royal palace (€7) opposite the cathedral with harbour views from its gardens.
Mercat de l'Olivar & Santa Catalina
Lunch at the Mercat de l'Olivar — tapas at the market bars, fresh seafood, and pa amb oli (bread with tomato and oil, €3–5). Walk to the Santa Catalina quarter — Palma's trendiest neighbourhood in a former fishing village. Browse vintage shops on Carrer de Sant Magí, then grab a coffee at Mistral — a specialty café with excellent flat whites. The area feels like a village within the city.
La Lonja & Tapas Crawl
The La Lonja district is Palma's evening hotspot. Start with vermut at La Rosa Vermutería on Carrer de la Rosa — excellent vermouth and tapas (€4–8). Walk to the atmospheric 15th-century Llotja building (beautiful from outside, occasionally open for exhibitions). Dinner at Bar Dia on Carrer d'Apuntadors — locals' favourite for montaditos and cold beer. End at Ginbo for craft gin and tonics.
Beaches, Art & Es Baluard
Es Baluard & Fundació Miró
Visit Es Baluard Museu d'Art Contemporani (€8) — a striking modern museum built into the Renaissance sea walls with works by Picasso, Miró, and Barceló. The rooftop terrace has panoramic harbour views. Then taxi or bus 3 to the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró (€8) — Miró's Mallorcan studio preserved exactly as he left it, surrounded by olive groves. His unfinished canvases are still on the easels.
Beach Time at Cala Major or Illetas
Bus 3 to Cala Major beach — a local sandy beach 15 minutes from the centre with clear water and a relaxed atmosphere. For something more upscale, continue to Illetas (bus 3, 20 min) — turquoise water in a sheltered cove backed by pine trees. Rent a sunbed (€10–15) or claim a spot on the rocks. Beachside lunch at a chiringuito — grilled sardines and cold beer.
Borne Quarter & Rooftop Drinks
The Passeig del Born is Palma's elegant boulevard lined with designer boutiques and plane trees. Walk to the rooftop bar at Hotel Nakar on Avinguda de Jaume III — 360° views of the cathedral, harbour, and mountains. For dinner, try Forn de Sant Joan on Carrer de Sant Joan for creative Mediterranean cuisine in a beautifully converted bakery (mains €16–24). The courtyard is magical.
Serra de Tramuntana & Farewell
Day Trip to Sóller & Port de Sóller
Take the vintage wooden train from Palma to Sóller (€25 return, 1 hour) — a stunning journey through the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, through 13 tunnels and past orange groves. Sóller's Plaça Constitució has Art Nouveau buildings and excellent cafes. Then take the antique tram (€8 return) down to Port de Sóller — a beautiful horseshoe harbour surrounded by mountains.
Port de Sóller & Swim
Swim at Port de Sóller's crescent beach — sheltered bay with calm, warm water and mountain views. Walk the coastal path to the lighthouse at Cap Gros (30 minutes) for dramatic clifftop views over the coast. Lunch at one of the harbour-front restaurants — try fresh fish or paella. Alternatively, head to Sa Calobra beach — a dramatic cove reached by a winding road through the mountains (bus from Port de Sóller).
Return to Palma & Farewell
Train back to Palma. For a farewell meal, head to Can Joan de s'Aigo for one last ensaimada (Palma's signature spiral pastry, €3–5) and thick hot chocolate. Or a final dinner at S'Ànima on the Passeig Marítim — contemporary Mallorcan cuisine overlooking the harbour (mains €18–28). Walk the harbour at night with the illuminated cathedral as your backdrop.
7 days in Palma de Mallorca
A full week to go deep — from famous landmarks to local neighbourhoods, day trips, hidden gems, and proper local immersion.
Cathedral, Old Town & Santa Catalina
La Seu Cathedral & Arab Baths
Start at La Seu — Palma's Gothic cathedral with Gaudí's interior and Barceló's ceramic chapel (€9). Walk through the old town to the Banys Àrabs (€3) — a 10th-century Moorish hammam. Continue to the Palau de l'Almudaina (€7) — the Moorish-turned-royal palace opposite the cathedral with harbour views from its gardens.
Mercat de l'Olivar & Exploring
Lunch at Mercat de l'Olivar — tapas bars, fresh seafood counters, and local produce. Try pa amb oli (€3–5) — Mallorca's iconic bread with tomato and olive oil. Walk to Santa Catalina — the trendiest neighbourhood, once a fishing village. Browse vintage shops on Carrer de Sant Magí and coffee at Mistral for excellent specialty coffee.
