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 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 4.8 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days let you live Palma without rushing, the way locals do: a swim at the city beach in the late afternoon, Santa Catalina market at aperitivo time, museums that cruise visitors rarely reach. It's an unhurried plan, with walks in the morning, short afternoons and time for a siesta, designed to get to know the city properly before you set out to explore the rest of the island.

Day 1Postcard Palma

Open your trip with "Palma Highlights: From the Cort Olive Tree to the Sea", ideally early: a short walk that introduces the city, from the olive tree in Plaça de Cort to the Gran Hotel, the Passeig del Born and Sa Llotja, ending at Es Baluard. Have a llonguet for lunch at Bar Bosch, right on Plaça del Rei Joan Carles I. Afterwards, visit the cathedral and the Almudaina Palace one after the other. When you come out, head down to the Parc de la Mar: La Seu reflected in the lake in the last light is the photo everyone wants, and for good reason.

  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

    Inside La Seu

    The Gothic nave, about 44 metres high, fills with colour when the sun streams through the rose windows. Look for Gaudí's canopy and Miquel Barceló's chapel, a sea of ceramics. In season there are often tours of the rooftop terraces: check dates and book ahead.

    Directions

    Inside the Almudaina Palace

    A royal palace built over the fortress of Madina Mayurqa and home to the Kings of Mallorca in the 14th century. Today it's run by Patrimonio Nacional: you walk through the courtyard, tapestry-hung Gothic halls and the Chapel of Santa Anna. It closes for official events, so check times.

    Directions

Day 2Arab baths, museums and the sea

Do "From Madina Mayurqa to the Kingdom of Mallorca" in the morning, while the lanes around the cathedral are still cool: the Arab Baths, Montesió and the old Call, Sant Francesc and Santa Eulàlia. Lunch on arròs brut at Celler Sa Premsa and, if it's very hot, linger over the meal. In the afternoon, head back towards Carrer de la Portella for the Museu de Mallorca, two streets from the Arab Baths, then walk along the seafront to Can Pere Antoni for a swim with the cathedral in the background.

  1. Morning

    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

  2. Lunch

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

  3. Afternoon

    Museu de Mallorca

    Housed in Can Desbrull, a noble mansion in the old town, it tells the island's story from prehistory through the Islamic period to Gothic and Modernisme. It's a quiet, cool museum, perfect for the hottest hours, just steps from the Arab Baths.

    Directions

    Can Pere Antoni Beach

    The city beach closest to the centre, just east of the Parc de la Mar: sand, calm water and the outline of La Seu in the distance. It's about a twenty-minute walk along the seafront from the cathedral, ideal for a late-afternoon swim.

    Directions

Day 3Bellver, the bastion and the shadows

Head out early, before the sun gets strong, to Bellver Castle: go up by bus or taxi, then walk down through the woods towards El Terreno. Carry on to Es Baluard to see the museum and look out over the bay from its terraces. Santa Catalina is right next door: have frit mallorquí at Can Joan Frau, inside the market, before it closes. Rest in the afternoon, then at dusk start "Palma in the Shadows" at Santa Magdalena: the Cap del Moro, the Drac de na Coca and La Seu by night. Dinner: sopes mallorquines at Celler Pagès.

  1. Morning

    Bellver Castle

    One of the few circular castles in Europe, built for James II in the early 14th century. Its rooftop looks out over the whole Bay of Palma, and inside is the city history museum. Early in the morning, the pine woods around it are cool and peaceful.

    Directions

    Inside Es Baluard

    Palma's museum of modern and contemporary art fills the Renaissance bastion of Sant Pere, with work by Miró, Picasso and Barceló. Its terraces on top of the walls overlook the harbour and the bay. Check opening times: it usually closes on Mondays. Santa Catalina is five minutes away.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Frit mallorquí at Bar Can Joan Frau (Mercat de Santa Catalina). Plaça de la Navegació, s/n

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Sopes mallorquines and tumbet at Celler Pagès. Carrer d'en Felip Bauzà, 2

The map

Palma de Mallorca in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Palma de Mallorca in 3 days

  • From June to September, do the walks early in the morning or late in the day and save the middle of the day for museums, a siesta or the beach. On days with several cruise ships in port, the centre fills up by mid-morning: get out early.
  • Celler Pagès usually serves dinner only Wednesday to Saturday; if your third day falls on another day, Celler Sa Premsa also has sopes mallorquines. And Can Joan Frau, in Santa Catalina, only opens until lunchtime.
  • If you have a spare morning, drop by the Mercat de l'Olivar, the big market in the centre, a few minutes from Plaça Major. Go before lunch, as many stalls close in the early afternoon.

Questions

Palma de Mallorca in 3 days: your questions

What if I'd rather take a day trip on day three?

Good idea if you've already seen Palma. The classic is the wooden Sóller train, running since 1912, followed by the tram down to Port de Sóller. Other options: Valldemossa and Deià in the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Cap de Formentor; or the Caves of Drach.

How far will I walk over three days?

The three walks add up to about 4.8 km, split into 1.6, 1.3 and 1.9 km. With the extras, the stroll to Can Pere Antoni and the walk down from Bellver, count on 6 to 8 km a day: mostly flat, with a few slopes in the Bellver woods.

Do I need a car for this plan?

No. The old town is best seen on foot, and a bus or taxi is all you need for Bellver. A car only makes sense for the Serra de Tramuntana or far-flung coves; in central Palma, parking is difficult and most streets are pedestrianised or have restricted access.

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