Veröffentlicht von Palma de Mallorca is a modern city with 420,000 inhabitants and is a flagship for the new Spain after the economic miracle of the last 40 years. Palma is the capital of the Balearic Islands, and therefore also the seat of government for Menorca, Ibiza and the smaller Balearic Islands. The cityscape is dominated by the gigantic cathedral La Seu and by the modern harbor with thousands of yachts, which impressively represent the city’s prosperity.
In the center is the almost completely preserved old town, where time seems to have stood still. The districts outside the old quarter consist of modern residential and commercial buildings and wide, modern city highways. Due to the economic crisis in Spain and the associated high unemployment, however, there are now many poorer people in Palma de Mallorca.
The new districts appear very neat, clean and well thought out. The city planners of modern Palma have done an excellent job in the last two decades. Bicycle paths and modern green spaces, for example, have not been forgotten. There is even a small subway. Palma appears very cosmopolitan and liberal. All in all, Palma de Mallorca is one of the most livable cities in Europe.
City tours of Palma by bus
Many of the sights in Palma can be reached on foot, but not all of them. Many vacationers therefore book a city tour for 1 or 2 days with a so-called hop on / hop off bus. These buses are now very popular in many cities around the world with a lot of tourism. The buses travel the same route every 20 to 25 minutes. You can get off at any of the 16 stops and continue on with a later bus. This way you can also discover many interesting sights, stalls and much more outside of Palma. On the bus, there are headphones providing information about the next sight in German.
Much more information about this hop-on hop-off bus can be found on this website.
Sights in Palma
The Cathedral La Seu
La Seu
The towering building in Palma is the gigantic cathedral La Seu. It is located in the old town almost directly on the sea, with only the modern Parc de la Mar and a city motorway between the church and the harbor. The Gothic sacred building was built over centuries. Construction began not long after the reintroduction of Christianity in Mallorca in 1229. The building was only completed 100 years ago – in 1904 by the architect Antoni Gaudi. Unfortunately, there is an entrance fee to visit the church. The entrance fee to Palma Cathedral is around 10 euros (in 2025).
However, the visit is definitely worth it. If you attend a service you can of course save the entrance fee. The opening times of La Seu Cathedral: Daily from 10 a.m. (closed on Sundays). In summer until around 6 p.m., in winter until around 3 p.m. On Saturdays the church is only open until 2.15 p.m. all year round. La Seu Cathedral is not open on Sundays and most public holidays.
Problem: extreme queues at the entrance to Sa Seu Church: Mallorca is an island with a lot of tourists. A large proportion of them want to see the Sa Seu attraction. As a result, the queues at the entrance are often extreme. Therefore, our tip: On this website you can buy tickets for La Seu in advance and skip the queue.
The church on Mallorca is one of the top 10 churches in Spain. Even more tourists visit the modern Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona.
The Palau de l’Almudaina Palace
The large palace above Palma
The mighty Palau de l´Almudaina Palace is probably the second most important building in Palma de Mallorca next to the La Seu Cathedral. Construction was started by the Moors and later expanded into a royal residence under King Jaume II (13th century). The entrance fee is around 5 euros (2016). On Wednesdays, admission is free for citizens of the European Union! It is also worth visiting the palace. However, if you have to choose between one of the two main attractions in Palma for time or financial reasons, the La Seu Cathedral is probably the most interesting choice. Opening times of the Palau de l´Almudaina Palace: In winter during the week from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., in summer continuously from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. On weekends all year round only in the morning from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Current ferry schedules / book ferries
You can find current ferry departure times on the good ferry booking website Ferryscanner.com. We recommend buying tickets for ferries in Spain online in advance. Ferries are often full, you often cannot find the right office to buy tickets, there are long queues at the counter, there are language problems.
Parc de Mar
Artificial lake in the Parc de Mar in Palma de Mallorca
Modern open city park with a large body of water that was only built in the last 30 years. It is located directly under the La Seu Cathedral and the Palau de l’Almudaina Palace. From here you have the best view for your eyes and camera of the two buildings described above. The hyper-modern architecture with many water elements is great.
Plaza Mayor
The square of squares and the center of the city: Placa Major
The large square in the old town has a very special aura. The ideal place to rest for half an hour in a street café. The Placa Major is the heart of old Palma de Mallorca.
The small streets of the old town
Typical alley in the old town of Palma
Perhaps the most beautiful thing about Palma is strolling through the narrow alleys in the historic part of the city. Many of the alleys are car-free, and there are many interesting shops, houses and little things to discover. In the old town you sometimes have the feeling that time has stood still.
Passeig d`es Born and Passeig de la Rambla
The two main promenades of the city. The Spanish love to walk around their city to see and be seen. These two streets with wide pedestrian areas are the most popular walking routes.
City tours Palma
Of course, in a city as touristy as Palma de Mallorca there are several providers of city tours and city walks. We particularly like two of them.
As in many big cities, so-called hop on / hop off buses go to the important sights. These are city tours that take place regularly, in Palma every 20 to 25 minutes. The buses stop at 16 stops. You can get off wherever you want and continue on a later bus. The tour can be started at any of the 16 stops, as the buses all travel in circles on the same route. During the journey between the stops you get information in German via headphones. Tickets can be bought online in advance. More information and tickets here.
If you just want to see the old town of Palma, you can do this on foot as part of a city tour. We really liked the tours of Palma that take place in the evening and include visits to tapas bars. The guides on this old town tour know Palma well, tell lots of great stories and are humorous. Among other things, you go to the Cathedral of La Seu, to many historical buildings, to the tanners‘ quarter, to the Palace of the Kings Almudaina and to the central square Placa Major. We were particularly interested in the many little details that the local guides pointed out. The tapas restaurant where we ate was also original and not expensive. More about that here.
