Things to do in the Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands, set in the Mediterranean Sea south-east of Barcelona and east of Valencia, have been invaded repeatedly over the centuries, as the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Vandals, Moors, French, English, and Spanish successively became the dominant Mediterranean power.
These days, however, the only invaders are tourists. While the Balearics (las Islas Baleares to the Spanish) are relatively undiscovered by Americans visiting the Continent, as far as the Europeans and particularly the British and the Germans are concerned, they are Europe's most popular tourist destination.
Four main islands, aligned in two pairs - Majorca and its smaller neighbor Minorca, plus Ibiza and its little sidekick Formentera - make up the Balearic Archipelago, which also includes several smaller islets. Together, they constitute Spain's Baleares province, with Palma de Mallorca, or Majorca, the provincial capital.
Each island has had its own history, although there are some common threads. Evidence that the archipelago was the home of an advanced megalithic civilization abounds on Majorca and Minorca, in the form of stone monuments whose exact origins and purpose remain a mystery to scholars. Later, the islanders became mercenaries in the armies of Rome and Carthage (the name Baleares comes from the Greek balein, referring to the islanders' consummate skill with the sling, which they could wield against enemies with deadly accuracy from hundreds of feet away). Moorish incursions began in the 8th century, and by 902 the Moors were securely installed. They remained so, under succeeding dynasties, until James I of Aragon conquered the islands for the Christians, beginning in 1229.
Car hire in Majorca
Modern-day visitors to Majorca prefer to pre-book car hire at Palma de Majorca Airport, and make the most of this beautiful island at their own pace. Majorca Airport car hire is cheap and reliable, and easy drop offs and pickups are guaranteed.
About a half century later, an independent kingdom of Majorca was created (including Montpellier and Roussillon in France as well as the Balearics), which endured until the mid14th century. Thanks to the islands' position along the main seagoing trading route between northern Italy and northern Europe, these were prosperous times, a virtual Balearic golden age, which continued even after the islands reverted to the kingdom of Aragon in 1343. But early in the 16th century, because of the pirates off their shores, the Balearics were prohibited by the newly united crown of Aragon and Castile from trading with the Americas, a ban that cut them off from Spain's golden age and consigned them to a backwater of history.
The islands are closely tied culturally to the region of Catalonia. Two languages are spoken: Castilian Spanish and the Balearic dialects of Catalan, which varies slightly from island to island (mallorquin on Majorca, menorquin on Minorca, and ibicenc on Ibiza and Formentera). Thus the confusion of many island place names, spelled one way in Spanish and another in the local language; some signs, for example, may bear the Catalan for street, avenue, square, and beach (carrer, avinguda, plaqa, and platja), while others will use the Spanish (calle, avenid, plaza, playa).
Majorca things to see
Each island has a distinct personality. Majorca (its name in Spanish and mallorquin, Mallorca, means the larger and dates back to the Romans) is the best known and the most developed in terms of the tourist trade. On this small island (about 62 miles from east to west and 47 miles from north to south) is the very Balearic city of Palma, complete with a massive cathedral, Es Seo (La Seo in Castilian), and a medieval Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) commonly referred to as La Ciutat (the City) by locals. On either side of the capital city are beaches endowed with blocks of high-rise hotels, tourist-oriented restaurants, and late night discos that stretch for miles, much like areas of the Costa del Sol.
In the countryside, only a 10-minute drive from the center of Palma, almond and olive groves blanket the landscape, peasants still plow their fields with oxen, and black clad women can be seen laboring during harvest time. In one port, the world's most luxurious yachts lie at anchor, while in the next, fishermen drag their boats onto the beach after working through the night.
Majorca and Chopin
Majorca has been a magnet for writers, painters, and musicians for more than a century. The trend may have begun in the 1830s when the consumptive Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) and his mistress, the French author who used the pseudonym George Sand (1804-1876), shivered through an unusually cold winter here in La Cartuja de Valldemosa (Valldemosa Carthusian Monastery). Despite his ill health, here Chopin was inspired to write some of his finest work.
