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REGION · CAPITAL

Palma: Mallorca’s capital and its neighbourhoods

IN SHORT

Palma is Mallorca’s capital and sits on the Bay of Palma. The historic centre has a medieval street plan, and above it stand La Seu, the cathedral, and the Palau de l’Almudaina. From the airport, EMT line A1 takes about 25 minutes to the centre, according to the timetable.

Editors: Team Jung Intelligence with Sofia13 sources

AI-assisted translation of the German original (16 October 2026). Read the German original

La Seu cathedral and the Palau de l’Almudaina above the city wall, with the water of the Parc de la Mar in front
La Seu and the Almudaina from the Parc de la Mar (photo 2017). Photo: Malopez 21, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Location
On the Bay of Palma in the southwest of the island; the old town lies behind the old sea wallSource ↗
From the airport
EMT line A1 to passeig Mallorca, Jaume III, about 25 min according to the timetable; during the day every 15 min on weekdays, every 12 min on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidaysSource ↗
Bus (TIB)
Hub at the Estació Intermodal on Plaça d’Espanya: more than 20 TIB bus lines to towns across the island, plus trains T1 to T3 and metro M1Source ↗
Beaches
Five beaches with assisted bathing (access walkways, bathing chairs, shade): Cala Estància, Cala Major, Can Pere Antoni, Ciutat Jardí, Platja de PalmaSource ↗
Dogs on the beach
Only in the designated zone at Es Carnatge, otherwise not allowed on Palma’s beachesSource ↗
Best time
All year round. For the old town, weekday mornings, when the market halls and the cathedral are openSource ↗
Who it suits
You, if you want to combine city, markets, culture and the sea without a car

SOFIA’S TIPS

What I’d tell you.

  1. Start at the cathedral. From there you can walk to the Almudaina, the Hort del Rei and Passeig des Born.

  2. On Sundays the cathedral is closed to visitors. Plan it for Monday to Saturday.

  3. Go to the market in the morning. The municipal market halls are closed on Sundays.

  4. Heading to the sea with your dog? In Palma, only in the marked zone at Es Carnatge. The dune areas there are off limits.

  5. In summer, have a quick look at the AEMET weather warnings before your beach day.

Palma’s neighbourhoods

Sofia introduces the neighbourhoods one by one, each with an at a glance box, market days and buses. The Consell’s tourism portal names the historic centre with its palaces and patios, Santa Catalina, and the seafaring neighbourhoods of Es Molinar and Es Portitxol on the Passeig Marítim. In front of the Real Club Náutico stands the Llotja, a Gothic building that is now an exhibition hall.

The round Castell de Bellver with towers on a wooded hill above houses
Castell de Bellver above the city (photo 2022). Photo: Vicenç Salvador Torres Guerola, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Casco Antiguo, the old town →La Llotja →Santa Catalina →Portixol and Es Molinar →El Terreno and Castell de Bellver →

Source: Fundació Mallorca Turisme: Palma, checked on 3 October 2026

Beaches and dogs

The city lists five beaches with assisted bathing, meaning access walkways, bathing chairs and shade: Cala Estància, Cala Major, Can Pere Antoni, Ciutat Jardí and Platja de Palma. There are also bathing areas without a permanent service, such as Cala Gamba, Cala Nova, Es Carnatge, Es Penyó, the Passeig del Molinar and Punta des Grells.

Under the city’s animal bylaw, dogs are not allowed on Palma’s beaches unless the city sets places and times for them. The designated area is the stretch of coast at Es Carnatge between Coll d’en Rabassa and Can Pastilla. There you’ll find zones where dogs may run free, and dune areas you should keep away from.

Rocky coast of Es Carnatge with a coastal path, houses on the Bay of Palma behind
Coast of Es Carnatge (photo 2007). Photo: Chixoy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Ajuntament de Palma: Platges i zones de bany, checked on 3 October 2026 · Ajuntament de Palma: Ordenanza para la inserción de los animales de compañía en la sociedad urbana (Art. 60, dogs on the beach), checked on 3 October 2026 · Ajuntament de Palma: El Carnatge, checked on 3 October 2026

Market halls

Palma’s municipal market halls are open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays. Individual stalls may have different hours.

