Palma de Mallorca

About Palma de Mallorca

Palma is a proper Mediterranean capital, with a Gothic cathedral — La Seu — planted right on the sea instead of tucked away in the centre, and an old town of stone alleys that still trace the Arab street plan: the Banys Àrabs, dating from the Islamic period (10th-12th c.), survive in the garden of Can Fontirroig (Carrer de Can Serra), with published opening hours and a paid entry ticket. They're a reminder that this was Madina Mayurqa before it was ever a Christian kingdom. Next door, La Almudaina is still an official royal residence; it's the same Moorish alcázar converted centuries later, with free access on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons (check the schedule at tickets.patrimonionacional.es).

The city makes sense once you think in neighbourhoods. The old town (Sa Calatrava, La Portella) is where the grand courtyards and the expensive shops are. Santa Catalina, on the other side of Avinguda Argentina, is where we eat: its market, the tapas bars, and set lunch menus at €13-18 versus the €25-35 charged by the terraces along the Paseo Marítimo, which bill you for the marina view. On that same seafront stands Es Baluard, a modern-art museum built into Sant Pere's Renaissance bastion: the cheapest terrace with a view, at €6 (on Fridays you pay what you want from 10 cents, and it's free the first Sunday of the month). And up the hill, the Castell de Bellver, Spain's only circular-plan castle, with 360-degree views over the bay and the Bellver pine woods.

The trade-off here is about the calendar, not the sights. In July and August, Palma fills up with cruise ships and peak-season tourism; the €90-180 room jumps past €250. June and September bring highs of 26-29°C (May sits around 22°C), with the sea still cool in May (~19°C) and pleasantly warm by September (~26°C), little rain, and sane prices. January is worth it for a different reason: the Festes de Sant Sebastià fill the squares with bonfires and free concerts, and it's Palma the way locals actually experience it. In September, the Nit de l'Art (estimated date — confirm on the official site) keeps galleries open late. The €8 general admission to La Seu, with or without the €25 combined ticket for the rooftop terraces and museum, is about the one thing here we won't argue with — always check the official website for current prices.