Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the Autonomous Region of the Balearic Islands. It is situated on the island of Mallorca and is the biggest town in the archipelago. It stands on the site of a former Talayotic settlement with strong links with the sea that was invaded by the Romans of the consul Quintus Caecilius Metellusm, who called it Palma, and later by the Muslims, who changed its name to Madina Mayurqa. In 1229 King Jaume I conquered it for the Crown of Aragon, giving it a municipality that included the whole of the island and initiating a period of prosperity, thanks to its good communications with the Maghreb and the Far East. In the 16th century the extent of the epidemics and frequent raids by pirates led to a period of decadence that lasted until the late 17th century. Philip V modified the island’s system of government with the 'New Programme Decree' in the 18th century, making Palma de Mallorca the capital of the new province of the Balearics and initiating a new period of splendour, which was continued by Charles III. The town is experiencing continuous growth in its port and business activities, which in the early 20th century were complemented by the massive arrival of a new phenomenon: tourism. Population: 396,570

Tourist Information: Tourist Office, Plaça Espanya, s/n ( 902 102 365). Open daily 9:00 to 20:00. Tourist Office, Casal Solleric, Passeig des Born, 26 ( 902 102 365). Open daily 9:00 to 20:00. Mallorca Tourist Office, Plaça de la Reina, 2 ( 971 72 02 51). Tourist Office, Santo Domingo, 11 ( 971 72 07 20). 2 hour walking tours around the city for 10 €. Airport Tourist Office ( 971 78 95 56). Open daily 9:00 to 20:00. More information at www.a-palma.es

Weather: Warm Mediterranean with an average weather of 19ºC and 410 mm raining. This is the current weather:

Telephones: Palma code number is 971, even necessary for local calls. For international calls dial 00 plus the country code you wish to call. Public telephones works with coins and prepaid cards on sale at newsagents. For telephone information dial 11888 or 11822.

Airport: Son Sant Joan Airport - PMI is 8 km west of Palma, through Palma-Santanyí motorway ( 971 78 90 00). Bus 1 takes to Paseo de Mallorca in city center from 6:10 to 2:10 and city centre to the airport from 5:40 to 1:30 every 15-30 minutes (journey takes 30 minutes, ticket 2 €). Bus 21 takes to playa S'Arenal every 30 minutes on summer or 60 on winter time (ticket 2 €). Bus stops are located in the arrival hall (in front of the parking) and in the checking hall (in front of the airport access road). There is a taxi stop in the gate D of the arrival hall (journey takes 15 minutes).

Train Station: Sóller Station, Plaça Espanya, 2 ( 971 75 20 51). Trains to Sóller in a 50 minutes journey. Inca, Manacor & Sa Pobla Station, Jacint Verdager, 1-3 ( 971 75 22 45).

Bus Stations: Plaça Espanya ( 971 17 69 70). Conections to Can Picafort, Alcúdia, Pollença, Felanitx, Cala D'Or, Porto Colom, Andratx, Valldemossa, Deià - Sóller, Porto Sóller.

Port: Between Moll Vell and Dique del oeste. Maritim Station ( 971 707 345) is in Muelle de Peraires, with regular services to Barcelona, Valencia, Ibiza, Mahón and Denia, by Trasmediterránea ( 902 45 46 45) and Balearia ( 902 160 180).

Public Transport: Empresa Municipal de Transportes -EMT offers a good bus system all over the city ( 971 21 44 44). Single tickets are sold in newsagents and directly from the driver inside the buses and cost 1.25 €. There are also a 10 trip ticket at 8 €, 20 trip ticket in 30 days (T-20) at 10 €, 50 trip ticket in 30 days (T-50) at 23 € and unlimited trip card in 20 days at 27 € adults or 18 € students. Line 41 is a night bus service running on Friday and Saturday nights from 23:00 to 6:00 every 15 minutesbetween Paseo Marítimo and Avinguda Gabriel Alomar (ticket 1.25 €).

A Metro line links Plaça Espanya and UIB University every 15 minutes from 6:15 to 22:30. Single ticket cost 0.90 €, which two types of intermodal card T-20 & T-40 sold in Plaça Espanya station (photocopy of ID required), which allows 20 & 40 trips at 12 € & 19.20 € each.

Taxis: Fare 1 applies Saturday, Sunday and Bank days 24 hours and weekdays from 21:00 to 7:00 with a start charge of 2.15 € plus 1 € each kilometre and 17.90 € the waiting hour, with a minimum service of 4 €. Fare 2 applies weekdays from 7:00 to 21:00 with a start charge of 1.90 € plus 0.73 € each kilometre and 16.20 € the waiting hour, with a minimum service of 3 €. Telephone services have a 0.90 € suplement, every baggage 0.60 €, Bellver castle 0.60 € and port or airport 2.60 €. Radiotaxi, 971 75 54 40. Taxi Palma Radio, 971 40 14 14. Fono Taxi, 971 72 80 81. Taxi Teléfono, 971 74 37 37. Taxi for handicapped, 971 70 35 29.

