Category Archives: Balearic Islands / Islas Baleares

Visiting Palma de Majorca, Balearic Islands (Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares)

Balearic Islands / Islas Baleares, Beach, mountain and nature, Streets and monuments

The coastal city of Palma  (Palma de Mallorca) is situated on the Majorca Island (Islas Baleares) in the Mediterranean Sea and with a population of about 400,000 inhabitants is the capital of the autonomous region of the Balearic Islands and also the capital of the Majorca Island. Its beautiful bay and its outstanding old neighborhood among others interesting things along with its Mediterranean climate makes Palma a perfect tourist destination all year round.

Palma city was founded by the Roman about the year 123 BC, after Roman Empire were the Byzantines, afterwards in the early 10th century arrived the Mulims, who called it Medina Mayurqa, James I king of Aragón, also known as James El Conquistador (The Conqueror), conquered Majorca island and entered in Medina Mayurca (Palma) in 1229, founding the kingdom of Majorca which was annexed to the Crown of Aragón in 1230.

Palma, which is renowned for its beautiful bay and its magnificent beaches, is situated in the southwest of the island, on the Mediterranean Sea coast. The tourism business is the main source revenue for the island. Palma has a great atmosphere with shops, bars, cafés full of stylish people and a reputation as a vibrant and lively city, almost as famous for its lively nightlife as for its history.

In the mid 20th century Palma became a perfect tourist destination for people who came to enjoy its lovely beaches and its mild climate, currently Palma is also noteworthy for the quality of its architecture.

Nowadays, Palma not only has one of the most beautiful bays and magnificent beaches but also, gastronomy, sport, festivals, events, nightlife, architecture, nature, culture, parks among other many more things. In fact, Palma is a holiday destination where tourists from all over the world choose to visit the island order to spend their holiday doing outdoor activities, enjoying its beaches, tasting its traditional cuisine (olives and almonds are typical of the Majorcan diet), many area are plenty of restaurants, cafés, terraces, glamorous shops and luxury hotels.

What to visit in Palma (Palma de Mallorca)

One of the most beautiful places to visit is the Cathedral de Palma (Sa Seu), which was built on the site of the old Mayurqa Mosque, it is an imposing building from the 14th century in Gothic style. Among the more interesting buildings are the Almudaina Palace, which was a Muslim palace and its Chapel of Santa Ana in Gothic style nearby the Cathedral, La Lonja (Sa Llotja) one of the civil buildings most beautiful on the island in Gothic style, Arab Public Baths since the 10th century, Santa Eulalia Church since the 13th century, San Francisco Convent dating from the 13th century and the Pueblo Español in the mid 20th century. All they are must-see places.

If you enjoy the castles make sure you include a trip to Bellver Castle which was built by James II in the 14th century, it is 3 km away from center city of Palma, but if tourists are interested in visiting museums these are probably worth mentioning Modern Art (Es Baluard) with works by Cezanne, Gauguin, Picasso, Miró, Magritte and Santiago Rusiñol among other artists, Majorca Museum (prehistoric, Roman, Muslim and medieval) and Pilar i Joan Miró Foundation all are worth visiting.

Sports and Beaches

Although there are a lot of facilities for football, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, the natural surrounding with their beaches and sailing are really of main attractions. In fact, Palma hosted the King’s Cup of Sailing which has become a date of reference on the international calendar.

Palma also has some famous beaches all of them of the highest quality, with fine golden sand, clear waters and excellent facilities. Besides, the beauty of the landscape around the beaches has the additional advantage of being within walking distance of the city center as Platja Palma, Cala Major, Can Pere Antoni, Ciutat Jordi and Can Pastilla. In addition, there are a lot of sport and cultural events on the beaches an ideal tourist destination of the highest quality.

To sum up, the official languages are Catalan and Spanish, however English is also spoken. We suggest enjoying the beaches, the food, the nightlife and do water sport. Visitors can arrive in Palma, by sea and by air. The airport of Palma is one of the busiest in Spain and is used by millions of passengers every year.

More islands and interesting places to visit in the Mediterranean Sea

– Balearic Islands (Islas Baleares): Check all our posts about the Balearic Islands: Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera.

– Barcelona and Valencia: Two of the main cities witch have beaches in the Mediterranean Sea.

– Canary Islands (Islas Canarias): A touristic group of Spanish islands located in the west coast of Africa, at the south of the Iberian Peninsula. They are composed by these seven islands: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro and La Gomera.

