Things to Do in Palma: Cathedral, Castles and Museums

If you only have a day, start with Palma Cathedral, the city's best-known landmark and a minor basilica, then cross to the Royal Palace of La Almudaina beside it. Those two answer most questions about Palma what to see, and they set the scene for everything else in the old town.

For art, Es Baluard sits about half a mile from the cathedral, and the Fundació Miró Mallorca is roughly 2.5 miles out, so plan a taxi or a bus for the second. Bellver Castle, on its own about 2 miles from the centre, is the other headline among Palma attractions and rewards an unhurried morning.

The old centre holds the densest cluster of things to see in Palma Mallorca: the cathedral and Almudaina, the Basilica of St. Francis with the former Convent de Sant Francesc, the Basilica of St. Michael, the Museu de Mallorca and the Museu Fundació Juan March. Our Lady of Mount Zion School, a Jesuit foundation, is also here. Everything is within a short walk, which makes this the core of any list of things to do in Palma city.

Towards the water, Es Baluard and the Consolat de Mar de Palma are each about half a mile from the centre. A little further, around a mile and a quarter out, you will find the Palma bullring and the Poble Espanyol de Palma. Heading west, Bellver Castle and Portopí Lighthouse are both about 2 miles away, and the Fundació Miró Mallorca and the Palace of Marivent, the Spanish royal family's summer residence, about 2.5 miles.

Inland, Marratxí lies around 6 miles from Palma and has its own activities, a useful change of pace if you are hiring a car.

Families tend to get most from the sights with space and a sense of adventure: Bellver Castle, Portopí Lighthouse and the Poble Espanyol de Palma are the obvious picks among things to do in Palma Spain with younger travellers. The cathedral and the Almudaina are close together, so a short visit to both is manageable before small legs tire.

In July and August daytime highs reach 32°C, so plan museum visits for the heat of the day and keep outdoor sights for the morning. Palma is a coastal city, so building a swim around the sightseeing is easy.

You can see tours and tickets for Palma on this page, compare car hire if you want to reach Marratxí or further afield, and check hotel prices in the city. Package holidays from the UK are listed here too, with Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach deals side by side; school holidays usually push prices up, so book early for those weeks.

May and June are the best months for sightseeing, with highs of 24°C and 29°C and relatively few rainy days. September stays warm at 28°C but averages around 10 days of rain, and winter highs of 15 to 17°C suit museum-heavy city breaks well.