A guide to Palma de Mallorca, Spain

With a dramatic seaside setting and plenty of Moorish mystery, Palma de Mallorca is instantly alluring, full of intricate detail, street life, beauty and banter. The city is splashed with Joan Miró’s modernist art, burns with a hotter-than-hot food scene, enjoys glorious beaches all but a pebble's throw away and is topped off by one of Europe’s most staggering Gothic cathedrals. 

Add in a Spanish passion for parties and 300 days of sunshine, and you'll certainly be ready to pack your bags. Be sure to throw a pair of the island’s famous Camper sandals in your suitcase, too, because Palma de Mallorca is a place for aimless ambling through historic palaces of honey-colored stone, lush botanical gardens and cafe-rimmed plaças (plazas). 

This guide to Mallorca's capital will help you piece together all the pieces of one of the most enticing cities in the Mediterranean. Find out everything you need to know about when to go to Palma de Mallorca, what it will cost and the top sights.

When should I go to Palma de Mallorca?

The best time to visit Palma de Mallorca boils down to taste and budget, as there are year-round flights and each season promises something appealing.

The shoulder seasons in spring (April and May) and autumn (September to October) can be gorgeous, with crisp skies, trees in bloom and far fewer crowds than in summer (June to August). Warm days average between 20°C and 25°C (68–77°F) – brilliant for getting out and exploring. It’s cheaper and more relaxed to visit during the shoulder seasons, and you should be able to score good deals on flights and room rates. Events to note include April’s PalmaVela regatta; Semana Santa (Holy Week, before Easter), which is usually in March or April; and September’s Nit de l’Art, which cranks up the culture quotient with street art and late-night gallery visits.

In summer, both temperatures and visitor numbers soar. Expect highs of up to 35°C (95°F), and book well ahead during this peak season, as the best places fill up in a flash. During the July and August school holidays, the island is heaving, and you’ll want to decamp to the surrounding coves and beach clubs to cool off with dips in the sea.

Summer is peak fiesta time, too, with a flurry of DJ-spun parties, starlit cinema nights and pumping festivals. The biggies to bookmark are in June: the Mallorca Live music festival in nearby Calvià and the unmissable Nit de Foc, with fireworks, bonfires, devils and demons tearing through Parc de la Mar by the cathedral.

In winter, flights slow to a trickle, and much of the island shuts up shop – with the exception of Palma de Mallorca. Days can still be mild, with highs of around 18°C (64°F). Rates and crowds are low, shopping is a year-round pursuit, and culturally, there’s a good buzz, with lots still happening. Seasonal highlights include December’s Christmas market on Plaça Major; high-spirited partying, flaming pyres and fireworks at January’s Fiesta Sant Sebastián; and flamboyant Carnival parades at Sa Rueta and Sa Rua (usually in February).

How much time should I spend in Palma de Mallorca?

A couple of days? Great. Palma de Mallorca is often billed as a weekend destination. But why rush things? The island's capital is a natural springboard for a longer trip around Mallorca.

With 5 days, you'll have ample time to roam the city center and along the Renaissance-era sea walls, plus tick off trophy sights like the showstopping Gothic cathedral and galleries like Es Baluard, as well as lose yourself in the tangle of Moorish backstreets, historic patio courtyards, gardens and cafe-rimmed plaças.

With a weeklong itinerary, you can supplement a few days in Palma with day trips to the surrounding area, maybe hopping aboard a vintage train to rattle through the citrus orchards and ragged limestone peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana to Sóller; driving (by car or on a bus) the roller-coaster MA10 to the ocher-colored hill towns of the north, like improbably lovely Deià; or chilling out at beaches by the Badia de Palma.

Is it easy to get in and around Palma de Mallorca?

Yes, very. As one of the main holiday hubs in the Mediterranean, Palma de Mallorca has an extremely well-connected airport, with regular direct service to over 100 destinations in Europe. All of the big-name budget airlines and car agencies operate here. Bus A1 runs very frequently from the airport to the center – a journey of 20 minutes – and on to the ferry terminal.

If you prefer not to fly, you can reach Palma de Mallorca by boat, and what a way to arrive! The views of the Gothic cathedral rising above the sea are incredible. Baleària and Trasmediterránea run ferry services between mainland Spain (Barcelona and Valencia) and other Balearic islands, including Ibiza and Menorca.

EMT operates a reliable and inexpensive bus service to the airport, port and surrounding towns and beaches. Yet central Palma is compact enough to never need a car or public transportation. Indeed, the old town’s historic alleys and plaças can really only be seen on foot.

Parking is a pain, and bike lanes are everywhere, so it’s more fun to rent two wheels – either a bike or an e-bike with Palma on Bike or a vintage Vespa with Vintage Motors. A great way to breeze to nearby beaches is on the coastal bike path between Palma’s port and S’Arenal.

Top things to do in Palma de Mallorca

Admire the light inside the astonishing cathedral

Flinging up above the sea in a riot of golden stone, soaring pinnacles and flying buttresses, Palma de Mallorca’s whopping Gothic cathedral is unmissable – in every possible sense of the word. Get there nice and early to see morning light stream through the rose window (Europe’s largest) and cast rainbow patterns across the vaulted interior; climb up to the roof terraces for a closer look. Right next door – and just as special – is the Palau de l’Almudaina, originally an Islamic alcázar (Muslim-era fortress), since converted into a royal residence in the late 13th century and now the King of Spain’s plush summer digs.

