Discover and book the top Palma de Mallorca sights
The Plaça Major is Palma's main square and one of the busiest in Palma being also a city landmark. Rectangular in shape and surrounded by historic arcaded buildings, it was once the headquarters of the Inquisition. This rectangular space surrounded by traditional yellow buildings with green shutters has been the centre of the city life throughout the centuries.
At the centre, overseeing all the activity is a statue of Jaime I astride a horse. This is a popular meeting point. Ice cream parlours, tapas bars and fast food joints sit side by side along the pedestrianised zone. If you've hit your limit of 'cafes con leches' but haven't tired of observing life in the capital, then I suggest crossing the road and entering the park behind the station. From a grassy patch or a wooden bench, you can carry on watching without any obligation to spend a cent. Enjoy!
Until the 1960s the sea reached up to the city walls, providing the perfect reflection for the cathedral. When the building of a new road changed all that, an artificial lake was constructed to reproduce the effect. The park around the lake is now a popular weekend and summer spot, with several cafes, a mural donated by Joan Miro and an art gallery in the vaults of the old city walls.
For more than a century this short, tree-lined promenade has been at the heart of city life; it has witnessed fiestas, demonstrations and countless generations of families enjoying an evening stroll. During the Franco era it was renamed after the dictator, but everyone still called it 'the Born'. Now lined with a selection of mid and high range shops, the central promenade also hosts music and dancing during Palma's many fiestas.
The small and charming square of Plaça Cort, located in the heart of the city, is famous for the ancient olive tree ('Olivera de Cort') that stands in the centre. The square is named 'Cort' because it was here where the feudal court gathered. The town hall dominates the plaça, built between 1649 and 1680 by local architects Pere Bauçá, Miquel Oliver and Bartomeu Calafat, its façade has been decorated with Mannerist and Baroque style features.