Palma, also called Palma de Mallorca, is the capital of the Balearic Islands, set on the Bay of Palma on Mallorca's south coast. With about 438,000 residents in 2024, it is a working Mediterranean city as well as the gateway to the island, the largest in Spain by area.
Visitors come for the Gothic cathedral, La Seu, rising above the sea walls, for the lanes and courtyards of the old town, for Bellver Castle on its wooded hill and for beaches along the bay. Beyond the city lie the mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the villages of Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller, and long sandy beaches in the south and north. Palma suits couples and city-break travellers who want culture and food with the sea close by, and it works well as a base for exploring the island by car or bus. Holiday rentals in the city are tightly limited, so it pays to understand the local rules before you book.
The old town, around the cathedral, the Almudaina palace and Plaça de Cort, puts the main sights, shops and squares within a short walk and suits first-time visitors. Santa Catalina, just west of the centre, began as a fishermen's quarter; it keeps low houses with Mallorcan shutters and a traditional covered market, and its many places to eat appeal to couples. Neighbouring Son Espanyolet is quieter and residential.
El Molinar, about 4 kilometres east of the centre, grew around the old fishing harbour of Portixol, now a seaside promenade, and has a relaxed, village feel. To the west, Cala Major was one of the city's first seaside resort areas, while the district of Platja de Palma, near the airport, is the main tourist zone, with a long beach and busy summers. Wherever you look, check that a rental is authorised: Palma restricts holiday lets in homes, so legal options in the city are limited.
Palma's cathedral, La Seu, stands on the seashore beside the city walls, between the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the Bishop's Palace. Building began soon after the Christian conquest of 1229 and continued into the 17th century, and from 1903 Antoni Gaudí led a restoration that reshaped the interior and added a great canopy above the altar. Its rose window measures nearly 14 metres across. The Almudaina, an Arab fortress altered in the 14th century, is still an official residence of the Spanish royal family.
In the old town, the Arab Baths are one of the few survivors of the Muslim city, and the Llotja, the old merchants' exchange, is a landmark of Mallorcan Gothic. Es Baluard, a museum of modern and contemporary art opened in 2004, holds works by Balearic and international artists. About 3 kilometres west of the centre, Bellver Castle, built in the 14th century for King James II of Majorca, is one of the few circular castles in Europe and looks out over the whole bay.
Palma began as a Roman camp, founded on the remains of a Talaiotic settlement after the conquest of Mallorca, and by 123 BC the island belonged to the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis. After raids by the Vandals and a period of Byzantine rule, the city was under Islamic control from 902 to 1229 and was known as Madina Mayurqa.
On 31 December 1229, after a siege of three months, James I of Aragon took the city, which became the capital of a Christian kingdom; his son James II of Majorca commissioned Bellver Castle. Mass tourism arrived in the 20th century: flights first used the Son Bonet airfield, and traffic moved to Son Sant Joan in 1959, ahead of the boom of the 1960s and early 1970s. Palma grew from about 64,000 people in 1900 to more than 330,000 by 2000, and it has been the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands since 1983.
Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), also called Son Sant Joan, lies about 8 kilometres east of the city next to Can Pastilla, and with more than 33 million passengers in 2024 it is one of the busiest airports in Spain. City buses connect it with the centre, and taxis are plentiful. Ferries link the port of Palma with Barcelona and Valencia on the Spanish mainland, and the port is also a major stop for cruise ships.
In the city, the municipal bus network covers the neighbourhoods and beaches, and the Estació Intermodal at Plaça d'Espanya is the hub for the metro, the TIB intercity buses and the island trains to Inca, Sa Pobla and Manacor. A narrow-gauge railway from the early 20th century climbs through the mountains to Sóller. The old town is compact and best walked, and a car is unnecessary in Palma itself, but it is the easiest way to explore the Tramuntana villages and the beaches around the island.
