What to see in Palma de Mallorca: 11 sights, free days and walking routes

If you are wondering what to do in Palma de Mallorca and only have one day, the short answer is this: the cathedral in the morning, the Almudaina and the Arab Baths a stone's throw away, lunch at the Mercat de l'Olivar and the afternoon by the sea, on foot or on a boat. The whole old town can be done on foot. What ruins most plans is not distance but the calendar: almost every museum closes on Mondays, and on Sundays the cathedral does not open to visitors.

This guide is for first-time visitors arriving by plane, ferry or cruise ship who want to decide quickly. Official prices, opening times worth knowing, the days you get in free and how to squeeze in a boat trip without losing the afternoon.

The 11 things to do in Palma, in order of importance

1. Catedral de Mallorca (La Seu)

It is the image of the city: a Gothic cathedral facing the sea, begun in 1229–1230, with a central nave about 44 m high. Inside there is work by Antoni Gaudí and by Miquel Barceló, who created the ceramic Santíssim chapel (2007). The great rose window is about 12 m across and has 1,115 pieces of glass.

There are two official tickets: €10 (cathedral and museum) and €25 with the terraces. The €25 one is not "the ticket": it is the version that takes you up onto the roofs, in one-hour slots, only for over-9s and not suitable for anyone with vertigo or reduced mobility. It opens Monday to Saturday; on Sundays there is no sightseeing, only Mass. Everything you need to know is in our Palma Cathedral guide.

2. Palau Reial de l'Almudaina

The royal palace, directly opposite the cathedral, is run by Patrimonio Nacional. Entry €8, concession €5. From April to September it opens 10:00–20:00 and from October to March 10:00–18:00, with last entry an hour before closing. It closes every Monday. On the last Saturday of each month, at 12:00, there is a changing of the guard in period uniform (except in August and December, and weather permitting).

3. Castell de Bellver

A round castle on top of a wooded hill, with wide views over the bay. Entry €4, concession €2, free for under-14s and free for everyone on Sundays. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–18:00 (until 19:00 from April to September), Sundays and public holidays 10:00–15:00, closed on Mondays. It can close without notice in bad weather, because it sits inside the forest park.

4. Banys Àrabs (Arab Baths)

A vaulted room from the 10th–11th centuries, from Muslim Palma, in a garden with palms and orange trees. It is small (30–45 minutes is enough). Guidebooks give about €3.50 and daily opening from 10:00 to 18:30, but there is no official website to confirm it: check at the door. We cover it all, with a walk round the neighbourhood, in Arab Baths and old town.

5. Es Baluard, museum of contemporary art

On a bastion of the city wall, next to Santa Catalina. Entry €8 (concession €5.50, and €2 if you arrive by bike). On Fridays you pay what you like, from €0.10. Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–20:00 and Sunday 10:00–15:00; the ticket desk closes half an hour earlier.

6. Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró

The painter's studios and collection, in Cala Major on the edge of the city. Entry €10, free for under-16s, and free on Saturdays from 15:00 and on the first Sunday of each month. Note that the Son Boter studio is temporarily closed for restoration. EMT buses 1, 4, 46 and 47 and TIB bus 108 stop there; there are 60 free parking spaces.

7. La Llotja

The old Gothic merchants' exchange, on the Paseo Marítimo side. Today it is a temporary exhibition space run by the Govern (the Balearic government), so what you see inside depends on when you go: check what is on before you set off. For Balearic Islands Day, 1 March, it has opened free for an open day.

8. Mercat de l'Olivar

The city's food market since 1951, between Plaça d'Espanya and Carrer Sant Miquel. Fresh produce stalls and counters where you can eat, Monday to Saturday until 16:00. It opens Monday to Friday 07:00–14:30 (partly until 20:00) and Saturday 07:00–15:00. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.

9. Passeig del Born

The shopping boulevard in the centre, the "golden mile" of shops, running down towards the sea between the old town and Santa Catalina. It is more a stroll than a sight: walk it on your way to Es Baluard.

10. Santa Catalina

The neighbourhood next to Es Baluard, full of bars and restaurants. A good place for dinner. EMT bus 46 runs through it.

11. Portixol and El Molinar

The seafront east of the cathedral: a promenade by the sea and, very close by, Can Pere Antoni, Palma's city beach. EMT bus 35 leaves from Plaça de la Reina, next to the cathedral, and runs through Portixol and El Molinar on its way to Palma Aquarium.

Official prices and opening times of the monuments

The table shows prices from the official websites. The Arab Baths are the exception: they do not publish prices on an official site we can link to, so their price and opening hours are the ones guidebooks give; check them at the door.

Buying online only saves you queuing at the cathedral: with a ticket from the official website you use the fast-track entrance at the Portal del Mirador. Discounts for residents and children aged 9 or under are only given at the ticket office. Platforms such as GetYourGuide or Tiqets sell the same ticket with an extra, such as an audio guide:

Free things to do in Palma de Mallorca

With a little planning you can see almost everything without paying. These are the days the museums themselves publish:

The best free plan is the first Sunday of the month, in the morning: Bellver and the Fundació Miró without paying, bearing in mind both close at 15:00. Then the beach or a stroll round Portixol. And the things that never cost anything: the Born, Santa Catalina, the walk along the city wall and the seafront.

Palma in a day: a walking route

A route for a weekday, Tuesday to Saturday, when everything is open. No car, no rush.

If you have energy to spare or another day, go up to Bellver in the morning: EMT buses 4, 20 and 46 to El Terreno, then Carrer de Bellver and a flight of 463 steps (about a 20-minute climb from Plaça Gomila). On the sightseeing bus it is stop 10, and it is best done early: we explain why in our guide to the Palma sightseeing bus.