His lover wrote A Winter in Majorca, a not exactly flattering account of island life (at that time, Majorcan society had not taken kindly to this illicit couple) that was nevertheless enthusiastic about the landscape. It was later translated into English by a 20th-century visitor, the poet and writer Robert Graves (1895-1985). The author of 1, Claudius and The White Goddess, Graves settled in the town of Deia and presided over a virtual artists' and writers' colony. The steady stream of books the group generated spread the word of the island's beauty, creating the mass tourism industry that boomed in the 1960s.
Menorca things to do
Minorca (Menorca in Spanish and menorquin, meaning the smaller) is far less developed than either Ibiza or Majorca. Only in the past few years has Minorca entered the tourism competition in earnest, so it still has plenty of undisturbed countryside and isolated beaches. The island is easy to explore no part of it is more than an hour's drive away from another. Nightlife here is tame by Spanish standards, with only a handful of discos pulsating until dawn. Ancient megaliths and burial grounds provide the major distraction from a very lazy beach existence.
The history of the Balearic Islands
The history of Ibiza (pronounced Eebeetha) is not as much in evidence as that of Majorca, with its castles and cathedrals, or Minorca, where cows graze around ancient ruins. The Carthaginians established a colony here during the 7th century BC to exploit the island's salt beds, and the remains of 500 years of this Punic culture are preserved in museum displays and carved in the hillsides as tombs Iblza became a haven for writers and artists and a refuge for the counterculture in the 1950s and 1960s; today it serves as a playground for the jet set. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Julio Iglesias have all made regular appearances on this small island; a number of performers have cut albums at Ibiza's tucked away recording studios, and some even maintain sprawling hidden villas here.
Things to do in Ibiza
The town of Ibiza, also known as Eivissa, tumbles down from a cathedral and rampart that overlook the protected harbor. Narrow streets and stairs wind between picture perfect whitewashed houses, with views of the more modern city and the bay around every corner. Tiny boutiques hawk gaily colored scarves, T-shirts, and postcards, as well as trendy art. Outside of town, there are hundreds of private coves for swimming some with fine white sand, others with tiny, water smoothed pebbles rather than mile-long beaches. High-rise hotels are limited, and the tourist enclaves blend with the island's natural lines.
Nightlife begins late, with live entertainment and dancing that slows down only with the dawn. During the winter months, fewer than a dozen of the island's scores of hotels remain open, and the discos pack up the speakers and lights.
Ibiza Car Hire
Car hire in Ibiza can be pre-booked and collected easily from the airport terminal when you arrive. You can save plenty of money by booking car hire in Ibiza before you travel, and every major car hire company is represented at Ibiza Airport, including Hertz, Helle Hollis and Avis, plus a host of local car rentals companies.
Formentera is little more than a spit of sand that lies four miles across a strait from Ibiza. This undeveloped island is a tranquil retreat, where what visitors see is what they get. Don't expect any major changes in scenery, though the cliffs at the far end of the island are spectacular. The point here is to relax and lie in the sun. In Formentera, there aren't many distractions from those pursuits.
Keep in mind when planning visits that in the Balearics, as in other parts of Spain, churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest usually open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM, and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules may change with the seasons. Some museums are open mornings only, and weekend hours are often shorter than on weekdays. Closing days tend to be Sundays or Mondays.
Majorca information
Almost half of Majorca’s residents live in Palma de Mallorca, a city that has miles of sandy beaches stretching to the east. Those from Ca'n Pastilla to El Arenal, lined by high-rise hotels, restaurants, and discos, are known collectively as the Platja de Palma (Playa de Palma in Spanish). To the west, newer tourist developments their highrise hotels clustered rather than strung along the seahave been created on smaller beaches at Cala Mayor, Palma Nova, Illetas, Magaluf, and, beyond the Badia de Palma, Paguera.
