When to visit Palma?

A minimum of two days to discover the city properly. Day one: La Seu cathedral and the Almudaina Palace in the morning (arrive at opening, 10 am, to beat the tour groups), then the Casc Antic and the Olivar market in the afternoon. Day two: Es Baluard museum in the morning, the Passeig del Born and the Santa Catalina neighbourhood in the late afternoon for aperitivo hour. With a third day, take the vintage train to Sóller and explore the Serra de Tramuntana.

May-June and September are the ideal windows. In May-June, temperatures are mild (20-27 °C), the sea is warming up and visitor numbers are still manageable. September offers a still-warm sea (24 °C), the city reclaimed by its residents and sharply falling prices. January-March is calm and inexpensive — ideal for museums and gastronomy without tourist pressure. Avoid July-August if crowds bother you.

__La Seu cathedral__ is open to visitors Monday to Saturday, generally from 10 am to 5.30 pm (hours vary by season). Adult admission is around €9. Entry is free during morning services (8 am to 9.30 am). Arrive early to enjoy the light in the nave before the tour groups arrive. Allow 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on your interest. The adjacent Almudaina Palace (€7) can be combined in a half-day visit.

The beaches closest to Palma (Platja de Palma, Can Pastilla, Cala Major) are reachable by bus but heavily urbanised — they feel more like a traditional resort than a natural cala. For Mallorca's real beaches, hire a car. The Serra de Tramuntana calas (Cala Deià, Cala Tuent) are 40-50 minutes away. The southern calas (Es Trenc) are 45 minutes away. Platja d'Es Trenc — a long, preserved natural beach — is the finest within a day trip of Palma.

Balearic gastronomy deserves serious exploration. Start with a breakfast __ensaimada__ (spiral pastry) at a pastry shop in the Casc Antic. Have lunch at the Olivar market (fresh fish, local tapas, Iberian ham). For dinner, seek out a restaurant in the Santa Catalina neighbourhood for __pa amb oli__ (oil-and-tomato bread topped with sobrasada or local cheese) or __frit mallorquí__ (sautéed offal and vegetables, the emblematic rustic dish of the island). The restaurants on the Passeig del Born are often tourist-facing — climb into the old town lanes for the addresses that locals actually use.

In __Palma__, the historic centre is entirely walkable. The EMT bus network serves the city and Platja de Palma. City bikes are available through the Bicipalma sharing scheme. To explore __Mallorca__ from Palma, hire a car (available at the airport or in the city) — essential for the calas and the Serra de Tramuntana. The vintage Palma-Sóller train (SFM) departs from Plaça d'Espanya station and offers one of the Mediterranean's finest railway journeys. TIB buses also connect Palma to Valldemossa, Andraitx and other villages, but with limited frequencies.