Get in:
By plane - Palma's city airport (PMI) is the major airport in Mallorca, and has daily flights from many European cities on national and budget carriers. The airport is managed by Aeropuetos Españoles y Navegación Aérea. PMI is only 9 kilometres from the center of Palma. The city's route 1 bus service runs between the city center and the airport every fifteen minutes between 6:15am and 2:30am, and the fare is €1.85.
By train - TIB runs train services between Mallorcan towns.
By car - Travellers can only drive to Palma from other cities in Mallorca; there are no bridges or any road links to other islands or to the mainland. Most cities and towns in Mallorca have road links directly to Palma.
By bus - EMT (ph. 971 43 10 24) runs the local bus service in Palma. A single ticket costs €1.10 (appr. $1.40) as of 2006. All EMT buses are equipped with onboard screens and loudspeakers that state the current and next stop. Line number 1 (EMT) will take you from the airport through Palma downtown and as far as Porto Pi. Arrivals/departures every 15 minutes from 06.15 AM through 02.15 AM. The fare is €1.85 (appr. $2.36) as of 2006.
By boat - Any number of cruise ships berth at Palma, and there are also a number of ferry services to other Balaeric Islands and to the Iberian peninsula:
Baleària (phone 966 42 87 00) run ferries from Denia, Valencia, and Ibiza.
Trasmediterranea (phone 902 45 46 45) run ferries from Barcelona, Valencia, Ibiza and Mahon.
Iscomar Ferries (phone 902 11 91 28 or 971 43 75 00 for international callers) run ferries from Barcelona, Valencia , Ibiza and Denia.
Get around
Buses are the only form of shared public transport in Palma de Mallorca. The local buses are run by Empresa Municipal de Transports Urbans de Palma de Mallorca (EMT) and are very frequent. They have particularly good coverage of the beaches and the center of the city. Timetables and fares are available from the city council.
The Palma City Sightseeing bus (which is numbered line 50 on the EMT bus maps) does a circuit of Palma that includes tourist attractions like Pueblo Español and major shopping centres like Av. Jaume III and Porto Pi, as well as the ferry and commercial ports. The buses are double-decker and the top floor is open air. A basic audio tour is free with the tickets. The tickets are €13 adults and €6,50 children which is much higher than the other city buses, but they are valid for reboarding as many times as you like within 24 hours, and this is the only bus route that visits the Castell de Bellver.
Places to see:
The historical center of Palma is the oldest part of the city. It's also a refreshing area to walk in on one of Palma's hot humid days: the streets are narrow and shady. You will get a chance to peek in at a number of private courtyards. In addition, the historic center has a lot of attractions:
Castell de Bellver (phone 971 73 06 57) - is built on the ruins of a Muslim site. It contains a museum of archaeological finds and classical sculptures as well as having an excellent view of the bay. It is open on weekdays at 8am to 8pm (October to March) and 8am to 9pm (April to September). It is open on Sundays and public holidays at 10am to 5pm. Admission is €1,80 adults and €0,87 members and concessions.
Pueblo Español (phone 971 73 70 70, email: p.espanyol@baleares.com) - This architectural museum is designed like a small village containing facsimiles of the major classical works of Spanish architecture. During the week there are numerous artisans' shops, restaurants and bars operating within the museum. Open 9am to 7pm. Admission is €5 adults and €3 children.
Catedral de Mallorca and Museo Catedralicio, (phone 971 72 31 30, email: info@catedraldemallorca.org). Mallorca's spectacular cathedral is located close to the sea-side. The museum, located in the chapter room and vestry, has exhibits of religious paintings and silverware. The museum opens at 10am, and its weekday closing hours are 5:15pm (April to May), 6:15pm (June to September), 5:15pm (October) and 3:15pm (November to March). On weekends it closes at 2:15pm (all year).
Banys Àrabs (phone 971 72 15 49). The Arab bath building is the only building in Palma dating to the Arab settlement. The baths were constructed in the tenth century, and were sauna-style: the floor was heated and water added to make the room steamy. A small courtyard and the two rooms of the baths themselves are open to ten people at a time. €1,50 adults and free for children.
Museo de Arte Español Contemporáneo, (phone 971 71 35 15, email: museupalma@expo.march.es). This branch of the museum of contemporary art has a permanent collection of over seventy pieces by modern Spanish artists including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Juan Gris and Salvador Dalí. The museum is open from 10am to 6:30pm weekdays and 10:30am to 2pm Saturdays. Admission is free. (http://www.march.es/arte/palma/)
Aqualand, Palma – Arenal Motorway, exit 13, Km 15. This water park has slides and pools of varying degrees of adventurousness. Open from early May to early October each year, its opening hours are 10am - 5pm (May - June, Sept - Oct) and 10am - 6pm (July - August). Admission is €20 adults, €18 seniors and €14 children. http://www.aspro-ocio.es/elarenal/mallorca/
Cafe Port Pesquer, C/- Moll de la Llotja. This portside cafe is a seafood specialist, and also serves local specialities like tapas and platos mediterráneos. It is popular with locals and tourists, but is perhaps a little under-staffed. Mains €14 - €20.
XII Apóstoles, C/- Sant Ramon Nonat. This opulently decorated pizza restaurant has a pizza topping for each of the eponymous apostles. The enormous pizzas have a thin crust and sparse but intense toppings. Bookings advised if you're eating after 8:30pm. Pizzas €10 - €15. Wine €20 - €50. http://www.12apostoles.com/
The Mallorca high season is between July and September. Book your ferry ticket to Mallorca especially early during any holiday weeks or weekends in the United Kingdom or Germany, as Mallorca and Palma in particular are popular holiday spots for people from these countries.
| Palma de Malorca Port Directions |
Palma ferry port terminal is about 4km west of the city centre. There are two passenger terminals in Palma, about 160m apart. Bus #1 runs from Terminal 2 to the centre (Mon-Sat 8am to 9pm; reduced service on Sun and holidays), pausing at Plaça de la Reina and Plaça Rei Joan Carles I, before continuing on to Plaça Espanya. There's also a taxi rank outside the terminal building.
Palma - Local Trains
There are two railways in Mallorca. The one for Soller is a great way to enjoy the spectacular view of the Tramuntana Mountain Range
Palma - Taxi
In the city of Palma, fare is calculated by a meter plus supplement (airport, port, extra luggage, extra passengers etc.). Inter-Village tariff applies to the rest of the island. Each taxi driver carries the tariff table.
Palma - Local Bus
Bus is the most economical way to visit Palma and Mallorca island. Various bus companies run services between Palma and the rest of Mallorca, as well as between the different villages. In Palma, there are four streets from where you can catch buses. All of them are located near Plaza Plaza Espana. Palma (E.M.T) - bus service runs 22 bus lines in & around Palma all of which stop at Plaza Espana.
Palma - by Car
Driving on the main roads is quite simple and there are good highways and national roads, which take you to most places on the island.
Balearia to: Denia, Ibiza
Port Direction Source: Aferry.to