At the northern tip of the island is the town of Pollenca, which offers excellent swimming and boating. The rugged Cabo de Formentor (Cape Formentor), at the end of the peninsula curving up around Badia de Pollenca (Pollenca Bay), offers spectacular scenery, especially to those who make it to the lighthouse at the end of the road. Just south of the bay is Alcudia, where a Roman city once stood (and a ruined Roman theater and walls still stand), and, a mile or so south of the village, Badia d'Alcudia, lined by a - beach that is much less developed than the Platja de Palma.
Majorca's mountainous western coast is dotted with small villages that have become retreats for those seeking to leave the crowds behind. Soller is the largest town in this part of the island, and it, along with Porto de Soller, a few miles away on the coast, receives its share of tourists via the train that connects the beach with Palma. A bit to the south is Deia (Deya in Spanish), a medieval-looking town built on a small mound between the sea and towering mountains. Still farther south, the villages of Banyalbufar and Estellenchs hug mountainsides that drop steeply to the sea. Valldemosa, where Chopin and George Sand stayed, lies at one of the few passes through the spine of mountains that separate Palma from the coast.
Things to do in Palma de Mallorca
The bulk of Majorca lies to the east of Palma. Most visitors make their way in this direction to visit the Cuevas del Drac (Dragon's Caves) and the Cuevas de Els Hams (Hams Caves) in the vicinity of the village of Porto Cristo on the island's eastern coast. They also stop in the city of Manacor, in the interior, 30 miles (49 km) due east of Palma, where the island's pearl industry is based. Compared with the coasts, the interior of Majorca is a step back in time. Here, the life of the islanders still revolves around farming, shop keeping, and early morning markets, rather than around the housing, feeding, and entertaining of tourists. Inca, 17.5 miles (28 km) northeast of Palma on the way to Pollenca and Alcudia, is probably the most interesting interior town. A leather-working center, it also has a large flea market, in full bustle every Thursday morning.
The real beauty of Majorca's countryside is enjoyed by driving across the fields, through the mountains, along the coastline. Limit excursions to trips easily completed in a day, since detours to visit unexpected sights constantly crop up. On one day, loop from Palma to Valldemosa, then along the coast to Banyalbufar, Estellenchs, San Telmo, Porto D'Andraitx, Paguera, Magaluf, and back to the city. On another day, go north to Pollenca, then take the narrow road to the tip of Cabo de Formentor. A visit to a pearl factory in Manacor and to one of the massive caves farther east is another day trip. Or head away from the crowds down to Arenal de la Rapita, a totally undeveloped beach near the southeast corner of the island.
About Palma de Mallorca
The city's name comes from Palmaria, which is what the Romans called it after they conquered Majorca in the 2nd century BC. Palma's most prominent reminder of the Moorish occupation is the Palacio de la Almudaina (Plaza de la Almudaina) the palace-fortress of the island's rulers of that time, later converted into a royal palace for the Spanish kings of Majorca and now used, in part, to house the Museo del Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage Museum).
Palma de Mallorca Cathedral
Sa Seo, which stands right in front of the Almudaina on the plaza, is a golden stone Gothic structure and one of Spain's largest cathedrals (it also has Europe's largest rose window, more than 40 feet across). It was begun in 1230, finished in 1601, and underwent a restoration in the early 20th century overseen by Antoni Gaudi, the famed Catalan architect, who among other things designed a modernista (Catalan Art Nouveau) canopy now over the main altar. The cathedral's Sala Capitular (chapter house) contains a small museum, which is closed Saturday afternoons and Sundays; admission charge. The cathedral has the same hours and is also open during services.
Sa Seo stands at the western edge of the oldest part of the city, which is to the east of the wide, tree shaded promenade known as El Borne (or Paseo del Borne). The Banos Arabes (Arab Baths), on Carrer Serra, remain essentially as they were under the caliphs. They're open daily and charge admission. Still in La Ciutat (the Old Town), in the Portella quarter behind the cathedral, is the Museo de Mallorca, housed in an old mansion at 5 Carrer de la Portella; it illustrates island history through a collection of archaeological artifacts, documents, paintings, and sculpture.
