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It is perhaps Mallorca’s best kept secret: the capital Palma de Mallorca. Because who would expect Mallorca to have such an atmospheric, fun Spanish city as its capital? The city has been officially called Palma since 2008, but most people still say Palma de Mallorca. Palma is not a city with a lot of highlights, such as Barcelona or Madrid, but it is a wonderful city to walk through. You really have the feeling of being in Spain for a while and not on the largest island of the Balearic Islands. Although a city trip to Palma de Mallorca is also a good idea, the best thing is of course to combine your stay in the capital with a Mallorca road trip . So stay on the island for a week (or two) and combine Palma with the mountains and nature in the interior and the beautiful bays andbeaches of Majorca . These are the sights of Palma de Mallorca that you should not miss during your visit to the city!
1. PALMA’S CATHEDRAL SANTA MARÍA
The main attraction of Palma de Mallorca is the cathedral. This cathedral is officially called the Cathedral of Santa María of Palma, but is also called La Seu by the inhabitants. The construction of the cathedral took hundreds of years, construction started in 1229 and the cathedral was not completed until 1601. Palma Cathedral is huge: it is no less than 121 meters long and 55 meters wide. A fun fact is that there was once a mosque where the cathedral now stands. Another fun fact about Palma Cathedral is that architect Antoni Gaudí worked on its restoration. The cathedral La Seu is located almost directly on the sea, so you have a beautiful view. Would you like to visit Palma’s Santa María Cathedral? Check the opening times well in advance, they can vary, especially in the early and late season. This way you avoid standing in front of a closed door (like us) and you can only admire the attraction of Palma de Mallorca from the outside.
2. WANDER THROUGH THE STREETS DURING A CITY TRIP TO PALMA DE MALLORCA
When you wander through the streets of Palma, you immediately feel that you are in a Spanish city. Not only because you hear Spanish around you, but also through the streets and buildings. Sometimes you get the feeling that you are in Barcelona or Madrid. You can see different architectural styles in the city. And not only the typical Gothic architectural style, but there are also a number of striking buildings in Art Nouveau style. Here you can of course see the influence of Gaudi. You can stroll around the streets of Palma and enjoy the atmosphere and architecture. And do you like shopping? Then you can certainly enjoy yourself in Palma, there are plenty of shopping streets with big brands, but also many small boutiques. There are also many delicatessens where you can buy local olive oil and wine, for example.aperitivo at one of the many cozy cafes or on a terrace.
3. MADRID IN MINIATURE: VISIT THE PLAZA MAYOR
I already mentioned it: sometimes you just have the feeling that you are not walking in the capital of the island of Mallorca, but in Madrid. And there is one place where you definitely have this feeling: in Plaza Mayor. Maybe it’s because you’ll also find a Plaza Mayor in Madrid, which is a lot bigger, but with the same atmosphere. Plaza Mayor is the main square of Palma de Mallorca, so you will definitely come across it when you wander through the streets.
4. THE COVERED MARKET HALL OF PALMA DE MALLORCA: MERCAT DE L’OLIVAR
And as befits any beautiful Spanish city, Palma de Mallorca also has a beautiful covered market hall, Mercat de l’Olivar . And connoisseurs know: you can not only go here for your daily shopping, but also for tasty tapas! In Mercat de l’Olivar you will find different areas for vegetables, cheese, fish and meat. The nice thing about Mercat de l’Olivar is that it is not your typical hipster food hall, but a real market hall where people do their shopping, with occasional places in between where you can eat a bite. We bought freshly sliced ham and delicious cheese and in the fish hall we ate delicious tapas, with of course a nice glass of cava! The market hall is open daily from early morning to mid-afternoon.
When you’ve walked through the city enough, you can always relax on the beach. Palma de Mallorca has very beautiful, wide sandy beaches within walking distance of the center. Platja de Can Pere Antoni is the closest, this beach is only 20 minutes walk from the cathedral. A wide boulevard runs along the beach where you can take a leisurely stroll. There is also a cycle path, so rent bicycles and go exploring! For example, you can cycle all the way along the coast from Palma to El Arenal.
