Palma de Mallorca
Capital city of the Balearic Islands, Palma occupies a sheltered, sweeping bay, which appears full to capacity with football-sized luxury yachts.
The gothic towers of the Cathedral soaring above a forest of masts provides an indication, if one were needed, of how times have changed for this small island, while jagged limestone mountains of the interior, distant morning grey and pine green, girdle the city with a toothy grin.
Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the island and the administrative centre of the autonomous community of the Balearics. It is a city with many facets; traditional and cosmopolitan, ancient and modern, layers of the essence of history built one on top of the other.
Since the 1950s this city has been considered a bit like the Mecca of the tourist industry of the Balearic islands because of its unequalled offer of sun, sea and year-round benign climate. Recently it has been converted, almost by natural selection, into a city that offers an unparalleled existence for residents and visitors alike. Its cultural and economic heritage is of the first category and it has become the centre for many artistic and cultural meetings.
The city preserves many beautiful parts that are a joy to explore and to discover. The overall is to evoke a nostalgic journey into a brighter past that remains alive and vibrant today.
More information: http://www.majorca-mallorca.co.uk/palma.htm
Routes and Places worth a Visit
The museum of Mallorca houses an excellent audiovisual presentation of the socio-economic evolution of the island. The exhibition is housed in an old palace, which lends it an elegance and air of grandeur. Here are kept well-ordered and catalogues examples of all periods of Mallorca’s chequered history from the prehistoric, through the tim of the Islamic and incorporating gothic tableaus of premium category.
The Platja de Palma. Palma boasts several beaches along which it is a joy to stroll and to eat at one of the many excellent restaurants. The most important of these is the Plaja de Palma, a beach that extends to the Llucamajor district, a feature that means that it occupies most of the bay of Palma. It’s filled with services for tourists and sailors alike and is a great place to relax and watch the sun rise (only for early risers).
Important Fiestas
5 of January is the procession of the Wise Men, a date around Spain but in Palma especially so. 17th to the 25th January is the festival of San Sebastia, the patron saint of Palma.
From the 1st to the 15th of September the city hosts Fiestas with a maritime flavour, the Fiestas de la Mare de Déu de la Salut.
At the end of December there is a series of events that commemorate the ‘reconquest of the islands. Especially poignant is the ‘Cant de la Sibil.la’, a song of medieval origins that is sung by a child dressed as a prince and holding a sword. The event is held during the Misa del Gallo.
