Palma de Mallorca:
The origins of the city can be traced back to before Roman times, and in even today inhabitants of homes in the old quarter are often still discovering Roman remains less than a metre beneath the ground. The city you see today, however, is a still a relatively new creation. The tree lined avenues of “La Rambla” and the “Passeig des Born”, were only built in the l9th Century on the site of a dried up riverbed, the original walls that once protected the city from invaders were pulled down to create the “Las Avingudas” ring road, and the waterfront promenade, or “Passeig Maritim”, was only reclaimed from the sea during the late 1950’s.
Although being at the centre of the huge Bay of Palma, the city does not have its own beach. Although, for most visitors this isn’t really a problem as a day on the beach wouldn’t really hold much appeal. However, for those who do wish to escape for the day, the more traditional beach resorts of C'an Pastilla and Cala Mayor lie approximately 4 miles away to the east and west of the city centre respectively.
Unlike many of the popular coastal resorts around the island, the city of Palma does have a surprisingly efficient public transport system operated by the Empresa Municipal de Transports Urbans de Palma de Mallorca, which you will often see abbreviated as the EMT. Further details of the routes and timetables can be downloaded from our Public Transport pages.
Nightlife here is often described as being vibrant, but don’t expect to find all night karaoke bars and foam parties, you’ll have to travel west into either Palma Nova or Magaluf if that’s what you are looking for. There is however, a good selection of clubs, restaurants and lively bars in the El Terreno district of the city, which visitors should also be aware is the centre of the islands gay and lesbian community, and some may find the area somewhat “seedy”. Throughout the year there is also a full programme of concerts, exhibitions, festivals, ballet and theatre productions that should appeal to most tastes. The forthcoming cultural itinerary is published in advance on the Palma City Council web site or alternatively can be picked up locally at any of the Tourist Information Offices throughout the city.
