Spain · City break

Palma City Guide

Palma is more than a beach. A Gothic cathedral right by the sea where Gaudí moved the choir, a royal palace on Moorish walls, Arab baths and a perfectly round castle above the bay. A ready-made day route runs from the station to Es Baluard, and for a day trip there is the vintage train to Sóller.

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Our walking tours of Palma

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Palma, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Old Town & La Seu

From the station on Plaça d'Espanya into the Olivar market hall and on to Plaça Major, seat of the Inquisition until 1823, with Modernisme facades right next door. Ramon Llull lies in Sant Francesc, and in the Banys Àrabs a room from Muslim Madina Mayurqa survives. Then La Seu with Gaudí's model canopy and Barceló's ceramic chapel, and opposite it the Almudaina royal palace. By the old harbour Sa Llotja shows off its gargoyles, and modern art fills the Es Baluard bastion.

Mercat de l'Olivar. The day starts where Palma does its own shopping. The market hall on Plaça de l'Olivar opened in 1951, although Gaspar Bennàssar had drawn up the first plans back in 1914. Only after several redesigns did Gabriel Alomar and Enric Juncosa pull everything together into a single L-shaped building. The municipal market already stood on this square before, and today 380 cars park underneath the hall. Inside are fish, meat, fruit, cheese and sausages, with counters in between where traders and customers eat tapas.
Plaça Major. With its arcades the rectangular square looks as if it was built in one go, but until 1823 this was the seat of the Inquisition. After it was torn down, ten years passed before building began. The first wing was finished in 1838 and the ensemble kept growing well into the 20th century, car park underneath included. Leave by the south side for Plaça del Marquès del Palmer. Two houses of Catalan Modernisme stand wall to wall there, L'Àguila by Gaspar Bennàssar and Can Forteza Rey, both from around 1908 and clad in colourful ceramics. About 150 m west, on Plaça Weyler, the Gran Hotel by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, opened in 1903, shows how Palma received its wealthy guests around 1900.
Basílica de Sant Francesc. From the outside, the church looks plain. The smooth facade dates from the 17th century, and only the Baroque doorway with its rose window stands out. The Gothic single-nave church itself was begun in 1281. To the left of the sanctuary lies the Gothic tomb made in the 15th century for the philosopher and mystic Ramon Llull. Next door the cloister opens up, with very slender columns and lobed arches, built between the 14th and 17th centuries. Junípero Serra studied in this friary and went on to found nine of the 21 Spanish missions in California, from San Diego to San Francisco. When Pope Francis canonised him in 2015, Native American groups protested strongly, accusing him of presiding over a brutal colonial subjugation. Unlike the cathedral, it is usually quiet in here.
Banys Àrabs. A horseshoe arch leads you into one of the few rooms left from Mallorca's Muslim period. Until James I conquered it in 1229, the city was called Madina Mayurqa. What survives is an almost cube-shaped hall that was once part of a bathhouse. Twelve columns with horseshoe arches carry a dome, with light falling through small openings in it. Take a look at the capitals. They do not match, and were probably taken from older buildings. The baths are usually dated to the 11th century, though some sources say the 10th. Outside lies a shady garden, once part of the Can Serra mansion that gave the lane its name.
La Seu (Catedral de Mallorca). Arrive by sea and this is what you see first. Building began after the conquest of 1229 on the site of Madina Mayurqa's main mosque, which was taken down piece by piece, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1601. Inside, the nave rises more than 40 m on strikingly slender octagonal pillars. Above the altar glows one of the largest Gothic rose windows, its tracery forming a six-pointed star. Two artists have reshaped the space. From 1904 Antoni Gaudí moved the choir out of the middle of the nave, and the canopy hanging on cables above the altar is only a model of his design, which was never completed. In the chapel of Sant Pere, Miquel Barceló spent 2001 to 2006 covering the walls with 300 m² of ceramics teeming with fish and sea creatures.
Palau de l'Almudaina. Opposite the cathedral's main door stands the palace that was here first. Its walls go back to the Muslim fortress the conquerors called the Zuda, and are said to have Roman roots. Between 1281 and 1343 the kings of Mallorca turned it into a Gothic palace, modelled on their palace in Perpignan. Mallorca was a kingdom of its own then, and only passed for good to the Crown of Aragon in 1349. Look out for the chapel of Santa Anna and the great halls on the ground floor. The upper floor was added under Charles V in the 16th century. The Almudaina is still the Spanish king's official residence on Mallorca and hosts the annual reception, although the family actually stays at the Marivent palace in summer.
Sa Llotja. By the old harbour the merchants' guild had its exchange built between 1426 and 1447. The architect, Guillem Sagrera, made the trading hall look like a small fortress, with octagonal corner towers and battlements. The south side was part of the sea wall and used to be reflected straight in the water, while today a road and promenade lie in front. The merchants' guardian angel watches over the main door. Look up at the gargoyles shaped like lions and dragons. Inside, six twisted columns without capitals carry three aisles of equal height, a design later copied by the silk exchange in Valencia. The hall only opens for exhibitions, so usually the view from outside has to do.
Es Baluard. The Sant Pere bastion went up in the late 16th century to plans by the Italian military engineer Giacomo Palearo, known as Fratin, as part of the ring of walls that enclosed Palma until the early 20th century. The army left in 1952, the new private owners wanted to build here, and in 1963 a blast with lime charges destroyed part of the wall. After public protests the state took the bastion back and had the wall rebuilt. Since 2004 a concrete and glass museum of modern and contemporary art has sat inside the old walls, with works by Miró, Picasso and Barceló. The Aljub, a cistern from the 1640s that once supplied ships with fresh water, now hosts installations and concerts.

