How to Spend One Day in Palma de Mallorca

Many people skip Palma completely when they fly to Mallorca, choosing to spend their holiday at one of the beach resorts from other corners of the island instead. After spending over a week in Palma, I can tell you that the capital of the Balearic Islands will surprise you with its charm, intricate Art Nouveau architecture and fascinating viewpoints. You should definitely take at least one day to explore Palma de Mallorca and let the city slowly but surely conquer your heart and make you fall in love with it. 

I’ve created this one day in Palma de Mallorca itinerary to help you navigate the city easily, in what I believe is the most efficient way, without having to spend too much time walking from one site to another. Palma’s city centre is quite small, with most of the attractions within walking distance of each other.

If you want a few days in the sun but don’t wish to hire a car, and you want to avoid the hotels and restaurants winter closures, why not come to Palma for a city break?

The Best Things to do in Palma de Mallorca in One Day

It wasn’t easy to choose the best things to do in Palma when I only had one day. Spending quite a bit of time in the city, I got to explore it at a slow pace and experience most of the attractions it had to offer. Of course, I wasn’t able to include everything in this guide, but I’ve tried my best to give you an idea of a relaxed itinerary that will take you to the most popular sites, and also show you some hidden corners.

I highly recommend spending the night in Palma, so that you can fully enjoy this itinerary without any time restrictions. I have suggested a couple of hotels at the end of this article, based on my own experience.

Have Breakfast at Fornet de la Soca

When you are in Mallorca you have to start your day with an ensaimada, the island’s most famous pastry. They are light, fluffy, and perfect when eaten with a cup of coffee or even better, a hot chocolate.

Bakeries have been a tradition in Palma for decades. Here you can buy freshly made ensaimadas, breads, sweet and savoury delicacies, and all sorts of other local pastries and pies. The most authentic “forns”, on their Mallorquin name, are usually family run and follow traditional recipes passed on from generation to generation.

My recommendation is Fornet de la Soca, one of the most authentic bakeries in Palma. They make all their products using only local, natural, and organic ingredients, and specialise in bringing century old Mallorcan recipes back to life. They also change their baked goods depending on the season, so, if you visit Palma in different months, you will get to taste different products. The bakery has a charming vintage interior which suits so well their “gastronomic archaeology” concept.

Visit the Cathedral

The Cathedral is the most famous touristic attraction in the city. Not just because it looks glorious from the outside, up on the hill dominating the city’s skyline, but its interior is spectacular as well. You can easily spend an hour visiting the Cathedral, or even two hours when the rooftop terrace is open. Unfortunately, when I visited the Cathedral, the rooftop was closed for the winter. Make sure you check the opening times and book a ticket ahead of time.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma is known among the locals as La Seu. Its construction started in 1229, on the orders of King Jaume I of Aragon, but it wasn’t finished until 1601. It has one of the tallest naves in the world, reaching 44 meters.

In 1901 Antoni Gaudi was invited to take over the restoration of the cathedral. Due to some misunderstanding the project was cancelled, but some of Gaudi’s ideas were still implemented. He is responsible for the beautiful stained glass in the Gothic windows of the Royal Chapel. He was helped by his disciple, Joan Rubió i Bellver, who designed some iconic buildings in Soller.  

One of the most striking architectural elements inside the Cathedral is the mural in the Chapel of Sant Pere, sculpted in terracotta by the local artist Miquel Barceló. The images represent scenes from the Gospel of St John, relating to the Last Supper, which the chapel is dedicated to. The colours and the details are so surreal, and at a first glance it does resemble Gaudi’s style.

If you want to visit the Cathedral and only have one day in Palma, I highly recommend booking a skip the line ticket online, by clicking here. When you don’t have much time available, the last thing you want is wait in the queue to buy tickets. You can also book a guided tour of the Cathedral, by clicking here.

Explore The Royal Palace of L’Almudaina

L’Almudaina Palace is one of the official summer residences of the King and Queen of Spain. The palace as it is today was built over an old Roman fort back in the 10^th century, by the Muslims. It was rebuilt in the 13^h century, after the Christians conquered Mallorca and King Jaime I of Aragon came to the throne.