If it is a Sunday or a Monday

• Sunday: the cathedral only opens for Mass (you can attend the 10:30 or 12:00 service, suitably dressed and without sightseeing during the service). The Olivar is closed. Change the route: Bellver free in the morning, Es Baluard (open 10:00–15:00) and a boat or the beach in the afternoon.
• Monday: the cathedral does open, but the Almudaina, Bellver, Miró and Es Baluard close. It is the best day to give the afternoon to the sea or to a day trip out of Palma.

Half a day in Palma: the short route

For anyone with four hours, for example on a short cruise stop:

1. Cathedral (opens at 10:00, Monday to Saturday).
2. The Almudaina from outside and the city wall above the Parc de la Mar.
3. Arab Baths, a few minutes' walk away.
4. Plaça Cort and the old town, heading back towards the Born.
5. A coffee on the Born and back to the ship or hotel.

If you would rather have someone tell you the story, guided tours of the historic centre last between an hour and a half and two hours. The best rated on the list is this one:

See the guided tour of the historic centrefrom €39Affiliate link: if you book, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Things to do in Palma de Mallorca on a cruise day

Cruise ships dock at Estacions Marítimes 1–4 (Poniente) or at the Dic de l'Oest, a long way from the centre. EMT bus 1 links the Dic de l'Oest, the Estacions Marítimes, the Paseo Marítimo (Auditòrium stop) and Plaça d'Espanya. A single ticket costs €2 in cash; with a contactless bank card it is cheaper and includes a transfer. A rise to €3 has been initially approved, so check the current fare at https://www.emtpalma.cat/es/tarifas/tarifas before you set off.

Three tips for your port day:

• In summer, Saturday is usually the busiest day: several big ships call at once and you notice it in the centre.
• On a Sunday you will find the cathedral closed to sightseeing and the Mercat de l'Olivar closed.
• The sightseeing bus has stop 14 at the Estació Marítima, the closest to the Poniente terminal.

Everything about quays, terminals and transfers is in our guide to Palma cruise port.

How a boat trip fits into your visit to Palma

Palma looks best from the water: the cathedral above the city wall, Bellver on its hill, the port and the open bay. And you do not need to give up a whole day.

The shortest (55 minutes). Mallorca City Boat leaves from the Escala Real, next to the Moll Vell (old quay), below the cathedral, every hour from 11:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday, for €19. It passes the Almudaina, the cathedral, Bellver and the port. There is no swimming stop. It fits into any gap in the walking route. The full review is in Mallorca City Boat.

Sightseeing bus + boat. City Sightseeing sells a 50-minute trip round the port and the bay, also from the Escala Real, from April to November, Monday to Saturday. It does not run on Sundays.

Half a day with a swim. The bay catamarans leave from the Muelle de las Golondrinas, on the Paseo Marítimo opposite the Auditòrium, and head for the coves on the Llucmajor side: Cova Verda, Cap Rocat, Cala Vella and Cala Blava. Compare the options in our guide to catamarans in Palma.

At sunset. The way to end the day without cutting into sightseeing time. Options and prices in sunset boat trips.

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Things to do in Palma with kids

• Palma Aquarium: one of the deepest and largest shark tanks in Europe. EMT bus 35 links it with Plaça de la Reina. Full guide in Palma Aquarium.
• Bellver: free for under-14s, with woods all around and a round castle children love.
• Fundació Miró: free for under-16s.
• A short boat trip: the 55-minute one tires nobody out and has a toilet on board.
• A beach in the city: Can Pere Antoni, next to Portixol, or Cala Major, one of Palma's three Blue Flag beaches. Note: after heavy rain, Cala Major and Can Pere Antoni are sometimes closed to swimming. More in Palma beaches.

Things to do in Palma in 3 days

• Day 1: the one-day route above (cathedral, Almudaina, Arab Baths, Olivar, Born, Santa Catalina).
• Day 2: Bellver in the morning, the Fundació Miró and an afternoon boat on the bay or the beach at Cala Major.
• Day 3: out of the city. The Sóller train leaves from Plaça d'Espanya (€30 return) and combines with the tram and the boat to Sa Calobra.

For the evening, Palma has a flamenco tablao with shows every day: we cover it in flamenco in Palma.

Getting around Palma

• On foot: the old town, the cathedral, the Born, Es Baluard and the Escala Real are all a short distance apart.
• EMT 1: cruise port – Paseo Marítimo – Plaça d'Espanya.
• EMT 35: Plaça de la Reina – Portixol – El Molinar – Aquarium.
• EMT 46: Santa Catalina and, via El Terreno, Bellver.
• EMT 4, 46, 47 and TIB 108: Fundació Miró and Cala Major.
• From the airport: the A1 bus costs €5.
• Sightseeing bus: 19 stops, every 30 minutes from 10:00 (every 45 from 14:30), last one at 17:30, from about €31.

Tourist tax (ITS): how much you will pay

The Balearic Islands charge the Sustainable Tourism Tax per person per night, plus 10% VAT. High season runs from 1 May to 31 October and low season from 1 November to 30 April.

Under-16s do not pay, nor do cruise passengers whose home port is in the Balearics, and from the ninth night in the same accommodation the amount is halved. Rises for the summer have been discussed: before you travel, work out your amount with the Govern's official calculator, https://illessostenibles.travel/es/calculadora-its

Palma cityPalma Cathedralfrom €11 Palma cityArab Baths & old townfrom €28 Palma cityHop-on hop-off busfrom €27 Bay of PalmaFrom Palma portfrom €19