Working your way north, you'll also see the 17th-century Casa Oleza (33 Carrer Morey)known for its inner court yard and the 16th-century Gothic and Renaissance Casa Palmer (17 Carrer del Sol; these interiors are not open to the public) before reaching Palma's second-most-renowned church, the Esglesia de Sant Francese or Iglesia de San Francisco, on the plaza with the same name. Built in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was given a Baroque facade in the 17th century but retains its beautiful Gothic cloister. Ramon Uull is buried here.
Proceed west from Esglesia de San Francisco to reach the Esglesia de Santa Eulalia, a fine example of Majorcan Gothic built from the 13th to the 15th centuries; behind it (at 2 Carrer Zavella) is the 18th century Casa Vivot, another mansion with a notable courtyard, but whose interior is not open to the public. Still farther west, but still in the Ciutat on the east side of El Borne, is Palma's 17th century Ajuntament (Town Hall), standing in a beautiful old square, Plaza Cort (not open to the general public).
The Lonja Palma de Mallorca
The Lonja, on the seafront west of EI Borne, is one of Palma's star attractions. Built during the 15th century as a stock exchange and commercial building for the city's busy trading merchants, it now serves as an exhibition space for art shows (and is thus open irregularly). Also on the west side of El Borne is the Casa de los Marqueses de Sollerich (House of the Marquises of Sollerich; 10 Carrer San Cayetano), an 18th century mansion with perhaps the finest courtyard in town, but also not open to the public.
The attractions beyond the center, on the west side of Palma, should not be missed. One of them, the Castell de Bellver, an unusual round castle built during the 14th century and beautifully preserved, boasts perhaps the best view of Palma and the surrounding area. The adjoining Torre de Homenaje (Tower of Homage), looking like a stone rocket ready for blast off, housed the dungeons.
The castle and tower are open daily and charge admission. The other main attraction in town, the Poble Espanyol, or Pueblo Espanol (Spanish Village), located across from the Palau de Congresos (Convention Center) offers a chance to see all of Spain at a glance. Much like its counterpart in Barcelona, this model village contains reproductions of houses and famous buildings from all parts of Spain. It also offers a chance to see Spanish artisans at work and shops where their handiwork can be purchased.
These days, however, the only invaders are tourists. While the Balearics (las Islas Baleares to the Spanish) are relatively undiscovered by Americans visiting the Continent, as far as the Europeans and particularly the British and the Germans are concerned, they are Europe's most popular tourist destination.
Four main islands, aligned in two pairs - Majorca and its smaller neighbor Minorca, plus Ibiza and its little sidekick Formentera - make up the Balearic Archipelago, which also includes several smaller islets. Together, they constitute Spain's Baleares province, with Palma de Mallorca, or Majorca, the provincial capital.
Each island has had its own history, although there are some common threads. Evidence that the archipelago was the home of an advanced megalithic civilization abounds on Majorca and Minorca, in the form of stone monuments whose exact origins and purpose remain a mystery to scholars. Later, the islanders became mercenaries in the armies of Rome and Carthage (the name Baleares comes from the Greek balein, referring to the islanders' consummate skill with the sling, which they could wield against enemies with deadly accuracy from hundreds of feet away). Moorish incursions began in the 8th century, and by 902 the Moors were securely installed. They remained so, under succeeding dynasties, until James I of Aragon conquered the islands for the Christians, beginning in 1229.
Car hire in Majorca
Modern-day visitors to Majorca prefer to pre-book car hire at Palma de Majorca Airport, and make the most of this beautiful island at their own pace. Majorca Airport car hire is cheap and reliable, and easy drop offs and pickups are guaranteed.
About a half century later, an independent kingdom of Majorca was created (including Montpellier and Roussillon in France as well as the Balearics), which endured until the mid14th century. Thanks to the islands' position along the main seagoing trading route between northern Italy and northern Europe, these were prosperous times, a virtual Balearic golden age, which continued even after the islands reverted to the kingdom of Aragon in 1343. But early in the 16th century, because of the pirates off their shores, the Balearics were prohibited by the newly united crown of Aragon and Castile from trading with the Americas, a ban that cut them off from Spain's golden age and consigned them to a backwater of history.
