Palma de Mallorca Travel Guide

Palma de Mallorca is the chief city of the island of Mallorca, and the capital of the entire Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. With a population of 423,000 in 2022, it's home to half the people of Mallorca, and in summer feels like it contains half the people of Europe. A swathe of boxy hotels stretches out for 20 km on either side, and its airport is the entry point for all the resorts on the island. Yet for all the modern mediocrity, Palma retains a fine Old Town, with the highlights its cathedral and royal palace. Palma is also the admin centre for the uninhabited Cabrera islands 20 km south of Mallorca. They're a national park; boat trips visit but they're not described here.

Buses within Palma city and its beach strip are run byEMT[dead link]and are frequent. Bus CC orbits city centre M-F every 40 min and is free. Standard fares in 2024 are €2 within the city, €3 to the sea port and €5 to the airport, pay on board, no transfers permitted. A prepaid card for ten trips within the city is €15. These can be found from green vending machines around city centre bus stops (such as Plaza de España), and supposedly in news agents - though they're few and far between.Buses ru

Take great care of valuables, as the town centre has pickpockets a-plenty. Flower girls, street touts and other "distractors" may be working in cahoots with them.

High season is July to September, when Mallorca is mobbed by visitors from Germany, the UK and Ireland. Many hotels close in winter.