La Lonja & First Tapas
La Lonja district for evening tapas. Start with vermut at La Rosa Vermutería (tapas €4–8). Walk past the beautiful 15th-century Llotja building. Dinner at Bar Dia on Carrer d'Apuntadors for montaditos and cold beer. End at Ginbo for craft gin and tonics — Palma has embraced the Spanish gin-tonica culture wholeheartedly.
Art, Museums & Rooftops
Es Baluard & Fundació Miró
Es Baluard Museu d'Art Contemporani (€8) is built into Renaissance sea walls — Picasso, Miró, and Barceló inside, panoramic harbour views from the rooftop. Then bus 3 to Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró (€8) — his preserved studio with unfinished canvases still on easels, surrounded by olive and almond groves.
Palma's Hidden Courtyards
Palma has dozens of aristocratic courtyard houses (casas senyorials) with open gates you can peek through. Walk Carrer de Can Savellà, Carrer de Morey, and Carrer del Sol for the best examples — Renaissance and Baroque patios with fountain courtyards and sweeping staircases. The CaixaForum (free) in a modernist building on Plaça de Weyler has excellent rotating exhibitions.
Rooftop Sunset & Borne
Sunset from Hotel Nakar's rooftop bar on Avinguda de Jaume III — 360° views over the cathedral, harbour, and Tramuntana mountains. Dinner at Forn de Sant Joan — creative Mediterranean food in a converted bakery with a courtyard (mains €16–24). Walk the Passeig del Born after dinner — Palma's elegant plane-tree boulevard feels very Barcelona.
Sóller Train & Mountain Village
Vintage Train to Sóller
Take the vintage wooden train from Palma to Sóller (€25 return, 1 hour) — through the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, 13 tunnels, and past orange groves. Sóller's Plaça Constitució has Art Nouveau buildings and excellent cafés. Then the antique tram (€8 return) rattles down to Port de Sóller — a horseshoe harbour surrounded by mountains.
Port de Sóller Beach & Walk
Swim at Port de Sóller's crescent beach — sheltered bay, warm water, mountain backdrop. Walk the coastal path to Cap Gros lighthouse (30 min) for clifftop views. Lunch at a harbour restaurant — fresh grilled fish or seafood paella. The bay is one of Mallorca's most beautiful and sheltered swimming spots.
Return & Santa Catalina Dinner
Train back to Palma. Dinner in Santa Catalina — try Patron Lunares on Carrer de la Fàbrica for inventive tapas (dishes €6–14) in a buzzing atmosphere. Then bar-hop along Carrer de Sant Magí — Hostal Cuba for cocktails with a rooftop terrace, or the more low-key El Camino for mezcal and tacos. Santa Catalina has the best nightlife in Palma.
Beaches — Cala Major to Illetas
Cala Major & Joan Miró Trail
Bus 3 to Cala Major — a local sandy beach 15 minutes from the centre with clear water. Swim and relax. Then walk to the nearby Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró if you haven't visited — the studios where Miró worked for 30 years are preserved exactly as he left them, with paint-splattered floors and unfinished works on easels.
Illetas & Portals Vells
Continue on bus 3 to Illetas — turquoise water in a sheltered cove backed by Mediterranean pines. Some of the clearest water near Palma. For an adventure, take a bus or taxi to Portals Vells — three secluded coves with cave entrances at the end of a dirt road. The furthest cove (Playa del Mago) is a nudist beach with extraordinary water clarity.
Portixol Seafood Dinner
Head to Portixol — a former fishing village east of Palma now home to excellent seafood restaurants with harbour views. Dinner at Naan on Carrer del Vicari Joaquim Fuster for inventive Asian-Mediterranean fusion, or the more traditional Es Portitxol for classic Mallorcan fish dishes (mains €16–25). Walk the Portixol promenade at sunset.
Day Trip to Valldemossa & Deià
Valldemossa
Bus 210 from Palma to Valldemossa (30 min, €2.15) — a stone village clinging to the Tramuntana mountains. Visit the Real Cartuja (€9.50) — the Carthusian monastery where Chopin and George Sand spent a winter in 1838. The village is impossibly photogenic — flower pots, stone walls, and mountain views at every turn. Coffee and coca de patata (sweet potato cake, €2) at a village café.
