In a previous post we looked at a little of the history of Palma de Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, Spain, and visited some of the main attractions, this week we will look at what else Palma has to offer. A great place to start your day would be a morning stroll along Palma’s waterfront, with the city stirring for the day, the busy fish market bursts into life, the Es Moll de Pescadors hosts the Llotja del Peix (Fish Market), here you can pick up fresh prawns, sea-bass, mullet, sardines and much more, but you will need to be early as it opens at 6.00am.
Little is left of the Arab occupation of Palma, but well worth a look are the Banys Árabs (Arab Baths), which date from the 10th century and would have originally been part of a nobleman’s house. The domed horseshoe arches, are supported by a dozen columns in various styles. Possible salvaged from an earlier Roman building, the steam room had underfloor heating, with a separate ‘cooling off’ room, next door. The Arab Baths are located in Carrer Can Serra and are behind the Museu de Mallorca, which is the most significant museum in Mallorca, covering over 3,000 years of the island’s history, from the early Talaotic Period, through the Roman and Arab occupations, up to the present day, with exhibitions by modern day Mallorcan artists.
To take a break from the ancient and historical, you might fancy a trip to the market, in the Plaça Olivar you will find the vibrant Mercat Olivar, a covered market offering a huge range of consumables, most notably fruit and seafood which are displayed in mind boggling quantities and varieties. While you are there try out one of the tapas bars, where the market workers eat, here you can taste some real Mallorcan tapas.
If you wish to do a little shopping whilst in Mallorca then Palma is the place to do it, the main shopping area is in the Plaça Juan Carlos I, which is located beside the cathedral, here you will find numerous big stores such as El Corte Ingles, interspersed with smaller shops. Shops generally open at 10.00am and close at about 1.30pm, the evening session is from 5.00pm to 8.00pm.
When you are all spent out you could take a look at the Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village), a sort of Spanish theme park, where you can see reproductions of famous buildings from Madrid, Toledo and Cordoba, visit handicraft workshops, eat traditional Spanish food and get a lesson in Spanish architecture through the ages.
Getting back to culture one of the many churches worth a visit is the impressive Basilica de Sant Francesc, originally from the 13th century, the façade was rebuilt in the 17th century. The church houses the tomb of Mallorca’s most famous citizen Ramón Llull (1235-1316) a wealthy courtier from Palma, who later became a hermit after a failed seduction attempt, he was later stoned to death in Tunisia, for attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity.
While there is still plenty to see in Palma, you could perhaps wind down your visit with an evening stroll up the Passeig des Born, a tree-lined promenade, which has long been the centre of city life in Palma. Have a coffee in one of the al fresco cafés and relax after a busy day in the beautiful Palma de Mallorca.
Palma de Mallorca Map.
