Things to do in Palma

If you’ve no idea who the Majorcan Primitives were, it’s time to find out. Not Primitive Majorcans, they were rather a school of medieval artists who produced a brigade of fine devotional paintings in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Their strikingly naïve artworks feature bold colours and cartoon-like details. Both the Museu de la Catedral and the Museu Diocesà hold superlative Primitive collections - and there are yet more in the Museu de Mallorca.

The Old Town has never looked better. In recent years it’s been given a gorgeous face-lift that’s restored its architectural delights to their one-time glory.

This is - hands down - the most fascinating part of the city, its narrow lanes and labyrinthine alleys flanked by a handsome medley of Gothic churches and Renaissance mansions.

Wandering the Old Town is one of the best things to do in Palma, with a raft of inviting shops, hotels, restaurants, cafés and bars.

For insider insights and useful Majorca tips, be sure to check out our article featuring tips from locals in Palma and across Majorca.

Palma has the island’s finest selection of hotels, from modernist-chic to fine old townhouses. The Old Town is the most enticing part of the city and it’s here you’ll find the most distinctive places housed in handsomely converted Renaissance mansions.

The Palacio Can Marqués is among the best - if you’re looking for Palma holiday packages, book here if you can. 

Joan Miró hunkered down in Majorca partly to avoid the attention of General Franco, creating some of his finest paintings here during his long exile.

If you’re still wondering what to do in Palma, head out of the city on a daytrip to visit the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró, where the painter lived and worked for much of the 50s, 60s and 70s. You’ll find a great selection of Miró’s work, a man once described by André Breton as ‘the most Surrealist of us all’. 

Prepare to say goodbye to that beach body you worked so hard for.

At night, scores of can’t-say-no-to restaurants offer the best of Spanish, Catalan and Majorcan cuisine, while the city’s cafés and tapas bars buzz with chatter. 

Palma's nightlife is a vibrant tapestry of experiences, with an abundance of cool restaurants and lively pubs. Discover more about the enticing Majorca nightlife scene in our dedicated section.

The expansive Museu de Mallorca occupies Can Aiamas - a rambling Renaissance mansion - filled with a medley of Mallorcan artefacts. The collection is arranged chronologically from the Catalan conquest of 1229 to the Spanish Civil War.

There’s a separate section, in a basement, devoted to prehistory, the Romans and the Moors. Bring a Majorcan mate with you if you can - labelling is patchy throughout.

Probably the most self-conscious beach in Majorca, Platja de Palma is also one of the island’s longest and most impressive.

It’s awash with preening pecs and abs, slowly roasting on a 4km-long band of fine white sand that stretches around the Bay of Palma.

It’s also a busy pick-up place, the spot for a touch of verbal foreplay before the night-time drinking begins. It’s fine if you like that sort of thing - though older visitors tend to look marooned.