  • Mercat de l’Olivar, Plaça de l’Olivar: Mon to Sat 7:00 to 15:00, part of it stays open longer on weekdays.
  • Mercat de Pere Garau: Mon and Wed 6:00 to 14:30, Tue, Thu and Fri 6:00 to 15:00, Sat 6:00 to 16:00.
  • Mercat de Santa Catalina: shops Mon to Sat 7:00 to 15:00.
  • Mercat de Llevant, Carrer de Manuel Azaña: Mon to Thu 7:00 to 17:00, Fri until 20:00, Sat until 17:00.
Santa Catalina and its street market →

Source: Ajuntament de Palma: Mercado de l’Olivar, checked on 22 September 2026 · Ajuntament de Palma: Mercado de Pere Garau, checked on 22 September 2026 · Mercat de Santa Catalina (operator): Horario general, checked on 3 October 2026 · Ajuntament de Palma: Mercado de Llevant, checked on 22 September 2026

Getting around without a car

All details come from the scheduled timetables of EMT Palma (retrieved 1 October 2026) and TIB (as of 30 September 2026), not real time.

Castell de Bellver stands above the city. Inside, the city presents its Museu d’Història de la Ciutat.

  • Airport: line A1 via Porta des Camp and Plaça d’Espanya to passeig Mallorca, Jaume III, about 25 min.
  • Old town: stop pl. de la Reina, Catedral, with lines 25, 35 and the Circular Centre Ciutat (CC).
  • To Platja de Palma: line 25 from pl. de la Reina to s’Arenal, line 35 to the Aquàrium.
  • Towns across the island: TIB buses and trains from the Estació Intermodal on Plaça d’Espanya.

Source: EMT Palma: lines and timetables (Open Data), checked on 3 October 2026 · TIB: lines and timetables (scheduled timetable as Open Data, CC BY 4.0), checked on 3 October 2026 · Ajuntament de Palma: Castell de Bellver, Museu d’Història de la Ciutat, checked on 3 October 2026

QUICK ANSWERS

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from the airport to Palma’s centre?

With EMT line A1. According to the timetable it runs via Porta des Camp and Plaça d’Espanya to passeig Mallorca, Jaume III, in about 25 minutes, every 12 to 15 minutes during the day.

Are dogs allowed on the beach in Palma?

Only in the designated zones. Under the city’s animal bylaw, dogs are not allowed on Palma’s beaches unless the city sets places and times. The designated area is Es Carnatge between Coll d’en Rabassa and Can Pastilla, with its own dog zones and protected dunes.

Which beaches does Palma have?

The city lists Cala Estància, Cala Major, Can Pere Antoni, Ciutat Jardí and Platja de Palma as beaches with assisted bathing. There are also bathing areas such as Cala Gamba, Cala Nova, Es Carnatge and the Passeig del Molinar.

Which neighbourhoods of Palma are worth visiting?

The Consell’s tourism portal names the historic centre, Santa Catalina, and Es Molinar and Es Portitxol on the Passeig Marítim. Sofia has her own pages on Casco Antiguo, La Llotja, Santa Catalina, Portixol and El Terreno.

When are Palma’s market halls open?

Monday to Saturday, usually from 6:00 or 7:00 until early afternoon, Llevant for longer. The municipal market halls are closed on Sundays.

HOW TO READ THIS

Sources, not hearsay.

Every detail on this page comes from one of these sources. Timetables, opening hours and market rules can change. The body concerned always has the final word.

  1. Fundació Mallorca Turisme: Palma fundaciomallorcaturisme.net · checked on 3 October 2026
  2. Ajuntament de Palma: Platges i zones de bany www.palma.es · checked on 3 October 2026
  3. Ajuntament de Palma: Ordenanza para la inserción de los animales de compañía en la sociedad urbana (Art. 60, dogs on the beach) www.palma.es · checked on 3 October 2026
  4. Ajuntament de Palma: El Carnatge palma.es · checked on 3 October 2026
  5. Ajuntament de Palma: Mercado de l’Olivar www.palmajove.es · checked on 22 September 2026
  6. Ajuntament de Palma: Mercado de Pere Garau www.palma.es · checked on 22 September 2026
  7. Mercat de Santa Catalina (operator): Horario general mercatdesantacatalina.com · checked on 3 October 2026
  8. Ajuntament de Palma: Mercado de Llevant www.palmajove.es · checked on 22 September 2026
  9. Ajuntament de Palma: Castell de Bellver, Museu d’Història de la Ciutat castelldebellver.palma.es · checked on 3 October 2026
  10. Catedral de Mallorca: Horarios catedraldemallorca.org · checked on 3 October 2026
  11. EMT Palma: lines and timetables (Open Data) www.emtpalma.cat · checked on 3 October 2026
  12. TIB: lines and timetables (scheduled timetable as Open Data, CC BY 4.0) www.tib.org · checked on 3 October 2026
  13. AEMET: weather warnings for the Balearic Islands www.aemet.es · checked on 3 October 2026

Tips or corrections: [email protected]

Image credits

Real photos from Wikimedia Commons under free licences, resized for this page and saved as WebP.

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