Planning your visit

One day is enough for the old town. The route covers 3.4 km with eight stops, starts at Plaça d'Espanya station and ends at the Es Baluard bastion. If you're short on time, skip Sant Francesc and Sa Llotja. Castell de Bellver above the city is a tip of its own for the afternoon. On Mondays the Almudaina, Es Baluard and Bellver are closed, and on Sundays La Seu is shut to visitors. Street signs say Carrer, not Calle, because Mallorca speaks Catalan. Give the vintage train to Sóller a day of its own. It leaves from the same station. There are five tips for the evening.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

Sky Bar im Hostal Cuba. The building in Santa Catalina is more than a hundred years old and once housed sailors and fishermen. Today it is a hotel, and in the evening the rooftop bar mixes cocktails. From up there you see the bay and part of the city, with the cathedral rising above the trees. Local DJs or live bands provide the music.

Nightlife quarters

Santa Catalina. Santa Catalina was the quarter of fishermen and workers outside the city wall. Many houses have just one or two storeys and Mallorcan shutters, with Modernisme facades in between. Today it counts as one of the island's food quarters, with plenty of places to eat around the old Mercat de Santa Catalina. On the edge of the district the old windmills still stand on the Jonquet hill.

Food & restaurants

Celler Sa Premsa. In May 1958 Antonio Mayol, a banker by training with no experience of the restaurant trade, turned an old warehouse into a place serving Mallorcan food. The huge wine casks along the walls are still its trademark, and the third generation of the family now runs the celler. The menu sticks to island dishes, and locals sit next to visitors in the dining room.

Bars & clubs

Abaco. The cocktail bar occupies Can Marcel, a listed town mansion behind Sa Llotja. It is known for its over-the-top decor and classical music in the background. Late on Fridays, rose petals are said to rain down from a gallery above the fireplace. It is pure theatre, and that is exactly why people come. You drink here and eat elsewhere.

Stage & concerts

Teatre Principal. Palma's opera house opened on 19 November 1857, modelled on the Liceu in Barcelona, with boxes arranged in a horseshoe. Almost seven months later, after a performance of Verdi's "Macbeth", it burned out overnight, and the cause was never established. The rebuilt house reopened in 1860. Today it belongs to the island council and stages opera, dance and drama.

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Practical information for Palma

Public transport

Operator. City buses are run by the Empresa Municipal de Transports Urbans de Palma, S.A. (EMT Palma), which is wholly owned by the city of Palma. Its fleet comprises 256 buses, including the airport lines A1 (Aeroport, Palma Centre) and A2 (Aeroport, s'Arenal) and four night lines. The island network runs under the TIB brand (Transports de les Illes Balears) and is coordinated by the Consorci de Transports de Mallorca (CTM). It includes the intercity buses of the line groups 100 to 500, dedicated airport buses to the resorts (A11, A32, A33, A42, A43, A51) and the railway of Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM), with train lines T1 to Inca, T2 to sa Pobla and T3 to Manacor and Metro line M1 to the university (UIB) and ParcBit. Since March 2026 you can pay on all EMT buses with the same contactless bank card as on TIB buses, trains and the Metro.

Network. 42 EMT city bus lines, four of them night lines, plus one Metro line to the university and three train lines into the interior of the island. Trains, the Metro and intercity buses start at the Estació Intermodal on Plaça d'Espanya, where airport line A1 also stops.

Modes of transport. Bus · Metro · Regional train

Operating hours. Under the EMT timetable, which has applied since 10 September 2026, city bus lines start on weekdays between 5.25am and 7.55am, depending on the line. The last journeys run between 7.45pm (line 34) and 2.12am (line 35). Lines 3, 7 and 8 run until 12.30am, line 4 until 12.45am and line 25 between s'Arenal and the cathedral until 1.55am. Airport line A1 runs from the airport from 5.30am to 3.10am. In the opposite direction it leaves Passeig Mallorca from 4.17am to 12.20am, plus one last journey at 3.30am. Trains T1, T2 and T3 leave Palma from Monday to Friday between 5.45am and 10.20pm, and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between 6.10am and 10.10pm. Metro M1 leaves the Estació Intermodal from Monday to Friday between 6.35am and 9.35pm, on Saturdays between 7am and 2.30pm, and does not run at all on Sundays and public holidays.

