A Gothic Cathedral Above the Bay
Palma, also called Palma de Mallorca, is the capital of the Balearic Islands, a Mediterranean port city on the south-west coast of Mallorca known for its monumental cathedral, old town, marina and café culture. La Seu, begun in 1229 and rising directly above the seafront, is among the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe, with a vast rose window, an interior shaped by Antoni Gaudí's early twentieth-century work and a chapel decorated by Miquel Barceló. Nearby, the Almudaina Palace and the Gothic merchants' exchange, Sa Llotja, add layers of royal and mercantile history.
The old town rewards slow walking: sand-coloured courtyards, narrow lanes, the Arab Baths and the Passeig des Born, a tree-lined boulevard. Above the harbour, round Bellver Castle, a fourteenth-century fortress with a circular courtyard, gives a clear view over the bay. The city is also a major yachting hub and hosts the Palma International Boat Show each spring, which makes it an ideal subject for a tourist board or marina partner wanting to show a living, working waterfront.
Tapas, Galleries and Neighbourhood Life
Neighbourhoods give Palma its modern energy. Santa Catalina, with its covered market and fish counters, is the foodie quarter, full of small restaurants serving local produce. Portixol, a former fishing district east of the centre, offers a seaside promenade and relaxed bars, while La Lonja is the lively evening district around the old exchange. For art, Es Baluard and the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró reveal the island's strong link with twentieth-century artists, and the Nit de l'Art in September opens galleries after dark.
Food is part of the identity: a coffee with ensaimada pastry, sobrassada on toast, grilled fish from the bay and Mallorcan almond sweets. Winter has its own appeal, with the Sant Sebastià festival in January bringing fire and music to the streets. Palma is also the natural gateway to the wider island of Mallorca, and its airport links the city directly to the wider Balearic Islands, so a city stay can easily lead to a beach or mountain escape.
Read the full Palma guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitPalma.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.