Deià — Artists' Village
Bus from Valldemossa to Deià (20 min, €1.85) — the village that enchanted Robert Graves, who lived here from 1929 until his death. His house (Ca n'Alluny, €7) is preserved as a museum. Deià is stunningly set above a rocky cove — walk down to Cala Deià (30 min downhill) for a swim in the turquoise water surrounded by cliffs. Lunch at Ca's Patró March on the cove — seafood on the rocks.
Return & Old Town Dinner
Bus back to Palma from Deià (1 hour, €3.60). For dinner, explore the old town's quieter restaurants — Celler Sa Premsa on Plaça del Bisbe Berenguer de Palou is a traditional Mallorcan cellar restaurant with huge portions and honest prices (mains €10–16). Barrels line the walls, locals fill the tables, and the tumbet (Mallorcan ratatouille) is outstanding.
East Coast Calas & Caves
Cala Mondragó Natural Park
Rent a car (from €25/day) or take the bus to the east coast. Cala Mondragó is a natural park with two stunning beaches — S'Amarador and Cala Mondragó — connected by a coastal path through pine forest. The water is crystal-clear turquoise with sandy bottoms. Snorkelling is excellent around the rocky edges. Arrive early to claim a spot — these are Mallorca's most photographed beaches.
Coves del Drac or Beach Hopping
Drive or bus to the Coves del Drac near Porto Cristo (€16) — spectacular underground caves with one of the world's largest subterranean lakes, complete with a classical music concert performed from boats on the water. Alternatively, continue beach-hopping — Cala Llombards, Es Trenc (Mallorca's longest natural beach), or Cala Figuera (a fjord-like fishing port) are all within reach.
Return & Market Dinner
Back in Palma, head to the Mercat de Santa Catalina — a covered market that transforms into a tapas and wine scene in the evenings. Try Aromata (mains €14–20) for contemporary Mallorcan cuisine or El Perrito — a hidden bar behind the market stalls. End with a walk along the harbour as the cathedral glows gold against the night sky.
Bellver Castle & Farewell
Bellver Castle & Panoramic Views
Walk or bus 50 to Bellver Castle (€4) — Europe's only circular castle, a 14th-century Gothic fortress set in pine woods above the city with 360° views of Palma, the harbour, the Tramuntana mountains, and the sea. The inner courtyard has perfect acoustics and hosts summer concerts. The castle houses a small city history museum in the dungeon.
Last Shopping & Ensaimada
Pick up souvenirs in the old town — sobrassada sausage (vacuum-packed for travel), ensaimadas from Fornet de la Soca on Plaça de Weyler (the best in Palma), local olive oil, and flor de sal from Ses Salines. Browse the independent boutiques on Carrer de Sant Feliu and Carrer del Sindicat. One last coffee at Can Joan de s'Aigo — the 1700 original.
Farewell Dinner
Final dinner at Marc Fosh on Carrer de la Missió — a Michelin-starred restaurant in a converted convent where the tasting menu starts at €75 (exceptional value for a star). Or keep it local at Celler Sa Premsa for a last tumbet and roast suckling pig. End with a moonlit walk along the Passeig Marítim — the illuminated La Seu cathedral reflected in the harbour water.
Budget tips
Free experiences
Cathedral exterior views, Passeig Marítim walk, old town courtyards, Santa Catalina village, public beaches, Bellver Castle grounds (free Sundays), and the Parc de la Mar waterfront park.
Mallorcan food deals
Pa amb oli at market stalls: €3–5. Ensaimada pastries: €2–4. Celler Sa Premsa mains: €10–16. Mercat de l'Olivar counter tapas: €3–6 per plate. A full local lunch under €12 is easy.
Transport
EMT buses cover Palma and nearby beaches — single ticket €2, 10-trip card €12. The TIB bus to Valldemossa is €2.15, to Sóller €5. Palma is very walkable — most sights are within 20 minutes.
Beach budget
All beaches are public and free by law in Spain. Bring your own towel and umbrella. The city beaches (Cala Major, Can Pere Antoni) are just a €2 bus ride from the centre.
Wine & drinks
Mallorcan wines (DO Binissalem) are excellent and cheap — a bottle from €5 in supermarkets. Caña (small beer) at bars: €2–3. Hierbas (Mallorcan herbal liqueur): €2 a glass at traditional bars.
Sóller train alternative
The vintage train costs €25 return but the TIB bus L211 to Sóller is only €5. Take the bus one way and the train the other for the best balance of budget and experience.
