Palma Short Breaks Guide 

Palma was named Palma de Mallorca when it was re-conquered by James I of Aragon after a three-month battle in 1229. It is now officially just called Palma again. For the previous 327 years it had been controlled by the Moors as with large parts of Southern Spain up until then.

When you walk around the city you get the impression of a former Arab city but the only real permanent reminders are the Banys Àrabs, or the Arab Baths. That part of old Palma also point to a Byzantine past, but very little of that period (pre-8^th century) remains mainly due to a lack of documentary evidence, although excavations in the city often bring up artefacts.

Previous to the Arabs and the Byzantines, the Phoenicians inhabited Mallorca and it was the Romans who originally founded the city of Palma as well as Pollentia to the north of the island.

These days Majorca attracts 22 million visitors a year, mainly package holiday tourists who completely miss out the capital of the Island to head straight for their resorts. In doing so they miss the most cultured and historical part of Majorca. The growth of tourism has been so great on the Island of Majorca that 500,000 people now live in Palma making it the 12^th biggest Spanish city.

It’s worth pointing out that King Juan Carlos and his family have holidayed in Palma every year since the city offered them the Marivent Palace. If we were royals, we would choose Palma too, mainly because it offers the best of both culture and beach and within easy reach of each other.

Getting to Palma

There is a plethora of choice when it comes to flights. In our experience Palma is one of those destinations you are most likely to find a cheap seat because nearly all the airlines fly there including Easyjet and Ryanair, and not just from the UK. Visit our Spain flights page to run a search for the dates you want.

You can reach Palma direct by ferry from both Mainland Spain and from the other Balearic Islands. Acciona Transmediterranea and Balearia lines run services to Barcelona, Valencia, Denia and Alicante. You have a choice between fast ferry and cruise-ferry like most routes, but remember many services discontinue during the winter. For the best options available use our compare ferries page to bring up the lowest fares for the route you’re planning.

Getting around in Palma

Having a hire car is handy in Palma but far from essential for a weekend break. Taxis will more than suffice even if you want to head to the beach paradise of nearby Illetas. Many of the hotels are close to the old town apart from the Valparaiso Palace which is up on the hill overlooking the city. If you can afford to stay there then taxis are not an issue, frankly.

Using Palma as a base for exploring the island is not a bad plan but parking your hire car may then become a headache.

There are plenty of buses from the city centre to the airport, just a few miles away.

As with many city centres, walking offers you the best option for a relaxing time so stay away from cars and buses if at all possible.