The islands are closely tied culturally to the region of Catalonia. Two languages are spoken: Castilian Spanish and the Balearic dialects of Catalan, which varies slightly from island to island (mallorquin on Majorca, menorquin on Minorca, and ibicenc on Ibiza and Formentera). Thus the confusion of many island place names, spelled one way in Spanish and another in the local language; some signs, for example, may bear the Catalan for street, avenue, square, and beach (carrer, avinguda, plaqa, and platja), while others will use the Spanish (calle, avenid, plaza, playa).
Majorca things to see
Each island has a distinct personality. Majorca (its name in Spanish and mallorquin, Mallorca, means the larger and dates back to the Romans) is the best known and the most developed in terms of the tourist trade. On this small island (about 62 miles from east to west and 47 miles from north to south) is the very Balearic city of Palma, complete with a massive cathedral, Es Seo (La Seo in Castilian), and a medieval Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) commonly referred to as La Ciutat (the City) by locals. On either side of the capital city are beaches endowed with blocks of high-rise hotels, tourist-oriented restaurants, and late night discos that stretch for miles, much like areas of the Costa del Sol.
In the countryside, only a 10-minute drive from the center of Palma, almond and olive groves blanket the landscape, peasants still plow their fields with oxen, and black clad women can be seen laboring during harvest time. In one port, the world's most luxurious yachts lie at anchor, while in the next, fishermen drag their boats onto the beach after working through the night.
Majorca and Chopin
Majorca has been a magnet for writers, painters, and musicians for more than a century. The trend may have begun in the 1830s when the consumptive Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) and his mistress, the French author who used the pseudonym George Sand (1804-1876), shivered through an unusually cold winter here in La Cartuja de Valldemosa (Valldemosa Carthusian Monastery). Despite his ill health, here Chopin was inspired to write some of his finest work.
His lover wrote A Winter in Majorca, a not exactly flattering account of island life (at that time, Majorcan society had not taken kindly to this illicit couple) that was nevertheless enthusiastic about the landscape. It was later translated into English by a 20th-century visitor, the poet and writer Robert Graves (1895-1985). The author of 1, Claudius and The White Goddess, Graves settled in the town of Deia and presided over a virtual artists' and writers' colony. The steady stream of books the group generated spread the word of the island's beauty, creating the mass tourism industry that boomed in the 1960s.
Menorca things to do
Minorca (Menorca in Spanish and menorquin, meaning the smaller) is far less developed than either Ibiza or Majorca. Only in the past few years has Minorca entered the tourism competition in earnest, so it still has plenty of undisturbed countryside and isolated beaches. The island is easy to explore no part of it is more than an hour's drive away from another. Nightlife here is tame by Spanish standards, with only a handful of discos pulsating until dawn. Ancient megaliths and burial grounds provide the major distraction from a very lazy beach existence.
The history of the Balearic Islands
The history of Ibiza (pronounced Eebeetha) is not as much in evidence as that of Majorca, with its castles and cathedrals, or Minorca, where cows graze around ancient ruins. The Carthaginians established a colony here during the 7th century BC to exploit the island's salt beds, and the remains of 500 years of this Punic culture are preserved in museum displays and carved in the hillsides as tombs Iblza became a haven for writers and artists and a refuge for the counterculture in the 1950s and 1960s; today it serves as a playground for the jet set. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Julio Iglesias have all made regular appearances on this small island; a number of performers have cut albums at Ibiza's tucked away recording studios, and some even maintain sprawling hidden villas here.
Things to do in Ibiza
The town of Ibiza, also known as Eivissa, tumbles down from a cathedral and rampart that overlook the protected harbor. Narrow streets and stairs wind between picture perfect whitewashed houses, with views of the more modern city and the bay around every corner. Tiny boutiques hawk gaily colored scarves, T-shirts, and postcards, as well as trendy art. Outside of town, there are hundreds of private coves for swimming some with fine white sand, others with tiny, water smoothed pebbles rather than mile-long beaches. High-rise hotels are limited, and the tourist enclaves blend with the island's natural lines.