Over the years, the palace has been modified over and over again, in different architectural styles. Whilst the ground floor has a medieval architecture, the first floor, which was added to the Palace in the 16^th century, is decorated with more recent furniture.

A visit to the palace costs 7 euros, with free entrance for citizens of the European Union and Latin America on Wednesdays and Sundays after 3pm. If you download the Palace of la Almudaina app, you can enjoy a guided tour free of charge. Otherwise, the Palace does offer audio guides for an extra fee of 4 euros, but they are only available in Spanish.

Relax in the King’s Gardens

The King’s gardens are located just underneath the walls of the Almudaina Palace. It’s a small, quiet garden with a central water feature, perfect to relax under the shade of the palm trees. The original garden was designed in the classic lush Moorish style, with fruit trees, vegetables and flowers, enclosed behind thick walls. The Moors believed that gardens must provide visitors with the five most important benefits in life: spiritual, aesthetic, nutritional, scientific and psychological. For example, the palm trees represented the connection between the earth and the sky, whilst the water was the essence of life, flowing and moving. 

The current gardens were landscaped in 1960, inspired by the Andalucian Nasrid style. They feature a pond surrounded by a large arch, fountains, sculptures, and a pergola. There are plenty of benches along each side of the fountains, where visitors can take a moment to relax after a long day of exploration, or when the sun is too hot.

Have Lunch at Can Cera

I felt that the lunch I experienced at Can Cera was so special that I have to recommend it to you as well. This luxury adults only hotel is a former 17-th century Mallorcan palace with an extravagant and romantic atmosphere, hidden away on a narrow street in the old town of Palma. It is decorated with antiques, custom made furniture and impressive stone arches. Booking a room here will make a £250 hole in your pocket, but if you are looking for a special experience, go for it! I have seen the rooms and if I was able to stay here, I probably wouldn’t want to leave the room – that’s how beautiful they are. Click here to read reviews on TripAdvisor or here to check the latest prices per night.

The restaurant at Can Cera is small and intimate, and offers a selection of traditional dishes that are meant to be shared. They use mostly local ingredients from artisan producers, with their olive oil bread being to die for. I would have been happy with just that on its own. However, every single dish went beyond tasting fantastic, highlighting a hero ingredient. I included this experience in my article about foodie encounters that you must try in Mallorca.

Visit the Arab Baths

As every other Spanish city which was part of the Al Andalus Empire, Mallorca has a large Muslim heritage. Arab baths, or hammams, were customary back in the 10^th century, and an important part of the community, where people would go to clean not only their their bodies, but also their souls. The water is considered sacred in Islam, and the hammam is one of the oldest surviving bath traditions in the world.

The Arab baths in Palma is one of the last remaining pieces of evidence of the Moorish occupation. Whilst they are small, they are well preserved and provide a glimpse into what it used to look like to go to the baths back in the 10^th century. What is interesting about these baths is that the columns are all different, as they were built with remains from other dynasties that occupied Mallorca before the Moors.

A ticket to visit the baths cost 2.5 euros, and gives you access to the peaceful garden as well. If you would like to experience an Arab bath, check out Palma’s branch of the Hammam Al Andalus. I went to their hammam in Granada and had such a relaxing time.

Check out Olivera de Cort

Photo taken by Nele from The Navigatio

Olivera de Cort is a unique 600-year-old olive tree, enlisted as unique in the Balearic Islands. You will find it in Placa de Cort, in front of the Town hall. The tree was brought to Palma from the Pedruixella Petit estate in Pollenca in 1989 as a symbol of peace, and over the time it has become one of the most popular attractions of Palma. The tree is 7 meters high, with a girth of 7.21 meters.

Pass by Placa Major

Placa Major is the main square in Palma de Mallorca. This is where most of the markets and events in Mallorca take place. The rectangular square is similar with Plaza Mayor from Madrid, but at a much smaller scale. The buildings surrounding it are mostly offices or private residences, with cafes and restaurants on the ground floor.

When I was in Palma, the square was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and it held a temporary festive Christmas market. Most of the stalls were selling nativity scenes, or betlems in Mallorquin, with different figurines and ornaments to add to the small houses/stables/towns. I can imagine it’s quite fun to build them as Christmas approaches.

