72-Hour Guide: Palma de Mallorca (Part I)

Each year, my husband and I look for a sunny destination for May Bank holiday. And this time, we decided to give Palma de Mallorca a go and boy, we weren’t disappointed. Mallorca, a picturesque island, has everything to offer: plenty of sun and sea, a cosmopolitan capital, great gastronomic scene, lots of historic sights and idyllic landscape. We fell in love with Mallorca and after reading this blog, you’ll understand why.

When we booked our hotel, we picked one outside Palma which was a great decision. We were in the quieter and relaxing Cala Mayor neighbourhood, just a bus-ride away from the capital and within minutes from a local beach.

Day 1 – Palma de Mallorca

Our day 1 adventures in Palma started with a famous Mercat de L’Olivar, an upscale fresh food market with a great choice of veggies, fruit, seafood and meat. Here you will find best quality jamon, tenderly sliced so thinly it could melt in your mouth!

From there we walked to Mallorca Cathedral via Carrer del Palau Reial, a street full of cute stores. Here you can find plenty of small boutiques selling everything from home accessories, such as pillowcases with Mallorcan ikat print, to famous handmade espadrilles, palm baskets and Mallorcan pearls. One of the stores I couldn’t help but stop by was Natural Mente, a beautiful boutique that sells seashells, handmade jewellery, home décor and textiles. My husband bought me a beautiful pearl bracelet and a lovely candle for our home.

And speaking of pearls nearby is a Mallorca Pearl Museum. It’s small and totally free showing the whole process – from a pearl coming to life to becoming a piece of jewellery. There is also a jeweller’s workstation, but don’t bother going into the adjacent pearl shop as it’s overpriced and, as I read, is selling man-made (not seawater) pearls.

But of course, the top attraction of Palma is gothic Mallorca Cathedral, which dates back to 13^th century. In the 20^th century, famous Antoni Gaudi worked on its interior design, leaving his mark in Cathedral’s history.

Right across from the Cathedral is the Royal Palace of La Almudaina, another historic site and official residence of King of Spain and his family. Formerly a fortress under the Moorish rule, it was then demolished and rebuilt in 13^th century by King Jaume II. The journey inside the Palace took us through numerous rooms that featured original 16-17^th century tapestries and artefacts, as well as royal apartments decorated in opulent style.

But the real attraction for me was a terrace with giant cactuses and palm trees, and views of the harbour. And once you are done, check the small but private pond with swans at the bottom of the Palace.

If you are into shopping, walk from the Palace to the adjacent Passeig del Born, a street with upmarket shops and designer boutiques. Here you will find Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, and Hugo Boss, as well as more affordable Massimo Dutti and Zara.

A bit tired from all the walking and hungry, we stopped at one of the restaurants by the La Lonja, a 15th-century building that used to be the headquarters of the Merchandise College, Mallorca’s merchants’ guild body. I recommend you go inside and check out its beautiful ceiling and columns.