The main shopping areas in Palma are Avinguda Jaume III and the Passeig des Born for up-market boutiques, and the pedestrian streets around Placa Major for small specialist shops. There is also a modern shopping mall and hypermarket complex - the Centro Comercial Porto Pi - 2km from the centre. For the shopper, the relatively small size of Palma is of great advantage.
Avinguda Jaume III, as well as being the best-known street in the city, is also the newest. Although it is hard to believe, only 30 years ago the street didn't exist. Today it is one of Palma's most elegant avenues, lined with sophisticated shops offering men's and women's fashions as well as jewellery and gifts. Galerias Preciados, one of Spain's most popular department store chains, is also present. For a thorough shopping spree you shouldn't forget the side streets of Bonaire, Sta. Maria del Sepulcro, Sant Marty etc.
Following the broad street down its gentle slope, you'll find it branches at the Placa Joan Carles I, in which is found the department store C&A, which specialises in off-the-rack clothing for all ages. Turning onto the pedestrian street, the Passeig del Born, we find a small but interesting variety of shops ranging from the fashion accessories of' Loewe to the alpagateria (traditional rope shoes) of Cesteria del Centro.
Returning to the square in front of C&A, turn right onto carrer Unio. On the left is Palma's best known toy shop, Arlequin, which always has a window display to send a shot of nostalgia through the veins of even the most jaded visitor. In Placa Sta. Catalina Thomas you will find two chocolate shops, Can Frasquet and Cas Net, whose mouth-watering displays are difficult to resist. After this, Carrer Unio takes a dog-leg to the left and enters the pedestrian street La Rambla, which is the street of the flower sellers in Palma.
Returning to the Placa Joan Carles I again, take Carrer Jovelanos (near MacDonalds) to Carrer Pelaries, on which you will find Ereso, one of the best bookshops in the city. Passing in front of the doorway of the shop, you enter Carrer Sant Nicolau, named after the church nearby. This street, along with the areas around Plaza Chopin and Carrer Tous i Maroto, is part of one of the busiest commercial districts of the city. Nearby are the chic boutiques of Carrer Verl. The street is worth a stroll for its architecture, even if you are not interested in high fashion.
Continuing on Sant Nicolau, before climbing the stairs of Pas d'en Quint you will find the jeweller Paradis. At the top of the stairs a turn to the left onto Carrer Jaume II will take you past a Gordiola glass shop, and the well known La Montana delicatessen, before continuing on to the Placa Major. Alternatively, at the top of the stairs, enter the City Hall square (Plaza de Cort) and take the next left onto Carrer Colon. There are a great variety of shops in this zone, some of which date back 100 years and have maintained the old store fronts. Examples are the knife shop on the corner of Placa de Cort and a music shop, the Antigua Casa Banque.
The main interest of Placa Major is the outdoor craft market, which is held there Monday, Friday and Saturday mornings. From the enclosed square, under which is a touristy shopping mall, you may leave either by proceeding straight ahead onto Carrer Sant Miquel or taking the right-hand exit and joining Carrer Sindicat, where the shoe shops seem to go on forever and, traditionally, people used to go to find the cheapest prices.
On Sant Miquel you will pass a wide variety of clothing, hardware and pastry shops. One interesting shop, is the alpalpateria Fornes, which sells all sorts of articles made of woven straw, from shoes to shopping bags. The street leads to Carrer des Oms (Olmos). This newly converted pedestrian street is filled with book and poster shops, opticians and the city's most popular photocopy stores, where at times, long queues form. The bottom of the street again joins onto the Rambla after a few short minutes' walk.
Note:
Opening and closing times: Most shops are open from around 10 to 1:30PM and 5 to 8 Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings. The exceptions are souvenir shops in the large resorts, which stay open every day, El Corte Ingles (leading department store in Spain), Pryca, and the Gigante chain of supermarkets, open throughout the day Monday to Saturday.
Almost every town in Mallorca has a weekly market; most start early and wind up by lunchtime. The larger markets all follow a similar pattern - fresh produce around the main square, specialist food stall is fanning out from there, then cheap clothes, household goods and craft stalls for the tourists.