Night service. Four EMT night lines run on Fridays, Saturdays and before public holidays, all via the Pl. Espanya interchange. The N1 (Portopí, Porta des Camp) runs every half hour, from Porta des Camp between 11.55pm and 5.55am and from Portopí between 12.30am and 6.30am. The N2 (Can Blau, Can Valero), N3 (Germans Escalas, sa Indioteria) and N4 (pl. Progrés, Pont d'Inca) run hourly, each roughly from midnight until about 6am. On the other days only a few day lines keep running after midnight, such as the 25 until 1.55am and the 35 until 2.12am. Airport line A1 runs every night, with departures from the airport at 1.15am, 2.15am and 3.10am. The last trains leave Palma around 10.20pm and the last Metro at 9.35pm.

Buying tickets. Since the end of January 2026, EMT no longer offers ten-ride cards, single tickets to buy in advance or separate airport or port tickets. You either pay the driver in cash, who gives change of no more than €10, or hold a contactless debit or credit card against the validator when boarding. You do not need to buy a ticket beforehand. On trains and the Metro, single tickets are sold at the machines in all stations, paid for in cash or by card, and at the ticket offices of the Estació Intermodal in Palma and of the stations at Inca and Manacor. A rail ticket is valid only for the rail journey and not for transferring to a bus. On TIB intercity buses the driver sells single tickets for cash only, notes up to €20, with no right to transfer. The Tarjeta Única cannot be topped up on EMT buses, but it can at the rail machines, online and, in cash, on the TIB bus, in amounts from €5 to €50.

App and payment. With a contactless debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro) you travel without buying a ticket beforehand. On EMT city buses you validate only when boarding. On TIB buses, trains and the Metro you hold the card against the reader both when boarding and when getting off. If you do not confirm getting off, TIB charges a surcharge of €0.30 per person. For a group, the same card is tapped as many times as there are passengers, up to five times at most. The total is debited the following day as a single amount. The bank may reserve up to €20 beforehand and releases it afterwards. The EMT Palma app shows lines, timetables, stops and arrival times in real time, but is still in test operation. In the TIB Mallorca app you can only load a Tarjeta Única onto your phone as a virtual card (TUvirtual). Buying a ticket for visitors without this card is not provided for there.

Which ticket. On the EMT city bus the cash fare (Billete sencillo) does not include a transfer. Fares to the port are the same as within the city, and higher to the airport on the A1 or A2. EMT Palma publishes the current prices. With a contactless bank card EMT gives 40% off for the first person, and the discount increases for each additional person using the same card, up to five people. Children under 5 travel free when accompanied by an adult. On trains and the Metro a single ticket costs €1.80 for 0 zone jumps, €2.70 for 1 jump and €5.40 for 4 jumps, the same as one person pays by bank card. On the TIB intercity bus the cash fare is €3 (0 jumps) to €9 (4 jumps), and €6.75 to €13.50 on the TIB airport lines. With a bank card one person pays €1.80 there instead of €3, which is 60% of the cash price, and the fifth person in a group pays €1.20. The Tarjeta Única replaced the Tarjeta Ciudadana in 2026 and makes all journeys on EMT, TIB, trains and the Metro free for the whole of 2026. It is only available to residents of Mallorca and, since 9 March 2026, also of Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, with ID showing an island address or a certificate of residence (empadronamiento). For visitors, that leaves cash and bank cards.

Fare zones. On EMT buses, journeys within the city and to the port cost the same, and journeys to or from the airport cost more. EMT Palma publishes the current prices. Airport lines A1 and A2 may only be used for journeys to or from the airport, and journeys between two stops in the city are not permitted on them. Trains, the Metro and TIB buses use a zone system in which the price rises with the number of zone boundaries crossed (saltos). More than 4 jumps are never charged, even on long journeys. With a bank card, TIB allows up to 2 transfers across 3 lines if no more than 60 minutes pass between getting off and boarding the next vehicle.

Tip. Give the city bus a hand signal in good time. The driver may not let anyone board once the bus has moved off or is outside the stop, not even at a traffic light alongside.

Getting there

Main station

Location. The Estació Intermodal is on Plaça d'Espanya on the northern edge of the old town. It is 1.4 km as the crow flies to the EMT stop Parc de la Mar below the cathedral. The EMT stop is called pl. d'Espanya, Estació Intermodal, and is served by, among others, airport line A1 and lines 16, 19 and 33. All four night lines run via the interchange stop at Plaça d'Espanya. Line 1 runs from Plaça d'Espanya along the Passeig Marítim to the ferry terminals at Portopí (Estacions Marítimes 1 to 4).

