I recently did a summer road trip all around Mallorca. It was an incredible trip and I saw so many gorgeous, lovely places. To end the trip, I spend my last 24 hours in Palma De Mallorca. While it absolutely wasn’t enough time, I thought I’d share my tips, suggestions and what I would do differently next time.
24 hours in Palma De Mallorca
First, I feel it helps to clarify: I am not a party tourist. Although my youth was littered with hazy memories of European cities, I have aged out of holiday partying. These days, I would much rather get early (and fresh!) to see the sights. I always want to maximise my time in a city.
I also love culture and old European architecture. So for me it was important to stay in the old town of Palma, which is where much of the history lies.
The old town is a very walkable area with plenty of history and beauty. There are restaurants, bars, lively visages of life in Palma. If you’re anything like me, I’d highly recommend staying in the Old town to get a taste of historic Palma.
Important tips for Palma
- If you’re only here for a brief time, my experience was that a lot of things were closed on Sunday and Monday. This is in peak tourist season (September) so it took me by surprise. If there are any restaurants you go want to go to or things you want to do, make sure they are open before booking the trip.
- A lot of things close in Mallorca in the quiet season. This includes hotels and restaurants. Keep this in mind if you’re looking to book and off-season getaway.
- Read up on ACIRE zones if you have a hire car.
- If there are restaurants you want to go to and you can book them, book them. It is BUSY.
- Just know that Palma De Mallorca airport during peak season is one of the craziest, busiest airports I have ever been to. Plan ahead for delays and patience.
- If you’re unlucky, there can be huge lines at the rental car pickup. Just something to factor in!
Staying in old Town, Palma
When choosing a hotel, it’s important to consider whether you have a rental car or not.
Old town Palma has ACIRE zones, which are restricted areas that only locals and those with a permit are allowed to access. This is designed to avoid wear and tear. ACIRE zones, I assume, are also to ease the burden of the enormous volume of tourists that visit Palma and Mallorca every summer.
Staying in a hotel in an ACIRE zone does not give you a license to drive all through Palma. Your permit is valid for the area your hotel is in and nowhere else. Make sure you liaise with the hotel to ensure you are not breaking any rules. There are hefty fines (which will find you, I promise).
When looking for a hotel (if you have a rental car) make sure there is free, designated parking. When I arrived at my hotel it transpired that the parking was paid and per day, meaning I had to move the car when I checked out. Let me tell you: finding a car park in rainy Palma is an absolute nightmare.
I found the streets around my hotel to be a horrendously confusing as well. I did about 6 laps before I finally found the place. If possible, choose somewhere at the edge of Old town if you are nervous about driving in Palma.
Do I need a car for Palma?
If I had my time again, I probably would have dropped my car off before Palma. The whole thing stressed me out enormously as I was solo travelling. This meant I was driving and navigating at the same time. I found the roads to be more confusing than elsewhere in Mallorca and also just chaotic and busy. Don’t even get me starting on trying to find a car park!
If you intended to base yourself in Palma and do day trips (which I wouldn’t recommend, personally) then you do need a car. If you are intending to explore Palma itself, I would say things are much easier without a car. The old town is very walkable (and in fact, cars are mostly not allowed in) and Mallorca has a good bus network.
In any other place in Mallorca I’d say a car is 100% necessary, but in Palma I wouldn’t get one.
Where to eat in Palma
Again, a few things to keep in mind about me. I am a gluten free, pescatarian who has lots of food intolerances. I would love to eat the most authentic restaurants in the city, but I have to check the menu to make sure there’s something I can eat.
- Surry Hills for brunch or lunch and coffee
- Mistral for coffee
- Can Miquel for gelato
- La Rosa Vermuteria for dinner
- Cafe Riutort for brunch or lunch (didn’t go here because it was closed but it was on my list)
- Nano Coffee Lab or La Molienda (I didn’t go to either of these but they were on my list)
- El Camino – a recommandation that popped up a lot (I didn’t try it)
- Bar España came up a lot in my research (I didn’t try it)
- El Chaflán de Patxi also came up a lot in my research (I didn’t try it although Redditors said it is a bit pricier but worth it).
There are plenty of resources online touting the best restaurants in Palma. I found it a little tricky to distinguish what was touristy/TikTok hype and what was genuine, but some Reddit research should lead you in the right direction.
Things to do if you have 24 hours in Palma De Mallorca
My hope is that you have more time in Mallorca and have thus ticked off some beaches. For the purpose of this section, we’re assuming you’ve done the beaches.
Of course, you have to go and see the Cathedral. I didn’t go inside and I do regret that (more on this later). Note that the cathedral isn’t open all days and hours so you will need to plan ahead if you intend to go inside. You can also go up the cathedral for a vista of the city and ocean, but double check the times.
Walk around the old town, see the Arab baths and Parc De La Mar, which is the salt water lake next to the cathedral. There is lots of shopping to do and so many gorgeous little streets to get lost in. The best way to see a small city in my opinion.
I didn’t do this, but there are bike tours on offer which give you a nice opportunity to see the city (as much as possible) within a day. There are also walking tours if you would prefer that.
One of my favourite things to on holiday is to find a coffee shop or bar with a good people watching location and watch the world go by. Bonus points for a sangria.
I also walked up to the top of the Museum of modern art to watch a sunset. You don’t have to pay and it was a little little vantage point to observe the city.
En route, I walked down to the marina to have a look at all the swanky boats. I circled back up through Parc De Sa Feixina and walked past a cute little bar in the park, La Poupette. Would be a great spot for a mid adventure wine or snack. It is also right next to a playground if you have kids.
For a longer stay in Palma
I know that the premise of the article is a 24 hour stay, but I do also have a few suggestions for day trips and things to do if you have a longer stay in Palma.
- Visit the Santa Catalina neighbourhood and food market. I didn’t get a chance to do this but apparently it is a very cute little neighbourhood. I did go to the food market in Palma and for the first time in my life, didn’t rate it. Maybe I went on an off day but I didn’t think it was worth including on a 24 hour itinerary.
- Head to Illetes for a beach day. There are a number of different beaches within the area and they are cute for Palma standards. Personally I think a lot of the beaches in Palma are a touristy nightmare but that’s just me.
- Take the train to Soller. I am Soller obsessed but I didn’t go on the train up as I stayed there. This is a great way to see Soller without a car or without the need to find a car park. Parking was absolutely brutal in Soller.
- Go to Bellver Castle. The castle and grounds are apparently stunning and they have a lovely view over Palma. It is a bus ride away from Palma which is why I didn’t get it done in 24 hours.
- There are so many day trips you can do from Palma. The island is very accessible, with places like Soller only a 40 minute drive. Even Alcudia is only a 45 minute drive! If you don’t mind a bit of driving, Palma is in striking distance of so many places. Hot tip, if you go this route: book your rental car well in advance.
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