The biggest market is on Thursdays at Inca; the most traditional is the Wednesday agricultural and livestock market at Sineu.
When shopping at the Markets make sure that you keep valuables safe, never disclose your wallet or purse to anyone and if approached by anyone don't ever let them help you find the correct change, these are professionals who will swipe your cash before you can blink. Always a good idea to keep money in different places, however this is only as a precaution, don't let this deter you from visiting their various market places, if you are careful there is no reason why you can't enjoy a lovely day out, and the locals love it if they see that you are making an effort to blend in, no matter the quality of your spanglish!
Mallorca is rich in popular handicrafts and has turned traditional pieces of the island's culture into souvenirs to sell to visitors. A good example are the popular "siurells"; ancestral earthenware figures painted in bright colours. Also part of the local handicrafts are ceramics, costume jewellery, earthenware, wrought iron and artistic glassware. Look out for Siurells - day whistles; they come in all shapes and sizes (the most common design is a man on horseback) and are painted white with flashes of red and green. They are cheap, children love them, and the artist Joan Miro was much influenced by their brightness and simplicty.
A ceramics fair (Fira del Fang) is held each March in the town of Marratxi and all of Mallorca's leading potters are represented. Prices here are much better than in the tourist shops. Baleart is a Christmas craft fair held in Palma each December, with stalls selling everything from pottery and hand-made shoes to Mallorcan wines and sobrasada sausages.
Mondays Caimari, Calviá, Lloret, Manacor, Montuiri Tuesdays Alcudia, Artá, Campanet, C'an Picafort, Llubí, Porreres, Santa Margarita Wednesdays Andraitx, Capdepera, Colonia de San Jordi, Lluchmayor, Petra, Pòrtol, Port de Pollença, Santanyi, Selva, Sencelles, Sineu, Vilafranca Thursdays El Arenal, Ariany, Campos, Consell, Inca, San Juan, San Llorenc, Ses Salines Fridays Alaró, Algaida, Binissalem, Sa Cabaneta, Ca'n Picafort, Maria de la Salut, Pont D'Inca, Santa Eugenia, Son Servera Saturdays Buger, Bunyola, Cala Ratjada, Campos, Costitx, Lloseta, Mancor del Vall, Santa Margarita, Santanyi, Soller Sundays Alcudia, Felanitx, Lluchmayor, Muro, Sa Pobla, Pollença, Porto Cristo, Santa Maria, Valldemossa
Llotja del Peix (Fish Market) - Get here early as the night's catch goes on sale and mullet, prawns, sardines and sea bass are hawked by women with operatic voices.
A: Es Moll de Pescadors T: 971721182 Hrs: Mon-Sat 6AM
Mercat Artesanal - Lively craft market on the Placa Major; with buskers and open-air cafes.
A: Placa Major 31 Hrs: Mon-Sat 10-2 in summer; Fri-Sat only in winter.
Mercat Olivar - Palma's main market, in a hall near Placa d'Espanya. Fresh produce on the ground floor, meat and cheese upstairs, plus cheap tapas stall and a public library.
A: Plaza Olivar T: 971724650 Hrs: Mon-Sat 7-2pm
Pere Garau - Local farmers bring their produce - including live animals - to this lively market in the east of the city.
A: Placa Pere Garau T: 971273283 Hrs: Mon-Sat 7-2pm
Rambla - It may not match its Barcelona namesake, but Palma's Rambla is similarly lined with flower stalls.
A: Passieg de la Rambla Hrs: Mon-Fri 8-2, 5-8, Sat 8-2
Rastro (Flea Market) - A Palma institution which takes over part of the main ring road each Saturday morning. Plenty of bargains but lots of junk too.
A: Avinguda Gabriel Alomar i Villalonga Hrs: Sat 8-2pm
Santa Catalina - Fresh fruit and vegetable market just west of the city centre.
A: Placa Navegacio T: 971230710 Hrs: Mon-Sat 7-2pm