Budget breakdown
Daily costs per person in EUR. Palma is more affordable than Barcelona or Ibiza, with excellent food, free beaches, and cheap island transport.
| 🎒 Budget | ✨ Mid-Range | 💎 Splurge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation Hostels → boutique hotels → fincas & luxury hotels | €20–40 | €80–150 | €220+ |
| Food Markets & cellers → Santa Catalina bistros → Michelin restaurants | €15–25 | €35–55 | €80+ |
| Transport Bus passes → taxis & day trips → car rental | €4–8 | €15–30 | €50+ |
| Activities Beaches & walks → museums & caves → boat trips | €0–10 | €15–30 | €50+ |
| Drinks Bar cañas → wine bars → rooftop cocktails | €5–10 | €15–25 | €40+ |
| Daily Total $48–101 → $174–316 → $479+ | €44–93 | €160–290 | €440+ |
Practical info
Visa & Entry
- Schengen Zone — 90 days visa-free for most nationalities. Palma Airport (PMI) is 8km from centre
- Bus A1 from airport to Plaça d'Espanya (€5, 20 min). Taxis: €20–30 fixed fare to city centre
- Ferries from Barcelona (7.5 hrs) and Valencia (7 hrs) via Baleària or Trasmediterránea
Health & Safety
- No special vaccinations required. EHIC covers EU citizens. Spanish public healthcare is excellent
- Tap water is safe but locals often drink bottled. Sun protection is critical — UV is intense May–September
- Palma is very safe. Minor pickpocketing in tourist areas. Beach thefts — never leave valuables unattended
Getting Around
- EMT buses cover Palma — single ticket €2, 10-trip card €12. Routes to beaches, airport, and suburbs
- TIB buses connect to all island destinations — Sóller, Valldemossa, Deià, east coast beaches. Very affordable
- Palma is compact and walkable. Bike-share Bicipalma (€9/week). Car rental from €25/day for coast exploration
Connectivity
- EU roaming included for European SIMs. Local SIMs from Vodafone, Orange, or Movistar (€10–15 for 5–10GB)
- Free WiFi in most cafés and restaurants. Coverage is excellent across the island
- Download the EMT Palma app for bus routes and the TIB app for island-wide transport schedules
Money
- Euro (€) everywhere. Cards accepted at almost all businesses — contactless is standard
- ATMs from Spanish banks (CaixaBank, Santander, BBVA) have lowest fees. Avoid Euronet ATMs
- Tipping is not expected but appreciated — round up or leave €1–2 at restaurants. 5–10% for excellent service
Packing Tips
- Swimwear, sunscreen (SPF 50+), hat, and sunglasses — the Mallorcan sun is fierce from May to October
- Light layers for mountain villages — the Tramuntana is 5–10°C cooler than the coast
- Comfortable walking shoes for cobblestoned old town and mountain trails. Water shoes for rocky coves
Cultural tips
Mallorca has its own distinct identity — Catalan-speaking, Mediterranean-paced, and fiercely proud of its island culture. Respect the local rhythm and you'll be welcomed warmly.
Catalan & Castellano
Mallorca speaks Mallorquín (Catalan dialect) and Castellano (Spanish). Signs are in Catalan. Locals appreciate "Bon dia" (good morning) or "Gràcies" (thank you). Don't call it a dialect — it's a language.
Meal Times
Lunch is 2–3:30pm, dinner from 9pm. Most restaurants don't open for dinner before 8pm. The menú del día (set lunch) at many restaurants is €10–15 for three courses including wine — extraordinary value.
Island Pace
Mallorcans live at a Mediterranean pace — don't rush. Shops close 2–5pm for siesta. Sunday is family day — many shops and some restaurants close. Markets are morning-only. Embrace the tranquilo lifestyle.
Environmental Respect
Mallorca is environmentally conscious — eco-tax of €1–4/night is charged at all accommodation. Don't take sand, disturb Posidonia seagrass (it keeps beaches clean), or anchor boats on protected seabeds.
Beach Culture
All Spanish beaches are public by law — you can walk through any beach, including in front of hotels. Topless sunbathing is common and accepted. Nudist beaches are clearly marked. Don't shake your towel into the wind near others.
Drinking Culture
A caña (small draft beer, 200ml) is the standard order — not a pint. Hierbas (anise herbal liqueur) is the traditional Mallorcan digestif. Pre-dinner drinks start at 8pm, going out starts at midnight.
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