Long-distance trains. There is no long-distance rail service on Mallorca, and the role of the main station is played by the Estació Intermodal on Plaça d'Espanya. The TIB intercity buses, the SFM trains and the Metro all meet here. Line T1 reaches Inca in 36 minutes, T2 reaches sa Pobla in 56 minutes and T3 reaches Manacor in 72 minutes, all three via Marratxí and Inca. From Monday to Friday a train leaves Palma every 10 minutes at peak times and every 20 minutes otherwise. At weekends and on public holidays T2 and T3 alternate every half hour, and T1 does not run. Metro M1 runs via Son Sardina to the university (UIB) and ParcBit. The TIB intercity buses from all parts of the island also terminate here. The station has an information point for intercity services, luggage lockers, toilets, cafés and a supermarket. Tickets are sold by machines and at the ticket offices.

Opening hours. The Estació Intermodal is open from Monday to Sunday from 5.30am to 1.30am. Trains leave Palma from Monday to Friday between 5.45am and 10.20pm, and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between 6.10am and 10.10pm. Metro M1 runs on weekdays from 6.35am to 9.35pm and on Saturdays from 7am to 2.30pm, and does not run on Sundays and public holidays. There are ticket offices at the Estació Intermodal and at the stations at Inca and Manacor, and machines in all stations.

Airports

PMI

Into the city. EMT line A1 (Aeroport, Palma Centre) stops at the terminal on level 0 (arrivals) and level 2 (departures). It runs via Palau de Congressos, Porta des Camp, the interchange stop Sindicat and Plaça d'Espanya with the Estació Intermodal to Passeig Mallorca, Jaume III. According to the timetable it takes 25 minutes to the terminus and 30 minutes in the opposite direction. From the airport it runs daily from 5.30am to 3.10am, on weekdays every 15 minutes during the day, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays every 12 minutes, and less often after midnight. Towards the airport it starts from Passeig Mallorca between 4.17am and 12.20am, plus one more journey at 3.30am. The cash fare includes no transfer, and with a contactless bank card there is 40% off for the first person. EMT Palma publishes the current prices. The A1 may only be used for journeys to or from the airport. Line A2 runs to s'Arenal, from the airport between 6.15am and 1.15am. Line 34 links the airport with Son Espases hospital. TIB airport buses run directly to the resorts, such as the A11 to Peguera. Taxis wait on level 0 at arrivals. A taxi ride from the airport costs at least €16.95, which includes the base fare, an airport surcharge of €4.65 and the first 7 km. After that each kilometre costs €1.20 on weekdays from 7am to 9pm, and €1.35 at night, at weekends and on public holidays. There is no surcharge for luggage.

Local quirks

Foreign-registered cars need to register for the low-emission zone. For the Zona de Baixes Emissions in the centre of Palma, a car registered abroad must be registered 5 days before entry using a form on mobipalma.mobi. This requires ID, the vehicle registration document, proof of the Euro standard, proof of ownership and the ticket for the journey to the island. The permit is valid for 30 days. Until the end of 2026, petrol cars from Euro 3 and diesels from Euro 4 may enter, and from 2027 diesels only with Euro 6. Fines have been imposed since 1 July 2025.
Airport buses are not for city journeys. The EMT lines A1 and A2 do stop at places such as Porta des Camp and Plaça d'Espanya, but may only be used for journeys to or from the airport. If you are travelling within the city, take an ordinary line, which costs less.
Tap your card again when getting off, but not everywhere. On TIB buses, trains and the Metro you hold your bank card against the reader both when boarding and when getting off, otherwise there is a surcharge of €0.30 per person. On EMT city buses you validate only when boarding. A group uses one card and taps it once for each person when boarding, but only once when getting off the bus.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F
Time zone: Europe/Madrid
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 20/30/50 km/h (tiered), outside towns 90 km/h, motorway 120 km/h

Since May 2021, a three-tier system has applied within built-up areas instead of a single uniform value. 20 km/h on streets with a single level for the roadway and sidewalk, 30 km/h on streets with one lane per direction, and 50 km/h only from two lanes per direction upward. As a result, most inner-city streets are now limited to 30 km/h, which surprises visitors from countries with a uniform 50 km/h. A dense network of fixed and mobile speed cameras enforces this consistently, and fines on rental cars often arrive by mail only weeks later.

Tipping. Not expected. A few coins or five percent for good service is plenty.

Tolls. Some motorways are tolled, recognisable by AP in the name. Routes marked A are free.

Access restrictions. Cities above 50,000 inhabitants must set up low emission zones. Madrid and Barcelona enforce by camera, and foreign vehicles must register online in advance.