Get lost in the medieval streets

The cathedral is a terrific starting point for nudging deeper into the historic, alley-woven Sa Calatrava quarter of Palma de Mallorca, once the heart of the old medina. Here, you’ll be taken in by medieval streets lined with aristocratic townhouses, looming churches like the Gothic Basílica de Sant Francesc and palm-shaded gardens. This slowly savored city really works its magic when you dip down a nameless alley, wander along the sea walls in the blue dusk or kick back at a cafe with no plan whatsoever.

Soak up beautiful artworks

Top billing for art lovers goes to Es Baluard, built into the fortifications of the city’s 16th-century sea walls, which wows with a permanent collection showing works by Miró, Barceló and Picasso. Hot on its heels is Museu Fundación Juan March, lodged in a beautiful 17th-century mansion; it zooms in on contemporary masterpieces, including pieces by Dalí and Eduardo Chillida.

Eat, then eat again

Palma de Mallorca’s increasingly exciting food scene is one to watch. For a feast of island produce (cheese, fish, meat, fruit and veg, plump olives, wafer-thin jamón serrano – you name it) and tapas and oysters, graze around the atmospheric Mercat de l’Olivar.

In a former 17th-century convent, Michelin-starred Marc Fosh is the table to book well ahead. Look forward to its imaginative riffs on clean, bright Balearic flavors.

My favorite thing to do in Palma de Mallorca

Seeing the morning light stream through the rose window and cast rainbows across Palma de Mallorca’s resplendent cathedral is a scene I’ll never forget. But my ideal time to appreciate the cathedral in all its Gothic grandeur and ocher-stone beauty is while everyone is still asleep. I love getting up in the pink of sunrise for a run along the waterfront – through the fountain-splashed Parc de la Mar and along the Renaissance ramparts, Dalt Murada, as the first light dances on the sea.

As the city begins to wake up, I might go for a cortado (espresso topped with warm milk) and ensaïmada (Mallorca’s featherlight, snail-shaped pastry) at time-warp bakery-cafe Ca’n Joan de s’Aigo in Carrer Can Sanç.

In terms of looks, Palma is a knockout. Yet it’s the city’s laid-back beat and rich history that truly grab me. One of my all-time favorite ways to spend a couple of hours is by wandering through the tightly packed alleys in the old Moorish quarter, diving into lanes like Carrer de la Portella, Carrer de la Puresa and Carrer de Ca’n Angluda to alight upon patis (patios), hidden courtyards with ornately carved stonework, columns and foliage.

With its palm, pomegranate and citrus trees, Jardí del Bisbe makes a shady botanical escape from the crowds, while the Banys Àrabs' gardens recall the island’s fascinating Muslim heritage.

How much money do I need for Palma de Mallorca?

Budget-wise, Palma de Mallorca is on par with many destinations in the Mediterranean. How much you spend depends on when you travel and the trip you have in mind. You can save some euros on flights and room rates by visiting in the low season (November to March) or shoulder seasons (April and May, September to October). For accommodations, choose across the gamut: no-frills hostels, sweet guesthouses or five-star boutique hotels with deluxe suites and infinity pools.

Restaurants also run the full spectrum. If you want to economize, grab breakfast from one of the city’s bakeries and check out the menú del día (fixed lunch menu), where you’ll often get three courses for as little as €15. Not all sights charge entry, so there’s plenty here you can do for free.

• Night in a boutique hotel room for two: from €200

• Night in a hostel dorm bed: from €30

• Night in a self-catering apartment: from €100

• Car rental per day: from €30 for a small car

• Dinner for two at a top restaurant: €80–100

• Coffee and an ensaïmada: €3.50

• Menú del día at lunch: €15–20

• Beer: €3.50

• Es Baluard entry: €8

• Bus ticket: €2–5

• Bike rental per day: €10

Don’t skip Palma’s many rooftops

The most impressive views and photo ops are from the roof terraces; time things right and you’ll catch a fiery sunset. If you’re willing to stomp up 280 steps, there are uplifting views reaching out across Palma de Mallorca to the brilliant blue band of the sea from the cathedral rooftop. Sitting astride a wooded hillside, the Castell de Bellver, a 30-minute bus ride west of town, entices with views reaching to the Badia de Palma and out to sea.

If you’d prefer to see the city and sea twinkle with an expertly mixed cocktail in hand, head to one of the city’s many rooftop bars, including favorites like the Skybar at Hostal Cuba and Nakar.

What to pack for Palma de Mallorca

Avoid the tendency to overpack. All you really need to bring for a trip to Palma de Mallorca are light, floaty layers; comfortable flat shoes or sandals (for navigating historic cobblestones and taking seafront strolls); swimwear and a towel (for days at the beach); and a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. The vibe is casual island chic even in the smartest of places (but be prepared to cover up at religious sites). For cooler days in autumn and winter, you might want to throw in a warm fleece and a waterproof layer.