Parking: Street parking is controlled by parquimeters, which operate Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 & 16:30 to 20:00 and Saturday from 9:00 to 14:00. 30 minutes costs 0.80 € & 120 minutes 2.50 €

Medical Assistance: Son Dureta University Hospital, Andrea Doria, 55 ( 971 17 50 00). Femenia Clinic, Camilo Jose Cela, 20 ( 971 45 23 23). Juaneda Clinic, Company, 20 ( 971 73 16 47). Rotger Clinic, Santiago Russiñol, 9 ( 971 72 02 00). Miramar Policlinic, Vecinal de la Vileta ( 971 45 52 12). Son Llàtzer Hospital, Palma-Manacor Road, km 4 (871 20 20 00).

Pharmacies: Rubi Ponseti, Sindicato, 50. Moll Lorca, Colón, 6. Reines Tugores, Capitá Salom, 55. Armengo - Torrens, Olmos, 47. Requis Marimon, San Miguel, 29. Llobera Cifre, Francisco Martí Mora, 92.

Emergencies: All the emergencies: 112; Medical Service: 061; National Police: 091; Local Police: 092; Firemen: 080; Protección Civil: 971 17 64 17.

Restaurants: Es Baluards, Plaça Porta Santa Catalina, 9 ( bus 1 & 41). A typical Mallorca restaurant. Malvasía, Joan Bauzá, 43 ( bus 5 & 24). Traditional cuisine. Paladar, Miquel Arcas, 2 ( bus 29). Traditional cuisine from Balearic islands. Refectori, Carrer de la Missió, 7 ( bus 3, 7, 15, 20, 25, 46 & 50). Mediterranean restaurant in Convent de la Missio Hotel. Ublo, Plaça Progrés, 23 ( bus 3, 5, 20 & 46). Mediterranean cuisine in a friendly atmosphere. La Bóveda, Botería, 3 ( bus 2 y 15). Spanish cuisine, the best tapas bar in town. La Locanda Umbra, Torrent, 4 ( bus 29). Italian cuisine. Sa Roqueta, Sirena, 11 ( bus 15, 18, 28 & 30). Specilised in fish and sea food. Bon Lloc, Sant Feliú, 7 ( bus 2 & 15). A small vegetarian restaurant, always busy. Amano, Sant Magi, 70 ( bus 14). Pambolis (bread&olive oil) restaurant for youth. Sa Cranca, Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca, 13 ( bus 2). Probably the best rice in town, where bookings are necessary. They have another restaurant in avenida Comte de Sallent, 13.

Pubs & Clubs: Gran Café Capuccino, Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca, 1 ( bus 2). A brand coffee-store with delicatessen.L'Espresso. Alexandre Rosselló, 2 ( bus 3, 5 & 24). Coffeeshop with life music. Ábaco, Sant Joan, 1 ( bus 2 & 15). Classical music in a romantic atmosphere. El Barito, Plaça Bisbe Berenguer Palou, 4 ( bus 3, 7, 15, 20, 25 & 46). Cocktail bar. Lorien, Caputxines, 5 ( bus 3, 7, 15, 20, 25 & 46). Wide range of imported beers. Garito Café, Can Bárbara Pier ( bus 1 & 41). Coffee-lounge created on the 70's. 113, Can Bárbara Pier, Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca ( bus 1 & 41). A bar which mixes New York style with spanish fiesta fever. La Bodeguita del Medio, Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca, 27 ( bus 1 & 41). Salsa music and mojitos. Level Club, Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca, 33 ( bus 3, 20 & 46). Club with terrace and swimming pool. Hogan's, Monseñor Palmar with Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca ( bus 1 & 41). Two floor Irish pub with live music. Mar Salada, Pelaires Dockland ( bus 1 & 41). A night club in Club del Mar, next to Maritime Station. Abraxas, Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca, 42 ( bus 1 & 41). One of the historical clubs in Mallorca. Tito's, Paseo Maritim Gabriel Roca, 33 ( bus 1 & 41). The biggest club in the island. Karma, Puerto Portals, stand 76-79 Chill-out glamorous bar south of the city. Their mojitos are famous around the island.

Gay venues: Café Lorca, Federico García Lorca, 21 ( bus 3, 20 & 46). Daily restaurant and night pub, opean from 10:00 to 3:00. Yuppi Club, Av. Joan Miró, 106 ( bus 3, 20 & 46). Gay pub. Black Cat, Av. Joan Miró, 75 ( bus 3, 20 & 46). A reference in the scene. La Demence, in Sala Asaig, Gremi de Porgadors, 16, Polígono Son Castelló. One of the biggest house clubs with young crowds, only in Saturday nights.

Times changes, timetables and prices vary continuously, attractions that were once interesting are no longer so a year later, and others that were not even mentioned become a must in no time. For this reason, at infoidiomas.com we are always updating and we would be grateful if our clients would tell us about details and information that has become obsolete. We will acknowledge them by publishing their names in future editions.

