City of Palma

The largest and most well known city in all of Mallorca is Palma.  Regardless of how you get onto the island you are most certainly to pass through Palma as it is home to the airport and ferry dock.  However, just as we did, I would grab your bags and head for a different destination.  It is not that I didn't like Palma or that it was a run down city, there are just so many more beautiful locations throughout Mallorca were your time is better spent.

Samantha and I in front of the cathedral in Palma. 

Given Fornalutx was only a 35 minute drive to Palma, we decided to explore the city for a few hours one morning on the way to one of our beach destinations.  Palma, located right on the water, has a strip of beach miles long that is supposed to be one of the better beaches in all of Mallorca according to the tour books.  We did not hang out on the beach but as we passed it, I was not in awe unlike some of other beach destinations.  Therefore if you are staying in Palma, it is probably a good beach spot to go to however I would not go out of my way to hang out at Palma's beach.

It was in the center of the city where we spent most of our time.  Just like any major European city, a powerful Cathedral was the epicenter of Palma.  The church was massive and beautiful inside however everyone in our group who had been to Barcelona stated Gaudi's cathedral was much more impressive. Irrespective, it is still worth going to see when you are in Palma.  

Inside the massive cathedral. 

Similar to Nice, Palma boasts a colorful old town that is the hot spot for all tourists.  It is a great place to walk around for an hour for some quick shopping and maybe a gelato however it is not a place you want to spend all day.  Hordes of tourists jam pack the narrow passage ways so the crowds can be dealt with for only so long.  Of course at the end of it all, my family found a huge market and pigged out on everything from jamon to pizza to oysters. 

Fish at the large market at the edge of Old Town.  

All in all Palma is worth exploring but it is not worth spending a whole day there, especially given the beach weather.  There was more we could have seen such as some of the mansions or museums but since we were eager for the beach, we only saw the main attractions.  On that note, there is a good chance you will be passing through Palma to get to a beach on some part of the island which makes it an ideal pit stop.  My suggestion would be to stop for a few hours in the morning before the crowds get too hectic, see a few sights and then head off to the white sand and blue water. 

Enjoying some food at the end of our journey in Palma.