Things to do in Palma de Mallorca: cathedral, Santa Catalina and hills
Palma is a walkable capital with a Gothic cathedral on the seafront, an old town of narrow lanes and courtyards, and a restaurant district in Santa Catalina. Two or three days cover the city, with a train or bus ride into the mountains if you have a third. The one thing to plan around: the palace, Bellver Castle and the main museums close on Mondays, and the cathedral is closed to visitors on Sundays.
The short answer
- First trip
- Start in the old town. The cathedral, the Almudaina palace, the Arab Baths and the Born are all within about 10 minutes' walk of each other, and Santa Catalina is 20 minutes' walk west of the cathedral.
- Where to stay
- The old town for a first visit, Santa Catalina for restaurants, Portixol for a quiet seafront, and Platja de Palma only if the beach comes first.
- How many days
- Two full days cover the city. Add a third for the Sóller train or Valldemossa.
- Best time to go
- April to June and mid-September to October, when it is warm without the highs of about 31°C in July and August.
- Book ahead
- The cathedral terraces tour, the Sóller train in summer, and dinner at the best restaurants.
- From the airport
- Bus A1 reaches Plaça d'Espanya in about 20 minutes and runs every 12 to 15 minutes. There is a taxi rank outside arrivals.
Where to stay in Palma de Mallorca, in brief
Old town: La Seu, the Born and La Llotja
First visits, sightseeing on foot
The cathedral, the palace, the Arab Baths and many of the old town's restaurants are within a 15-minute walk, and a lot of the hotels sit in restored mansions. The lanes are narrow and traffic is limited, so expect to wheel your case over cobbles. Evenings are livelier around the Born and La Llotja.
Santa Catalina
Restaurants, bars and the market
A neighborhood west of the old town, about 20 minutes' walk from the cathedral, with a dense run of restaurants and bars and a covered market at its center. It suits people who plan their days around meals. Weekend evenings are busy, so ask for a room away from the main streets.
Portixol and Es Molinar
A quiet seafront
The old Es Molinar fishing district east of the center, with a harbor, a waterfront path and fish restaurants. It is about 40 minutes' walk from the cathedral, or a short bus or taxi ride, so it suits a slower stay with the old town as a day out.
Platja de Palma
Beach-first trips
A resort strip of large hotels about 10 km east of the old town, along a long sandy beach. It works if the beach is the point of the trip. For a city break, the daily journey in and out adds up.
Things to do in Palma de Mallorca
Palma Cathedral (La Seu)
A Gothic cathedral on the seafront with a nave 40 meters high, a rose window nearly 14 meters wide, Gaudí's canopy over the altar and a chapel redone by Miquel Barceló. It is open Monday to Saturday and closed to sightseeing on Sundays; the terraces are a separate visit from March to November.
A few days ahead for the terraces tour, 1 to 2 weeks in August
Palau de l'Almudaina
A former Arab fortress rebuilt in the 14th century, used by the kings of Majorca and still by the Spanish royal family for official events. It stands opposite the cathedral and is open Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays.
The old town on foot
Walk the Passeig des Born, then cut through the lanes to Sa Llotja, the merchants' exchange built between 1426 and 1447, and the seafront below the cathedral walls. Palma is known for its courtyards, so look through open doorways.
The Arab Baths (Banys Àrabs)
A small surviving Moorish bathhouse: a domed hot room carried on twelve columns, with a garden. Allow half an hour; a ticket is required.
Es Baluard
A museum of modern and contemporary art that opened in 2004, set against the old sea wall, with works by Miró and Picasso. It is open Tuesday to Saturday until 20:00 and Sunday until 15:00, and shut on Mondays. On Fridays you choose what to pay.
Bellver Castle
A round castle built between 1300 and 1311 on a hill 112 meters high, about 3 km west of the center, with views over the bay. It is now the city history museum. It is closed on Mondays and free on Sundays, and in winter it closes at 18:00 (15:00 on Sundays).
Santa Catalina and its market
Walk west to Santa Catalina, a neighborhood of restaurants and bars around a covered market known for its fish. The market is open from 07:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday.
Mercat de l'Olivar
The main covered market in the center, with fish, meat, charcuterie, cheese and produce. Stalls open from 07:00 to 15:00, Monday to Saturday, and the market is closed on Sunday; on Mondays some fish stalls stay shut.
Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró
Joan Miró's working studios and a gallery in the west of the city, with an exhibition on his work running into 2027. From 16 September to 15 May it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, and free on Saturdays from 15:00. One of its buildings, Son Boter, is closed for works.
Can Pere Antoni beach
The city beach east of the old town, with the cathedral in view across the bay. Visit Palma counts five fully equipped beaches and eight swimming areas inside the city, so you can swim without leaving Palma.
What to book before you go
These sell out. Most of the rest of Palma de Mallorca can be decided on the day.
Every tour and ticket in Palma de Mallorca, and which to pick- Cathedral terraces tourA few days ahead, 1 to 2 weeks in August
The terraces are a separate booking from the main visit, run only from March to November, and start every 30 minutes.
- The Sóller trainA day or two ahead in summer
The 10:10 from Palma is the busiest departure, and the train stops for maintenance for a few weeks between December and early February.
- Dinner at DINS Santi Taura or El Camino2 to 4 weeks ahead in summer
Both take bookings online. DINS Santi Taura seats at 20:00 and 21:00 from Tuesday to Saturday and holds the table with a card guarantee.
What to skip in Palma de Mallorca
- Lunch on Plaça Major or the streets by the cathedral
Menus with photos and a host at the door usually mean a place is cooking for passers-by. Walk five or ten minutes to Bar Bosch, La Bodeguilla or El Camino instead.
