I have just returned from Palma de Mallorca airport after spending a very entertaining weekend in the capital of the same name. There is plenty to see and do in its immediate surroundings and more than enough to keep you busy for a long weekend.
As I was only there for a few days I didn’t want to spend all my time exploring the island and didn’t rent a car and opted for the bus from Palma airport to the city center (which runs very frequently and is very cheap at EUR 1.25 single fare for the 30 minute ride One of the best ways I found to get a quick overview of the main sights was to go on the open top tourist bus which has 15 stops at Palma’s main tourist attractions.
For just €13, you can stay on the bus for the duration of the tour, which takes about an hour and 20 minutes, or get on or off at any of the stops as many times as you like throughout the day. valid for 24 hours from the time of purchase. Headphones are provided so that the guided tour is pre-recorded and translated into Spanish, Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish: we simply plug them into the socket next to our seat and we spin knowing until get the language right.
The bus runs at 20 minute intervals from May to September starting at 09:30 with the last bus at 20:00 and every 30 minutes during the low season from October to April between 09:30 and 19:00 .
I boarded the bus at the main stop in the city center on Avda Antonio Maura (Placa de la Reina) which gives access to the Cathedral and the Palacio de la Alumndaina. The bus travels along Paseo del Bourne to the Juan Carlos I shopping area and towards the City Center to Plaza España. Its current route and its stops are: Commercial Dock, Placa de la Reina, Placa Joan Carles 1, La Rambla / Carrer dels Oms, Placa de Espanta, Avinguda Alexandre Rosello, Avinguda Gabriel Alomar i Villalonga, Avinguda Gabriel Roca, Poble Espanyol, Castell de Bellver, Plaça de Gomila, Avinguda Joan Miro, Maritime Station, Avinguda Gabriel Roca and Avinguda Rei Jaume 111.
The highlights for me were Poble Espanyol and Castell de Bellver – Poble Espanyol is a fabulous place to visit if you’re interested in Spanish architecture as you suddenly become this Spanish town containing reproductions of houses from Cordoba, Toledo and Madrid along with typical Spanish houses. regions. Bullfights are held in their run on summer Sundays and there are performances of a number of famous structures, including the Alhambra in Granada, the Torre de Oro in Seville and the Casa de El Greco in Toledo. It is a fascinating place to walk very well organized.
The Castell de Bellver is the next stop and stands on the hill overlooking the Bay of Palma. It has spectacular views of the island and the word Bellver meant “beautiful view” in old Catalan.
It is a circular castle that was built in the 14th century for King Jaime II of Aragon. It was used as a military prison during the 18th and 19th centuries and is so well preserved that it is hard to believe that it has been standing for almost 700 years. It is unique among Spanish castles in that it is completely round with three large towers surrounding a central courtyard, connected by an arch to a free-standing keep. The courtyard has two levels: the ground floor has semicircular arches and a flat roof, and the upper level has Gothic arches and ribbed vaults. To get the full effect, walk around the moat, then climb onto the roof and look out into the courtyard to compare the contrasting styles.
Then walk a few meters downhill to catch the bus which then returns to the city center via the seafront and past the ferry port.
By the end of this tour I really felt like I had a good overview of Palma and it left me with some free time to explore the amazing Seo Cathedral that dominates the entrance in the center of the city, as well as the museums I felt like wandering around.