Accommodation in Palma
There is no shortage of mid-range and high-end hotels and guesthouses in Palma. It is not difficult to find a double room in Palma de Mallorca for €70 or more. However, cheap rooms are not easy to find in Palma. There is no youth hostel in Palma de Mallorca.
One of the cheapest accommodations is the recommended and central Hostal Apuntadores in the alley of the same name (house number 8). Here a bed in a dormitory costs €15 and a double room costs €35. If you stay for a longer period of time, you can negotiate the price, especially in winter. The guesthouse is run by a nice English woman. www.palma-hostales.com . The hostel is very popular, so booking is essential. The rooms are very basic with a free safe but no private bathroom and toilet. Rooms with a bathroom and toilet cost a little more. The prices do not include breakfast. However, you can have a cheap breakfast on the roof terrace with a great view of the old town.
If the Apuntadores is full, you can try your luck at the Hostal Ritzi next door. The rooms are a little better and cost a few euros more. In general, backpackers in Palma de Mallorca are concentrated in the small street Apuntadores. There are also many cheap bars and taverns here.
City map of the capital Palma de Mallorca
Public transport in Palma
Both city buses and long-distance buses and trains leave from Placa d’Espanya. There is a modern train station here for all means of transport, including the subway.
City buses: Good service, many bus lines and buses in and around Palma de Mallorca, reasonable prices. Line A1 from the city center to the airport is important for tourists. The airport bus has a higher fare than the city buses, around 5 euros for adults in 2025. Another line A2 runs between the airport and Playa de Palma (Ballermann).
There are also almost 30 other lines to all suburbs. Platja de Palma and S’Arenal (Ballermann) are also very frequently served by city buses. The fare is 2 to 3 € (as of early 2025). The trip from and to the airport costs three euros more. There are also 10-trip tickets and more. Unfortunately, these are sometimes difficult to get. In the tourist information offices such as those at Placa d’Espanya, there is a clear timetable with a city map for the buses, free of charge.
Long-distance buses: The bus station, like the train station, is not far from Placa de Espanya. Here, too, there is a good free timetable for all bus lines. Finding the right bus at the bus station is not always easy if it is your first time here. You have to search or ask for directions.
Train station: There are two train stations in Palma, so to speak. One is right next to Placa d’Espanya and serves the museum trains to Soller. The station for the modern trains is underground under Placa d’Espanya. Trains to Inca leave from here several times an hour. In Palma, they are like a subway. Many of the trains continue from Inca to Sa Pobla. Other trains continue from Inca to Manacor.
Taxis: All taxis use a meter and the fares are slightly lower than in Germany. There are almost always enough taxis in Palma de Mallorca during the day and at night.
Carriages: Carriage rides through the old town of Palma are popular with tourists with big wallets. You negotiate the fare with the driver. It’s not a bargain.
Coachman with horse
Shopping in Palma
El Corte Ingles department store
El Corte Ingles branch in the center of Palma de Mallorca, the largest department store chain in Spain
El Corte Inglés is the largest department store chain in Spain. Similar to German department stores, there is a well-stocked food department in the basement. On the lower floors you can mainly buy clothing. On the 4th and 5th floors are the electronics, photography, household goods and sports departments. Shopping here is easier for foreigners than in the many small shops. The staff at El Cote Ingels mostly speak English. In the information desk on the ground floor you can also get help in German. The price level is medium, in my opinion the clothing in particular is a bit more expensive than in Germany. The advice is above average. We had the feeling that the employees were more competent and friendly than in comparable German department stores.
German bookstore
The best bookshop for German books on Mallorca is in the old town of Palma and is called „Akzent“ (the shop used to be called „Dialog“). You can also order German books here. The books usually have the same prices as in Germany. Address: Carrer Carme 14.
Market hall
The central market hall of Palma, which is of interest to tourists, is located not far from the Placa d’Espanya. In the Mercat de l’Olivar, there is only fish in one hall. The other foodstuffs are in the larger hall behind it: fruit, vegetables, meat products and cheese are particularly cheap. You can also buy Spanish ham (Jamon Iberico) here. The small bars in the hall offer typical small dishes (tapas) at reasonable prices – a good opportunity for a small, inexpensive lunch in Palma de Mallorca. Open every morning except Sunday.
Palma de Mallorca Top 10 Sights
La Seu Cathedral
The imposing Gothic cathedral is the landmark of Palma. With sea views and impressive stained glass windows, including a rose window, it is an absolute highlight.
Almudaina Palace
Located next to the cathedral, this former Moorish palace is now the residence of the Spanish royal family in Mallorca.
Castell de Bellver
A unique, circular castle with great views of Palma. It also houses a history museum.
Palma Old Town
Narrow streets, traditional courtyards and historic buildings make the old town a charming place to stroll.
Paseo Marítimo
The harbor promenade is perfect for a stroll to admire the impressive yachts or eat in one of the many restaurants.
Plaza Mayor
Palma’s central square is surrounded by cafes, restaurants and shops. A popular meeting place.
Es Baluard Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Art lovers should visit this museum, which offers an impressive collection and great views of the city.
Banys Àrabs (Arab Baths)
One of the few remaining buildings from the Moorish period on Mallorca – small but steeped in history.
Mercat de l’Olivar
Palma’s largest market offers fresh produce, tapas and local specialties – perfect for a culinary experience.
Fundació Miró Mallorca
The museum is dedicated to the work of the artist Joan Miró, who lived and worked on Mallorca for many years.