Cross Passeig des Born

Passeig des Born is one of the most beautiful boulevards in Palma, with plenty of luxury shops, concept stores, 18^th century palaces, cafes and restaurants. The avenue has a large pedestrian area, where you can relax on a bench under the shade of the tall trees.

Take a Harbour Cruise

Whilst Palma is beautiful when explored by foot, I highly recommend taking a harbour cruise to see it from a different perspective, especially if you are visiting on a sunny day. The view of the Cathedral from the sea is so precious.

There are plenty of boats offering harbour tours. You can book one on the spot in the harbour, or book online if you want something special like snacks and drinks included, or snorkelling equipment. Here are some options:

• Catamaran cruise with a meal included
• Catamaran tour of Palma bay
• Cruise with snorkelling and food included

Have a Pre-Dinner Cocktail With a View

For a drink with a view check out the rooftop terrace of Nakar Hotel. The bar and restaurant is located at the 8^th floor and has a dreamy view over the old town, the Cathedral, Bellver Castle and the bay of Palma. The bar joins the rooftop, which features an infinity pool, making a great backdrop for sipping cocktails and enjoying the resident DJ’s tunes. 

Have Tapas for Dinner

There are two places which I really loved, when it came to tapas: Mercat 1930 and Moltabarra. They are all extremely different from each other, and it was hard to only recommend one.

Moltabarra is lively tapas in the old town of Palma, close to the Placa Major. They specialise in small bites, which you can pick from the large fridge window on the bar. There are so many different options, from goat cheese and black sausage to cod filled peppers on bread, from tortilla de patatas to anchovies marinated in vinegar, from gazpacho to patatas bravas. They sell craft beer, wine and local vermouth. This is a very affordable tapas bar, with prices starting at 2 euros per pincho and 4 euros per tapa.

Mercat 1930 is a modern gastronomic market hall with a selection of different local and international restaurants. It is located on Paseo Maritimo, around 45 minutes’ walk from the Cathedral. You will find here traditional Spanish cold meat and cheese platters, Mexican tacos, sushi, burgers, steaks, and even a tartar station. There is also a wine vendor, a craft beer station and a cocktail and dessert bar. When you order food, you will receive a buzzer which will light up when your dish is ready. There are plenty of tables in the middle, where you can enjoy your dinner. Mercat1930 is more expensive than other tapas bars.

Staying the Night?

From my experience, there aren’t really many good quality budget accommodation options in Palma, unless you go for a hostel. And even so, if you are over 30, you will have to pay an extra fee. Because I didn’t personally try any of them on this occasion, I will skip the budget option and go directly to mid-range.

Ca Sa Padrina is a lovely B&B located on a quiet street in the heart of the old town of Palma, minutes’ walk from the Intermodal station. I booked one of the few last rooms available, which came with a lovely rooftop terrace where I had my coffee in the morning. The room was large and comfortable, with extra blankets which were very helpful as the night I arrived in Palma was quite chili.

For more information, you can check out the reviews on TripAdvisor, or the latest prices on Booking.com  

Treat Yourself:

For a unique stay in Palma, check out Hotel Calatrava. Located just off Parc de la Mar, five minutes’ walk from the Cathedral, this hotel offers gorgeous spacious rooms overlooking the sea. The bathrooms are proper luxury, with both a bathtub and a walk-in shower and luxurious toiletries.

The staff are extremely nice and helpful. Breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace, from where you can see the harbour, the old town and Castell de Bellver. I loved the many options for breakfast, with both local products and food made to order by the chef. I spent two hours on the terrace, sipping coffee and enjoying the view.

For more information, you can check out the reviews on Tripadvisor, or the latest prices on Booking.com

More Time in Mallorca?

Check out my articles about:

• How to use the public transport in Mallorca
• Non touristy things to do in Mallorca
• Day trip from Palma to Soller and Port de Soller

Like it? Pin it!

Disclaimer: Some of the links on this website are “affiliate links.” This means that if you click on the link and do a purchase, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost for you. This helps me keep my website running and continue to share my travelling knowledge with you. I thank you for booking your flights or hotels using the links on my website. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.