The old town of Palma de Mallorca is a beautiful set of narrow streets and has the most medieval neighborhood. The old town is surrounded by large avenues with walls that delineated the city back in ancient times.
The tourist attraction of this area focuses mostly on its historical buildings. It is without a doubt the best starting point to explore the villa. Due to its location in the center of the city, it is a very lively area. It is full of different places and shops that invite tourists to walk through its streets and discover one of the most characteristic elements of the Balearic city, the interior courtyards.
These are constructions that took place between the 15th and 17th centuries, and some of them can be visited as Can Marquès, which is open as a museum house.
However, the most relevant building in the area is undoubtedly the Gothic cathedral of ‘La Seu’, which was built on a mosque that used to be a Roman temple. It is a piece of art and the treasure of Mallorca that can be seen from any point of the city. The light penetrates through its huge windows and creates incredible effects.
In addition, its interior was decorated with the art and sensitivity of Gaudí. The mural of the controversial artist Barceló and his fantastic altarpiece with the drawn devil in the Corpus Christi chapel are not left behind either.
Next to this jewel you find the Royal Palace of the Almudaina, a 13th century palace, built in an old Muslim Alcázar. Its original structure is still conserved in spite of the continuous renovations.
It is a residence of kings. It was the residence of the first Mallorcan kings, and is currently the official summer residence of the current King. The palace is surrounded by the absolutely charming S’hort del Rey gardens.
If we go through the labyrinth of streets we can visit the Arab baths that are located in the beautiful gardens of Can Fontiroig. Other special places in the area are the Town Hall with a Baroque façade, located in the Plaza de Cort, with a centenary olive tree within the center; and the Plaza Mayor.
This is downtown, the heart of the city, with very busy streets around where Mallorcan youth go out to pubs and bars.
Do not stop looking at the facades to see the amount of modernist buildings around the city. A good example is the Forn des Teatre store, which is also a good place to sit and try some of the typical products from the island, like the sobrasada, the Mahon cheese and the wines of Binissalem-Mallorca.
Continuing along the Paseo del Born we can take a look at the stores on Avenida de Jaume III. Also in the neighborhood of Sa Lonja, there is a Catalan Gothic building open during exhibitions.
Following the route you will reach Es Baluard, the current museum of modern and contemporary art, located on the perimeter of the Sant Pere bastion. This is part of the Renaissance enclosure whose walls surrounded the city until the early twentieth century.
The view is spectacular from the top of these walls, an opportunity that should not be missed, just as dining on the port of the beautiful city of Palma while enjoying its views.