Nightlife begins late, with live entertainment and dancing that slows down only with the dawn. During the winter months, fewer than a dozen of the island's scores of hotels remain open, and the discos pack up the speakers and lights.
Ibiza Car Hire
Car hire in Ibiza can be pre-booked and collected easily from the airport terminal when you arrive. You can save plenty of money by booking car hire in Ibiza before you travel, and every major car hire company is represented at Ibiza Airport, including Hertz, Helle Hollis and Avis, plus a host of local car rentals companies.
Formentera is little more than a spit of sand that lies four miles across a strait from Ibiza. This undeveloped island is a tranquil retreat, where what visitors see is what they get. Don't expect any major changes in scenery, though the cliffs at the far end of the island are spectacular. The point here is to relax and lie in the sun. In Formentera, there aren't many distractions from those pursuits.
Keep in mind when planning visits that in the Balearics, as in other parts of Spain, churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest usually open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM, and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules may change with the seasons. Some museums are open mornings only, and weekend hours are often shorter than on weekdays. Closing days tend to be Sundays or Mondays.
Majorca information
Almost half of Majorca’s residents live in Palma de Mallorca, a city that has miles of sandy beaches stretching to the east. Those from Ca'n Pastilla to El Arenal, lined by high-rise hotels, restaurants, and discos, are known collectively as the Platja de Palma (Playa de Palma in Spanish). To the west, newer tourist developments their highrise hotels clustered rather than strung along the seahave been created on smaller beaches at Cala Mayor, Palma Nova, Illetas, Magaluf, and, beyond the Badia de Palma, Paguera.
At the northern tip of the island is the town of Pollenca, which offers excellent swimming and boating. The rugged Cabo de Formentor (Cape Formentor), at the end of the peninsula curving up around Badia de Pollenca (Pollenca Bay), offers spectacular scenery, especially to those who make it to the lighthouse at the end of the road. Just south of the bay is Alcudia, where a Roman city once stood (and a ruined Roman theater and walls still stand), and, a mile or so south of the village, Badia d'Alcudia, lined by a - beach that is much less developed than the Platja de Palma.
Majorca's mountainous western coast is dotted with small villages that have become retreats for those seeking to leave the crowds behind. Soller is the largest town in this part of the island, and it, along with Porto de Soller, a few miles away on the coast, receives its share of tourists via the train that connects the beach with Palma. A bit to the south is Deia (Deya in Spanish), a medieval-looking town built on a small mound between the sea and towering mountains. Still farther south, the villages of Banyalbufar and Estellenchs hug mountainsides that drop steeply to the sea. Valldemosa, where Chopin and George Sand stayed, lies at one of the few passes through the spine of mountains that separate Palma from the coast.
Things to do in Palma de Mallorca
The bulk of Majorca lies to the east of Palma. Most visitors make their way in this direction to visit the Cuevas del Drac (Dragon's Caves) and the Cuevas de Els Hams (Hams Caves) in the vicinity of the village of Porto Cristo on the island's eastern coast. They also stop in the city of Manacor, in the interior, 30 miles (49 km) due east of Palma, where the island's pearl industry is based. Compared with the coasts, the interior of Majorca is a step back in time. Here, the life of the islanders still revolves around farming, shop keeping, and early morning markets, rather than around the housing, feeding, and entertaining of tourists. Inca, 17.5 miles (28 km) northeast of Palma on the way to Pollenca and Alcudia, is probably the most interesting interior town. A leather-working center, it also has a large flea market, in full bustle every Thursday morning.
The real beauty of Majorca's countryside is enjoyed by driving across the fields, through the mountains, along the coastline. Limit excursions to trips easily completed in a day, since detours to visit unexpected sights constantly crop up. On one day, loop from Palma to Valldemosa, then along the coast to Banyalbufar, Estellenchs, San Telmo, Porto D'Andraitx, Paguera, Magaluf, and back to the city. On another day, go north to Pollenca, then take the narrow road to the tip of Cabo de Formentor. A visit to a pearl factory in Manacor and to one of the massive caves farther east is another day trip. Or head away from the crowds down to Arenal de la Rapita, a totally undeveloped beach near the southeast corner of the island.
