Palma tourist information
January 12th, 2010
Millions of enthusiastic travellers book flights to Palma each year. Many of them spend as little time as possible in Mallorca’s capital city, as they’re anxious to get to the island’s famous beaches and luxury resorts. However, visitors who by-pass Palma miss the beauty, history and unique personality of this lovely city curved around the Bay of Palma. This is is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, full of palaces, museums, cathedrals, galleries, restaurants, clubs, shops and parks.
Palma’s historic old town district is home to most of the city’s significant attractions. The La Seu Cathedral is a breathtaking structure built in the French Gothic style, with candelabras and an altarpiece designed by Gaudi. The cathedral was built on the ruins of an ancient mosque, like so many other churches throughout Spain. Construction on La Seu began more than half a millennia ago and continues even today.
The Almudaina Palace is another architectural gem located in Palma’s old town. Located right next to La Seu, the building was once at the centre of a Moorish fortress. During the Christian conquest of the island, the site was converted into a royal palace.
Yet another stunning edifice is the Es Baluard. It was built by adding concrete walls to the ruins of Palma’s historic city walls. The collection at the March Foundation is also worth seeing. This gallery features more than 70 permanent works as well as a rotating collection of temporary exhibits.
Flights to Palma are usually just a means to a sunny end on Mallorca’s coast, but if you have some time to spend, it’s well worth discovering this beautiful city.