The Serra de Tramuntana runs along the north-west of the island and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011 for its cultural landscape; its highest summit, the Puig Major, reaches 1,436 metres. Valldemossa is known for its Royal Charterhouse, where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838 to 1839, an episode Sand described in A Winter in Majorca. Deià, a small coastal village, attracted the poet Robert Graves and later an artistic community, and Sóller sits in a bowl-shaped valley about 3 kilometres inland from its port, which a historic tram reaches.
In the north, Alcúdia keeps a medieval wall and the remains of the Roman town of Pollentia, and the Formentor peninsula ends at Cap de Formentor, the island's northernmost point, with a lighthouse opened in 1863. In the south, Es Trenc is a beach of white sand and dunes, about 10 kilometres long, with shallow, calm water, part of a natural park since 2017.
Palma has a dry Mediterranean climate, close to semi-arid, with an average annual temperature of about 18.5°C. Summers are hot, bright and dry, and winters are mild and relatively wet, while the Serra de Tramuntana is cooler and rainier and sometimes sees brief snow on the Puig Major. Mountains to the north shelter the city from the cold Tramuntana wind.
Beach weather usually lasts from late April to early November, and the sea averages about 19.5°C over the year. July and August are the hottest and busiest months, when the airport, beaches and old town are at their fullest. Spring and autumn are milder and quieter, good for walking in the mountains, cycling and sightseeing, with the sea often still warm enough for swimming in September and October. Winter is calm and green, with short days but plenty of sun for a city break, although some seasonal businesses in the resorts close.
Holiday lets in Balearic homes need a tourist authorisation and a registration number, and on Mallorca the Consell de Mallorca is the competent body. Platforms advertising tourist accommodation must require and display that number. Decree-Law 4/2025 of 11 April bans the creation of new tourist places in apartment buildings throughout the Balearic Islands.
Palma goes further. In May 2026 the city council gave final approval to a change to its general plan that declares the whole municipality unsuitable for new holiday rentals in homes, rules out new tourist places and prevents existing authorised places from being moved elsewhere. Places already authorised may generally continue, so a lawful listing in Palma will show its registration number. In May 2026 Spain's Supreme Court also annulled a separate national registration number for short lets. Rules here change often, so check the current guidance from the Consell de Mallorca, the Govern de les Illes Balears and Palma city council before you book.
The old town is best for first-time visitors who want to walk to the cathedral and the sights. Santa Catalina suits couples who enjoy markets and places to eat, El Molinar and Portixol offer a relaxed seafront, and Platja de Palma, near the airport, is the main beach resort.
Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), also known as Son Sant Joan, is about 8 kilometres east of the city, next to Can Pastilla. City buses and taxis link it with the centre, and the journey is usually short outside rush hours.
Late spring and early autumn are ideal, with warm days, a pleasant sea and fewer crowds than in July and August. Beach weather usually lasts from late April to early November. Winter is mild and quiet, good for sightseeing and walking rather than swimming.
Two days cover the cathedral, the Almudaina, the old town, Santa Catalina and Bellver Castle. With four days to a week you can add Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller in the Tramuntana, a beach day at Es Trenc and a drive to Cap de Formentor.
Not in the city, where the old town is walkable and city buses reach the neighbourhoods and beaches. A car is the easiest way to explore the rest of Mallorca, although intercity buses, the island trains and the historic railway to Sóller cover several destinations.
Yes. Children usually enjoy the castle at Bellver, the seafront promenades and the city beaches, and the calm, shallow water at beaches such as Es Trenc suits younger swimmers. Families wanting a beach base often choose Platja de Palma or stay elsewhere on the island.
Yes. Tourist lets in the Balearic Islands need authorisation and a registration number that platforms must display. Since 2026 Palma allows no new holiday-rental places anywhere in the municipality, and apartment buildings across the islands are closed to new places, so check the number and current rules before you book.
Yes. Ferries connect the port of Palma with Barcelona and Valencia on the Spanish mainland, and Palma is also a frequent stop for cruise ships. Check the port and ferry operators for current routes to the other Balearic Islands.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .