Palma Cathedral and the Almudaina Palace above the city walls, reflected in the lake of Parc de la Mar
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Palma de Mallorca in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 4.8 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in Palma goes a long way if you plan it well: the old town is compact and almost everything that matters is less than fifteen minutes apart on foot. This plan is for cruise passengers, people on a stopover or anyone with a free day on the island. You link the three walks, eat Mallorcan food twice and leave having seen the cathedral by daylight and after dark.

One day in Palma de MallorcaLa Seu, from morning to night

Start early, especially in summer, with "Palma Highlights: From the Cort Olive Tree to the Sea": from the ancient olive tree in Plaça de Cort to the Modernista Can Forteza Rey, the Born and Sa Llotja, ending at the walls of Es Baluard. For lunch, grab a pa amb oli or a llonguet at Bar Bosch. In the afternoon, "From Madina Mayurqa to the Kingdom of Mallorca" takes you from the Almudaina to the Arab Baths and the old Call; refuel with an ensaïmada at Ca'n Joan de s'Aigo. At sunset, "Palma in the Shadows" ends in front of La Seu. Dinner: arròs brut at Celler Sa Premsa.

  1. Morning

    Palma Highlights: From the Cort Olive Tree to the Sea

    Mixed · 1.6 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Plaça de Cort and the ancient olive treePalma City Hall, the island's kilometre zero and an olive tree more than six centuries old planted in the middle of the square.
    2. Can Forteza Rey and L'ÀguilaA grimacing face between two dragons: Palma's most Gaudí-like Modernisme.
    3. Gran Hotel (CaixaForum)Mallorca's first luxury hotel: its own electricity, a lift and hot water in 1903.
    4. Passeig del BornAn open-air drawing room under the plane trees, built over the bed of a torrent that once flooded the city.
    5. Sa LlotjaThe merchants' temple: spiral columns like palm trees and an angel guarding trade.
    6. Es Baluard and the city wallsA Renaissance bastion that was nearly destroyed and is now a museum overlooking the whole bay.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Pa amb oli and llonguets at Bar Bosch. Plaça del Rei Joan Carles I, 6

  3. Afternoon

    From Madina Mayurqa to the Kingdom of Mallorca

    History · 1.3 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. Almudaina Palace (Palau de l'Almudaina)Roman fort, Islamic citadel and palace of the kings of Mallorca: three cities in a single wall.
    2. Palma Cathedral (La Seu)Three centuries of building, a 44-metre nave and a Gaudí who turned the interior around.
    3. Arab Baths (Banys Àrabs)The oldest room still standing in Palma: a steam bath from Madina Mayurqa hidden in a garden.
    4. Montesió and the old CallWhere the main synagogue once stood there is now a Baroque church: the memory of Palma's Jewish community.
    5. Basilica of Sant FrancescThe church chosen by James II, the tomb of Ramon Llull and the statue of a friar who reached California.
    6. Church of Santa EulàliaThe parish where Mallorca's first king was crowned, with dragon gargoyles and a needle-sharp bell tower.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Palma in the Shadows: Dragons, Saints and the Inquisition

    Mysteries & legends · 1.9 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Convent of Santa MagdalenaA peasant girl from Valldemossa, her ecstasies and her battles with the devil: the saint Palma still visits.
    2. The Cap del MoroA turbaned head watches you from a façade on the Born. Nobody agrees on why it is there.
    3. Plaça MajorBeneath the café terraces stood the headquarters of the Inquisition. Palma's most painful story starts here.
    4. Bishop's Palace and the Drac de na CocaA stuffed crocodile, a knight and a lady: the legend of the dragon that lived in Palma's sewers.
    5. La Seu: the Vow, the Light and the Walled-in LadyA king who promised a cathedral in the middle of a storm, a figure of eight made of light that appears twice a year and a woman enclosed in a wall.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Arròs brut at Celler Sa Premsa. Plaça del Bisbe Berenguer de Palou, 8

The map

Palma de Mallorca in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Palma de Mallorca in 1 day

  • Wear comfortable shoes with decent grip: the centre is almost flat, but the paving stones and the steps along the city walls, between La Seu and the Parc de la Mar, are more tiring than they look.
  • In summer, and especially on days when several cruise ships are in port, get going early: first thing, the Born and the area around the cathedral are quiet; by midday they're packed and the sun is fierce. Stick to the shade of the plane trees on the Born and carry water.
  • Bar Bosch usually closes on Sundays and the old cellers have their own days off: check before you go and have a backup in mind, as the centre has plenty of options.

Questions

Palma de Mallorca in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Palma de Mallorca in one day?

The old town, yes. With the three walks you'll take in La Seu, the Almudaina, the Born, the Arab Baths and the old Jewish quarter, and still have time for a relaxed lunch and dinner. What won't fit is visiting museums at a gentle pace or going up to Bellver Castle: for that, see the two-day plan.

How far will I walk?

The three walks add up to about 4.8 km: 1.6 for the highlights route, 1.3 for history and 1.9 for mysteries. Add the stretches between them and to the restaurants, and you're looking at 6 to 7 km in total, almost all flat and along the old town's pedestrian streets.

Is it worth going inside the cathedral if I only have a day?

If it appeals to you, yes: the interior, reworked by Gaudí, with Miquel Barceló's ceramic-covered Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, is the most striking thing in Palma. There's an entry fee and queues are common in high season, so buy online and allow an hour between the morning walk and lunch.

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