- A hire car for your city days
The old town is a maze of narrow lanes with limited traffic, and parking is scarce. The airport bus, taxis and your feet cover the city; hire a car for the Es Trenc day only.
- A hotel on the Platja de Palma strip, for a city break
It is a resort strip about 10 km east of the old town, built around large hotels. It suits a beach week, but on a city break you will spend your evenings in transit.
- Museum plans on a Monday
The Almudaina, Bellver, Es Baluard and the Miró Foundation are all closed on Mondays. Use the day for the markets, Santa Catalina, a swim or a day trip.
Best time to visit Palma de Mallorca
The best months are April to June and September to October. Average daily highs climb from about 15°C in January to about 31°C in July and August (AEMET, 1981 to 2010), so spring and early autumn give you warm days without the peak heat. July and August are also the busiest months.
October is the wettest month, with about 60 mm of rain, so pack for a shower; July is the driest, at about 5 mm. Winter is mild, around 15°C by day, but December has about 150 hours of sun against about 340 in July, and the Sóller train stops for a few weeks between December and early February.
- From Palma airportBus A1 runs to Plaça d'Espanya in about 20 minutes, every 12 to 15 minutes, and carries on round the old town to Es Baluard. Paying by contactless card on board is cheaper than cash. There is a taxi rank outside arrivals.
- On footThe old town is small enough to walk. From the cathedral, the Arab Baths take about 5 minutes, the Born about 10 and Santa Catalina about 20.
- To Bellver and the beachesCity buses (EMT) stop near the foot of Bellver's hill, but the last stretch is steep, so many people take a taxi: about 10 minutes from the center. Buses also serve Portixol and the Platja de Palma.
- To the rest of the islandPlaça d'Espanya is the hub. The Intermodal station under the park has the trains to Inca, Sa Pobla and Manacor and the island buses (TIB), and the Sóller train station is on the other side of the street.
Palma de Mallorca in three days
- Day 1
Be at the cathedral for 10:00, and book the terraces if you want them, then cross to the Almudaina palace. Eat near the Born, spend the afternoon on the Arab Baths and the lanes down to Sa Llotja, and have dinner in Santa Catalina.
- Day 2
Go up to Bellver Castle in the morning for the view, then have lunch at the Olivar market before it closes at 15:00. Spend the afternoon at Es Baluard, open until 20:00, and finish with fish at Portixol.
- Day 3
Take the 10:10 Sóller train, ride the tram down to Port de Sóller for lunch and come back in the evening. If you would rather stay in the city, swim at Can Pere Antoni and visit the Miró Foundation.
- Sunday and Monday
The cathedral is closed to visitors on Sunday, so start at the palace, and go to Bellver, which is free that day. On Monday the palace, Bellver, Es Baluard and the Miró Foundation are closed, so spend it at the markets, in Santa Catalina and on the beach.
Day trips from Palma de Mallorca
- Sóller by the historic trainThe wooden train leaves from the station beside Plaça d'Espanya and takes about an hour, through 13 tunnels, to Sóller, where a tram runs on to Port de Sóller. The first train leaves Palma at 10:10, and the line pauses for a few weeks in winter.
- Valldemossa and DeiàTIB bus 203 runs from Palma to Valldemossa and Deià. Valldemossa has the Carthusian monastery where Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838 to 1839. Allow a full day, and check the bus times first.
- Es Trenc and the south coastEs Trenc is a beach about 10 km long, with white dunes and shallow water near Campos, protected as a natural area. It is about an hour by car from Palma, and the one trip where a hire car is worth it.
Palma de Mallorca: questions people ask
How many days do you need in Palma de Mallorca?
Two full days cover the cathedral, the palace, the old town, a market and one of the museums. A third day lets you ride the Sóller train or visit Valldemossa. Four or five days suits you if you also want beach time and the south coast.
Is Palma de Mallorca worth visiting?
Yes, for a city break of two to four days. It has a Gothic cathedral on the seafront, an old town you can cross on foot in minutes, a strong restaurant scene and beaches inside the city. The catch is timing: several sights close on Mondays, and the cathedral is shut to visitors on Sundays.
What is the best time to visit Palma de Mallorca?
April to June and September to October. Highs run from about 15°C in January to about 31°C in July and August, and October is the wettest month. If you want to swim and still walk the old town in comfort, aim for late May, June or September.
Where should I stay in Palma de Mallorca for the first time?
The old town, around the cathedral and the Born, puts the main sights within a 15-minute walk. Choose Santa Catalina if you care more about restaurants than sightseeing, and Portixol for a quiet seafront. Avoid the Platja de Palma strip unless the beach is the point.
What can you do in Palma de Mallorca in one day?
Start at the cathedral at 10:00, cross to the Almudaina palace, walk the Born and the old town lanes, and eat at the Olivar market before it closes at 15:00. Add Bellver Castle for the view if it is not a Monday. If you arrive on a cruise ship, check your sailing time before you head up the hill.
How do you get from Palma airport to the city center?
Bus A1 runs to Plaça d'Espanya in about 20 minutes, every 12 to 15 minutes, and continues round the old town to Es Baluard. A taxi from the rank outside arrivals takes you to your hotel door. Paying by contactless card on the bus is cheaper than cash.
What is closed on Mondays in Palma?
The Almudaina palace, Bellver Castle, Es Baluard and the Miró Foundation are all closed on Mondays. The cathedral is open on Monday but closed to visitors on Sunday. At the Olivar market some fish stalls stay shut on Monday.
Do you need a car in Palma de Mallorca?
Not for the city itself. The old town is walkable, and the airport bus, city buses and taxis cover the rest. Hire a car only for day trips that trains and buses do not reach well, such as Es Trenc.