What to visit in Ibiza City (Balearic Islands)

Balearic Islands / Islas Baleares, Beach, mountain and nature, Nightlife, Tours and Guides

nightlife party festivals ibiza island

The lively city of Ibiza (or Eivissa) is the capital city of Ibiza island, which is one of the Spanish Balearic Islands (Islas Baleares) in the Mediterranean Sea. Situated on the south-east coast of the island, Ibiza is really a multicultural city with a population of about 50,000 inhabitants. Moreover, Ibiza lies fewer than 90 km off the Iberian peninsula, and its favorable geographical location with an excellent climate all year around certainly make Ibiza one of the best tourist destinations in Spain. Evidently, tourists love the city which has a great atmosphere, with shops, bars, restaurants, terraces and cafés full of stylish young and middle aged people. It is said that Eivissa is the capital city of fun.

map ibiza spainIbiza has a lot of to offer visitors in the way of gastronomy, architecture, culture, nature, parks, comfortable lifestyle, excellent sandy beaches, water sports, leisure facilities, nightlife, festivals, a wide range of fun and entertaining activities, as well as magnificent buildings and archaeological remains that let them know and enjoy the interesting history of the island. In fact, the Phoenician Ruins of the Sa Caleta, the Phoenician-Punic cemetery of Puig des Molins, the Salines (Nature Park), the Upper Town of Ibiza, called Dalt Vila and the 16th century fortifications were declared World Heritage Sites in 1999 by UNESCO.

Dalt Vila (Upper Town) is the oldest area of the city of Ibiza and an excellent example of a fortified town, its architecture and physiognomy have remained intact since the 16th century. Dalt Vila preserves in its walls and urban areas successive unmistakable cultural imprints of the earliest Phoenician settlements, Roman, Muslim and Corona de Aragón periods through the seven Renaissance bastions. Therefore, no visit to Ibiza will be complete without spending some time in the Dalt Vila.

What to visit in Ibiza town

Firstly, we suggest taking a walk around the vibrant cobbled streets of La Marina neighbourhood, the perfect place to try to experience the local culture, meet the local people, visit shops, eat in a local café, buy some arts and crafts and just sit with a coffee and watch the city go by.

ibiza cityThe following days visitors will probably enjoy visiting the Upper Town which has five entrance gates, one at the Reina Sofia Park, but the main one is located in front of La Marina neighborhood near The Old Market (Mercado Viejo) from where visitors can go up to Portal de Ses Taules to arrive at the walled town. Once inside Dalt Vila, visitors can enjoy the spectacular views from the fortified ramparts and the Cathedral square before going sightseeing and shopping. The Gothic Ibiza Cathedral, which was built on the top of the town and on the site of a previous building ( it might have been the Yebisah Mosque), was begun its construction in the 13th century, although its interior was rebuilt in Baroque style in the 18th century. The Cathedral is the most remarkable building in Ibiza dominating the whole city with its Gothic bell tower. Santo Domingo’s church built in the 16th century; the Town Hall building was built between 16th and 17th centuries; La Almudaina –the castle of Ibiza– is dated between 16th and 18th centuries and the Archaeological Museum in Dalt Vila are all worth a visit.

The Phoenician-Punic necropolis of Puig des Molins, which lies to south-west of Dalt Vila, was used until the end of Roman period. This Phoenician-Punic cemetery is considered to be the best preserved Phoenician-Punic cemetery in the world with more than 3,500 tombs, statues and other interesting objects. In this area there is another Archaeological Museum in Puig des Molins. It is a must-see place.

Tourists interested in visiting the Phoenician Ruins de Sa Caleta will go back to 8th century BC. Besides, they will be able to see evidence of urbanization and social life in the Phoenician colonies. It is situated on the southern coast of the island where visitors can also enjoy the beautiful Sa Caleta cove, Sa Canal port, Salines beach, Es Cavallet, a nudist beach to 9 km away from Ibiza city, and Sant Jordi de Ses Salines village, as well as Ses Salines Nature Park.

Ibiza Beaches

ibiza island beach mediterranean seaIbiza has a lot of white sandy beaches and beautiful coves which attract thousands of tourists every year. Almost as famous for its lively nightlife as for its beaches, the island has more than 200 km of spectacular coastline, offering superb diving opportunities and other water sports in its clear water.

– Ses Figueretes, with white sand, is an urban beach very popular amongst the citizens and is within walking distance of Ibiza city. This beach is one of the places from where visitors have the most wonderful views of the Upper Town of Ibiza. There is also easy access to the beach by car and by public transport.

– Platja d’en Bossa is one of the longer and more famous beaches in Ibiza, there are water sports, as well as cheap and luxury hotels nearby. Located about 2 km away from Ibiza city, the Bossa beach is easily accessible by car, by public transport, by bicycle and on foot from Ibiza city. However, this beautiful beach is usually crowded in summer during the day and at night with parties of tourists, because tourists just want to have fun and relax. This beach offers a unique ambiance which is not found in other beaches.

– Talamanca is a quiet beach for sunbathing and swimming, it is about 2 km away from Ibiza city. This pleasure beach is special for children and families being accessible by public transport and on foot.

ibiza beaches map

It is easy to arrive in Ibiza either by plane or by ship. Ibiza also provides easy access to the main tourist places.

Other Spanish islands and interesting places to visit in the Mediterranean Sea

– Balearic Islands (Islas Baleares): Check all our posts about the Balearic Islands: Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera.

– Canary Islands (Islas Canarias): A touristic group of Spanish islands located in the west coast of Africa, at the south of the Iberian Peninsula. They are composed by these seven islands: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro and La Gomera.

– Barcelona and Valencia: Two of the main cities witch have beaches in the Mediterranean Sea.

– Andalucia Region: In the south of Spain, you will find warmth weather, beaches, and a lot more.