Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca: capital of the Balearic Islands
Mallorca - the largest of the Balearic islands - offers lovely beaches, natural coves, a wild hinterland and charming villages. Its capital, Palma, is waiting to welcome you.
What you need to know about Palma de Mallorca
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Flight time1h20
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Dialing code+34
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Spoken LanguageSpanish
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CurrencyEuros
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Time difference0h
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Travel FormalitiesIdentity card or passport
Destination Palma de Mallorca
The Balearic Islands are one of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean. Every year, twelve million visitors set foot on the Spanish archipelago. Majorca in particular, the largest of the islands. Tourists lounge on the beaches and in the hotel clubs in the bays of Palma de Mallorca or Alcudia, but more and more of them are also exploring its wild hinterland. Whether you're looking for a lazy sun-bathing holiday or a more nature and hiking-oriented break, one thing's for sure: you'll find what you're looking for in Palma de Mallorca!
Unmissable
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La Seu
The 14th-century Gothic cathedral, also known as Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Palma de Mallorca, is the island's largest religious building.
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Almudaina
This 10th-century Moorish fortress is one of the residences and palaces of the Spanish royal family.
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Es Baluard Museum
Es Baluard Museum is dedicated to modern and contemporary art, and enjoys a special position with its installations extending over the town's old defensive wall.
Discover Palma de Majorque
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Explore Palma de Mallorca
As soon as you set foot in Palma (the capital, with a population of over 400,000), the imposing silhouette of the cathedral - as sturdy as a fortress - catches your eye. Along with the nearby Almundaina palace (former residence of the Moorish vizier), with its crenellated walls, it is the starting point for a tour that takes in the treasures of the city's old quarters, with their Arab, Gothic, Baroque and Modernist influences. Decorated facades and roofs, sculpted carriage entrance gates and secret palaces set around flower-filled patios... each medieval alleyway, each house with its wrought-iron balcony, conceals a wealth of treasures.
During your stay in Palma de Majorca, don't forget to venture away from the capital and the seaside resorts to discover another facet of the island: one that is wild and luminous, with its rugged landscape sometimes reminiscent of Corsica or Provence.
Did you know? 40% of the territory is protected, in particular the Sierra de Tramuntana, the green central mountain range with peaks topping 1,400 m, whose slopes are covered in pine and cypress trees and terraced fields.
There are also delightful coastal roads (like the one between Andratx and Soller on the west coast) leading to natural coves. With each bend in the road, the views become more breathtaking and the coves more crystalline. A holiday in Palma de Majorca is a chance to swim in the turquoise waters and lie on the white sand.
Clinging to hillsides carpeted with vines and almond trees, or nestling in quiet valleys planted with orange and lemon trees, the inland villages have nothing to envy their coastal counterparts. Places like Bunyola or Petra display their majestic stately homes inherited from the time when the Moors occupied the island. The island's gentle way of life extends to its cuisine, with Mediterranean dishes spiced up with Arab and African touches, the culinary legacy of past invasions...
Fancy a trip to an island paradise? Then make your dream come true: book your direct flight to Palma de Majorca.
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Best places to visit in Palma de Mallorca
Sites and monuments
- Bellver Castle, circular fort unveiling a lovely view of the bay
- The Plaza Mayor, surrounded by beautiful buildings and arcades
- San Miquel street, a pedestrian shopping paradise
- The port, with its ballet of yachts and steamships
- Olivar market, to buy cold cuts, cheeses, wines and fruits
- The beaches of El Arenal and Palma Nova, at the edge of the city
- The old town of Alcudia enclosed in its medieval walls
- The villages of the west coast with their timeless atmospheres: Soller, Deia, Fornalutx or Banyalbufar
- The Charterhouse of Valldemosa, so beloved of Georges Sand and Frédéric Chopin
Parks and natural sites
- The Sierra de Tramuntana mountains, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- The Gardens of Alfabia, with the Serra de Tramuntana as a backdrop
- Cala Figuera, one of the most beautiful coves in Majorca
- The natural parks of Albufera and the Llevant Peninsula
- The pristine Formentor peninsula
Museums
- The Mallorca Museum dedicated to fine arts and decorative arts
- The Pilar and Joan Miro Foundation Museum where the surrealist artist lived
- Palma aquarium
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Unusual experiences in Palma de Mallorca
- Agrotourism allows you to discover the true charms of Mallorca. In the centre of the island, the Bodega Biniagual wine estate is home to a hamlet, abandoned in the 1960s and carefully renovated. In the old streets and gardens, the atmosphere is delightfully rural.
- Hop onto the old train that links Palma to Soller, a picturesque little town 30 km away. You travel through unspoilt mountain landscapes and citrus plantations, before enjoying an orange juice on Constitution Square and trundling on to the port 3 km away, by tram...
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Palma de Mallorca gastronomy
Appetizers
- Tapas - finger foods (ham, meat, anchovies, cheese...) to be shared with friends.
- Sobrasada - local sausage made with ground pork and peppers
Traditional dishes from Mallorca
- Asado de lechona - delicious roast suckling pig
- Escaldum - duck stew with potatoes
- Lomo con col - steak with cabbage, ideal for cooler evenings!
- Empanadas - flaky pastry turnovers filled with vegetables
- Many types of fish: scorpionfish, John Dory, swordfish, sea bream, grouper...
- Lobsters and gambas, to be tasted in caldera de lagosta (a kind of bouillabaisse)
Tasty desserts to enjoy during your stay in Palma de Mallorca
- Queso de Mao- an AOC cheese made from raw cow’s milk
- Ensaimada - flakey brioche sprinkled with sugar
- Robiol - sweet cake filled with cream
- Pastisset - star-shaped pastry
- Carquinyol - biscuit with almonds
Spanish dishes
- Majorcan wine* is excellent, with two local appellations: Pia i Lievant and Binissalem
- Horchata de chufa - a sweet, non-alcoholic drink made from nutsedge (papyrus family)
- Palo*, a kind of vermouth, made with cinchona and gentian bark.
- Hierbas*, digestive composed of several aromatic plants including anise and rosemary
* Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation
Must-see events in Palma de Majorca
- JanuaryCabalgada de los Reyes Magos, arrival of the Three Wise Men distributing toys and sweets
- JuneFête de la Saint-Jean and its many bonfires
- JulySa Mostra Folklore Festival
- AugustJazz and classical music festivals
- SeptemberFeast of Mare de Deu de la Salut (patron saint of Palma) with parade of giants
- DecemberFête de l'Estendart (to celebrate the Catalan reconquest of the island in 1229)
The unusual experience in Palma de Majorca
Fond of fresh air? Visit the Drach caves in Porto Cristo (on the island's east coast). Here you'll discover chambers adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, as well as an underground lake - one of the largest in the world... When a classical music concert sounds, the magic happens!
Useful links for your trip to Palma de Mallorca
To go further
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Travel formalities and documents
Everything you need to know and do before taking your flight.
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Travel assistance
All the information you need to travel: rights, advice, information on underage travellers and pet travel
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Luggage
Preparing your hand luggage or hold luggage in important step before your trip. That's why it's essential to know how to prepare your luggage properly.