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Palma Majorca

Make the most of your time in Palma Majorca, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links to plan your visit.

Since the 1950s and the advent of mass tourism Palma has become a hit with holiday-makers from Western Europe, its airport seeing more than 20 million people annually through its doors in recent years. It is not just popular among those looking for a bit of Spanish sun however; it proves popular among some of the world’s rich and famous with its top quality restaurants and impressive hotels (link to hotels). There is also much more to the city than bars, clubs and sunshine too. There are a number of spectacular and must see monuments and religious buildings, as well as museums displaying something of the city’s turbulent and varied history.

Palma is the capital of the island of Mallorca and indeed of the wider Balearic Islands which are located in the Mediterranean Sea off the east coast of Spain. It was, in times gone by, one of the Mediterranean Sea’s most important port cities and is to be found on the southern side of the island facing the Bay of Palma. The city contains approximately half of the island’s population with 383,000 inhabitants, while the wider urban area plays host to around 517,000 people. Palma is a walled city and is the focal point for the island’s hotels, restaurants and clubs. It has an Old Quarter like many other Spanish cities with the customary cobbled streets and narrow alleys.

It was after the Romans took control of Mallorca in around 125 BC that Palma was formed. The Romans decided to construct two new cities, one of which was Palma, and was to be used as a port with a particular emphasis on African trade. Between the rules of the Romans and the Moors there was a short period of control from the Byzantines the evidence of which can be seen in certain mosaics in some buildings in the area. The Muslim period of empire didn’t reach the Mediterranean island to begin with although a treaty was signed allowing autonomy in return for taxes. By the beginning of the 10th century, under the command of the Caliphate of Cordoba (to be linked when online), Palma and Mallorca were forced under Islamic control, signalling a period of population, commercial and manufacturing growth. The Caliphate broke up towards the beginning of the 11th century which sparked a time of sovereignty in the form of an autonomous Taifa. Palma was unable to shake off a problem with piracy in its nearby waters however which was a continuing concern despite a generally peaceful 70 years or so. Before the onset of the reconquest Palma was further ruled under a Balearic Taifa and Banu Ganiya until the early 13th century. But in 1229 under James I of Aragon the Spaniards recaptured their city after three months of siege. The city was instantly renamed Palma de Mallorca (having been named Medina Mayurqa under the Muslims), and oversaw a movement of construction of the likes of monuments and statues. Following this the city grew and divided into sections either side of the river – Upper and Lower, and it was clearly a real golden age for the city with extensive commerce in particular. Palma has evidently undergone a history of ups and downs with much conquest and reconquest, but today it is a haven for sun-loving tourists and this has increased dramatically in recent years; in 1960 there were 500,000 visitors, while in 1997 the city saw 6.7 million enter its shores.

On entering the city one of the first sights which strikes the eye is the dominating cathedral (link to attractions), the building of which was initiated under the reign of James I of Aragon once he had defeated the Islamic rulers towards the beginning of the 13th century. The cathedral was in fact built on the site of a former mosque and construction wasn’t fully completed until the early-17th century. James’ grandson James II of Aragon began an impressive feat of his own, ordering the erection of the 14th century Bellver Castle. The building was used as a prison in later years, not least during the reign of General Franco in the country. There are a number of other attractions that are well worth a visit while in the city, including: the Museum of Mallorca, La Llotja merchants’ exchange, the Arts Museum and the Arab baths.

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