About Palma de Mallorca
The city's name comes from Palmaria, which is what the Romans called it after they conquered Majorca in the 2nd century BC. Palma's most prominent reminder of the Moorish occupation is the Palacio de la Almudaina (Plaza de la Almudaina) the palace-fortress of the island's rulers of that time, later converted into a royal palace for the Spanish kings of Majorca and now used, in part, to house the Museo del Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage Museum).
Palma de Mallorca Cathedral
Sa Seo, which stands right in front of the Almudaina on the plaza, is a golden stone Gothic structure and one of Spain's largest cathedrals (it also has Europe's largest rose window, more than 40 feet across). It was begun in 1230, finished in 1601, and underwent a restoration in the early 20th century overseen by Antoni Gaudi, the famed Catalan architect, who among other things designed a modernista (Catalan Art Nouveau) canopy now over the main altar. The cathedral's Sala Capitular (chapter house) contains a small museum, which is closed Saturday afternoons and Sundays; admission charge. The cathedral has the same hours and is also open during services.
Sa Seo stands at the western edge of the oldest part of the city, which is to the east of the wide, tree shaded promenade known as El Borne (or Paseo del Borne). The Banos Arabes (Arab Baths), on Carrer Serra, remain essentially as they were under the caliphs. They're open daily and charge admission. Still in La Ciutat (the Old Town), in the Portella quarter behind the cathedral, is the Museo de Mallorca, housed in an old mansion at 5 Carrer de la Portella; it illustrates island history through a collection of archaeological artifacts, documents, paintings, and sculpture.
Working your way north, you'll also see the 17th-century Casa Oleza (33 Carrer Morey)known for its inner court yard and the 16th-century Gothic and Renaissance Casa Palmer (17 Carrer del Sol; these interiors are not open to the public) before reaching Palma's second-most-renowned church, the Esglesia de Sant Francese or Iglesia de San Francisco, on the plaza with the same name. Built in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was given a Baroque facade in the 17th century but retains its beautiful Gothic cloister. Ramon Uull is buried here.
Proceed west from Esglesia de San Francisco to reach the Esglesia de Santa Eulalia, a fine example of Majorcan Gothic built from the 13th to the 15th centuries; behind it (at 2 Carrer Zavella) is the 18th century Casa Vivot, another mansion with a notable courtyard, but whose interior is not open to the public. Still farther west, but still in the Ciutat on the east side of El Borne, is Palma's 17th century Ajuntament (Town Hall), standing in a beautiful old square, Plaza Cort (not open to the general public).
The Lonja Palma de Mallorca
The Lonja, on the seafront west of EI Borne, is one of Palma's star attractions. Built during the 15th century as a stock exchange and commercial building for the city's busy trading merchants, it now serves as an exhibition space for art shows (and is thus open irregularly). Also on the west side of El Borne is the Casa de los Marqueses de Sollerich (House of the Marquises of Sollerich; 10 Carrer San Cayetano), an 18th century mansion with perhaps the finest courtyard in town, but also not open to the public.
The attractions beyond the center, on the west side of Palma, should not be missed. One of them, the Castell de Bellver, an unusual round castle built during the 14th century and beautifully preserved, boasts perhaps the best view of Palma and the surrounding area. The adjoining Torre de Homenaje (Tower of Homage), looking like a stone rocket ready for blast off, housed the dungeons.
The castle and tower are open daily and charge admission. The other main attraction in town, the Poble Espanyol, or Pueblo Espanol (Spanish Village), located across from the Palau de Congresos (Convention Center) offers a chance to see all of Spain at a glance. Much like its counterpart in Barcelona, this model village contains reproductions of houses and famous buildings from all parts of Spain. It also offers a chance to see Spanish artisans at work and shops where their handiwork can be purchased.
Labels: Ibiza Car Hire, Majorca things to see
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