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Palma - Sights & Things To Do

The largest and best-known beaches in the Bay of Palma are at S’Arenal, which lies east of the city, and Magaluf, which lies west. Received wisdom states that the former is frequented mostly by Germans, and the latter by Brits. But there are smaller beaches, which lie between and beyond these resorts that are well worth visiting if you want a more secluded swimming and sunbathing experience.

Heading westward along the bay, Palma Nova has excellent beaches, shaded by mature umbrella pines and well equipped with bars and cafés. But they are, unsurprisingly, very busy for much of the year, as are the beaches at Magaluf. Continue westward, however, and you’ll come across some lovely inlets at Portals Nous, including Son Caliu with its fat, pineapple-shaped palms, fine sand and gentle waters. Moving further westward still, there are also two very pretty beaches at Cap de Cala Figuera.

Heading eastward, there are lovely beaches very close to Palma itself, at the attractive fishing quarter of Portitxol, a friendly, up-and-coming place. As part of its makeover, the seafront has been beautified and the walk from here to Ciutat Jardi – about 20 minutes – is lovely. The beaches here are small, scallop-shaped, fringed by rock pools and backed by wild olive trees. It’s the perfect place to do some late afternoon sunbathing if you don’t want to venture too far out of the city. At the end of the day you can enjoy a cocktail and a spot of tapas at one of the area’s many bars, prior to heading out for dinner around 22.00.

Venturing further along the Bay, you’ll come to Ciutat Jardi. This is where local Mallorcan families sunbathe. The beach’s calm, clear waters make it ideal for kids and there’s no shortage of beachfront cafés. Beyond this lie the purpose-built resorts, like S’Arenal, which are larger, but more impersonal.

Built in 1309 by Jaume II as a royal residence, Bellver Castle retains its unique original design. It’s essentially circular, with a 2-storey central courtyard and a double moat. The ground floor of the gallery has semicircular arches and a flat roof, while the upper level has Gothic arches and rib-vaulting. Though the castle was rarely used as a royal home, it has, over the years, entertained other European royalty, such as Charles I of England, the Prince of Savoy, the present British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Spanish Royal family, including the present monarchs King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

Today the castle houses the Despiug Collection of Classical Sculpture, the chapel of Sant Marc and the excellent City History Museum. The last tells the story of Palma from prehistoric times to the present day through a variety of exhibits, including archaeological objects, old coins and pottery from Talaiotic, Roman, Arab and Spanish periods. But it’s really the view from the castle that is the chief attraction – once you’ve seen it you’ll see why it was named ‘bellver’, which actually means ‘beaituful view.’ You can get there by car or taxi, or take a bus to Placa Gomila and climb up through the pine woods above Carrer de Bellver.

Perhaps surprisingly, it took some considerable time after the Christian re-conquest of Palma for a new Cathedral to be built on the site of the city’s mosque. Work commenced in 1306, under the supervision of Jaume II, but was not completed until nearly 300 years later, in 1601. Quite soon after this, however, it was discovered that the building’s immensely high nave nave was placing too much strain on the supporting structure. As a result, massive pinnacled buttresses were added to the sides to shore the building up. Ironically, it is these additional features which have lent the cathedral its distinctive profile.

Even today, it is the height of the nave that creates the greatest impression when you step inside the cathedral. It rises to 44 metres, while the side aisles are a full 30 metres high, giving the interior an open, airy feel that is enhanced by the light streaming through the huge rose window at the east end. It was the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí who did much to create this ethereal atmosphere when he supervised a major restoration between 1904 and 1914. He also placed a baldachin (canopy) in the shape of an octagonal crown over the main altar to add dynamism to the space, though it creates an effect that is more surreal than devotional. This is perhaps partly due to the fact that it is essentially a mock-up, made from cardboard, paper and wood, since Gaudí never got the chance to create the real thing.

The treasury of the cathederal contains supposed pieces of the cross on which Christ was crucified and relics of San Sebastián, patron saint of Palma. Treasury and cathedral opening hours often change, so call ahead to make sure they're accepting visitors before you go.

The Palma-Sóller railway was first opened in 1912, to allow the citrus growers of Sóller to get to the Palma markets and back in a day. Not many locals use it these days, but it still offers one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. The electric rolling stock is appropriately antique, the carriages being largely constructed from wood with banquette-style seats, brass fittings and gas lights.

The journey takes about an hour. After about ten minutes the train leave the outskirts of Palma behind and you are in open countryside. Pine forest and olive fields roll past, with the Sierra de Alfábia range as a spectacular backdrop. After the first stop, the train enters a succession of tunnels, each one longer than the last, until it emerges on the west side of the island. Here, it skirts a terraced valley and crosses bridges over dry gorges. One the last stage of the journey the train passes beautiful citrus groves. At the right times of year, trees with clusters of oranges and lemons on them crowd close to the carriage.

The tiny station you catch the train from is located across from Plaça Espanya, adjacent to the main train station. The station bears the words ‘Ferrocarril de Sóller’ and the ticket office still dispenses paper tickets. The driver will stop obligingly at the most beautiful points in the journey, so there’s plenty of chances to take photos.

The influence of the nearby resorts means that Palma has great nightlife, especially in the summer. During the earlier parts of the night it is concentrated around the Sa Llotja area in the old town. However many of the pubs and bars here start closing at about 02.00. If you want to continue drinking – or want to go clubbing – you should head down to the waterfront Passeig Maritim. Here, moving west past the big hotels you’ll find the city’s glitziest discobares and discotecas. Few of them open until 22.00 and most stay open until 05.00.

The Passeig’s most famous clubs are Pacha and Tito’s. The former is legendary, with branches in Ibiza Town and Madrid, and plays a mix of uplifting house, techno and trance. Being so famous, it is, however, quite particular about whom it lets in, so dress up if you’re planning to visit it. The latter may not be as esteemed but it’s the biggest of all Palma’s clubs, with glass lifts on the outside, six bars, a laser show, great views over the bay and commercial pop tunes. The other, smaller clubs tend to be more like Tito’s in playing predominantly safe, bubblegum Spanish pop, rather than anything more cutting edge or adventurous.

Still the official Royal residence of Mallorca, overlooking the Bay of Palma, the Palau de l’Almudaina has been home to the island’s rulers and key officials ever since the Romans first built a fort on the site in 123 BC. The Arabs then built a Moorish alcazaba there in the early 10th century and surrounded it with lovely gardens and fountains. When the Christians wrestled Mallorca from the Moors, Jaume I the Conqueror, rather surprisingly used the building unaltered as his main residence. It was, however, finally remodelled in Levantine Gothic style in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

Today the Palace is used for official functions and houses a museum displaying antiques, suits of armour and Gobelin tapestries. The museum also contains numerous works of art, including Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries that illustrate episodes from Spanish history and banners decorated with scenes from the battle of Lepanto (1571), when the Spanish and Venetian fleets jointly defeated the Turks. But perhaps the greatest feature of the Palace is the sizeable terrace on the ground floor – Mirador de la mar – which affords beautiful sea views. Not only that, but the landward side of the Mirador looks down over what were once the King’s Gardens. Now open to the public and very beautiful with their shaded walks and numerous fountains, they run alongside Avinguda Antoni Maura.