Monument to Jaume I , The Conqueror

Your visit of the city should start from the Sóller station in the Plaça Espanya, a high point in the city from which you can descend towards the port. Opposite the station you can see the Monument to Jaume I The Conqueror, which was sculpted in bronze by Enric Clarasó in 1927. The City of Palma commissioned this work for the exact location where the Santa Margarita gate in the city walls once stood, for this was where the triumphant Jaume I first entered the city ( bus 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 15, 24, 25, 30, 41 & 50). If you head down the Carrer Sant Miguel, you'll end up in the Plaza Mayor, a modernist square at the heart of the city's planned XIX century expansion known as the "ensanche." Today, La Rambla and Avenida de Jaume III are two of the city's busiest commercial axes ( bus 2). If you continue your tour in the direction of the Plaza de Cort you'll see the Palma Town Hall, a baroque building erected in the XVI and XVII centuries on the site of an ancient hospital. This building houses the Municipal Library and the Majorca Historical Archives.

Arab Baths

In the vicinity of the Town Hall is the Basilica of San Francisco -in Plaça Sant Francesc, 7- a gothic-era church with a baroque-style façade adorning it ( Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30 and 15:10 to 18:00, Sunday 9:00 to 12:30; 1 €). The church is adjoined to a convent founded by Jaume III in 1278; this building is also Gothic, with a baroque façade that was rebuilt in 1621 by Herrera. The church has seven side chapels along a central nave that leads up to the High Altar, beneath which the Sepulchre of the Blessed Ramón Llull is located. The adjoining cloister is the epitome of Majorcan gothic style; the column capitals, each of which is decorated uniquely, are particularly distinctive ( bus 2; Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30 & 15:10 to 18:00, Sunday from 9:00 to 12:30; 1 €). As you then continue your walk down towards the port you'll see the Arab Baths -in Can Serra, 7- one of the very few still-standing buildings from the period of Moorish rule on the island. This structure, which dates back to the XI century, is crowned by a dome containing ocula which allow light to stream in; the dome rests on the typical Moorish horseshoe arches which in turn are supported by eight columns ( bus 2; April to November from 9:00 to 19:30, December to March 9:00 to 18:00; 1.50 €).

Cathedral

The Majorca Museum was built over the ruins of an ancient Gothic building -in Portella, 5- which was converted into a museum in the XIX century. The museum houses a collection of invaluable prehistoric artefacts, as well as captivating Roman, Muslim, and Medieval museum pieces ( Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:00, Thursday 10:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 21:00, Sunday 10:00 to 14:00; adults 2.40 €). The Diocesan Museum, located inside the Episcopalian Palace -in calle Mirador, 5- hosts a richly varied collection of archeological artefacts, sculptures, ceramics, coins, books and paintings by Majorcan artists from the XIV to the XVI centuries ( Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00; 3 €). The Cathedral, also known as "la Seu", or "the see," is one of the city's most prominent symbols; originally built between the XIV and XIX centuries, though the building's interior was reconstructed by Antonio Gaudí. The cathedral has many attractions, including the Puerta del Mirador (the door with a panoramic view), designed by the same architect as the Palma's Lonja (fish market), Guillén Sagrera, and the Bell Tower, host to nine bells, the largest of which has a diameter of 2 meters. The cathedral is set on a plan of three naves, with the major nave being home to the Trinity Chapel, where Jaume II and Jaume III are buried. The most eye-catching feature of the Cathedral is, however, the grandiose rose window and the extraordinary forged iron canopy, the famous "baldaquino", both of which were created by master artist Antonio Gaudí. The Cathedral also houses the Cathedral Museum, with a large collection of baroque pieces ( bus 2 y 15; Monday to Friday November to March from 10:00 to 15:15, June to September 10:00 to 18:15, April, May & October from 10:00 to 17:15, Saturday 10:00 to 14:15, Sunday only for workship; cathedral+museum+cloister 4 €).

Just opposite the Cathedral is the Almudaina Palace -in calle Palau Reial- an originally Islamic noble building transformed by the first Majorcan kings into a stately residence in the XIV century, now home to the National Heritage Museum ( October to March Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:15 and 16:00 to 17:15, Saturday 10:00 to 13:15, April to September Monday to Friday 10:00 to 17:45 and Saturday 10:00 to 13:15; guided tours adults 4 €, non guided 3.20 €, under 17 years old 2.30 €). From the outside, the building looks like a Moorish fortress, which dramatically contrasts with the blatant gothic style of the Santa Ana Chapel on the inside.

La Lonja

Once you have reached the port you'll see La Lonja -in Paseo Sagrera- a building constructed between 1420 and 1452. Originally built to house the Merchant Marine College, it was later used as a storage facility for port merchandise, then as a canon factory, also as the seat of the Balearic Islands Regional Government, and currently as an exhibit hall ( bus 2 & 15; only during exhibitions Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 13:45 and 17:00 to 20:45, Sunday 11:00 to 13:45). At the end of paseo Mallorca -in Plaça Porta Santa Catalina, 10- is Es Baluard, an ancient fortress which helds since 1997 the Museu d'Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma ( bus 1 & 41; Tuesday to Sunday from 1st October to 15th June 10:00 to 20:00 and from 16th June to 30 September 10:00 to 22:00; adults 6 €, reduced 4.50 €). Towards the east, the set of buildings known as the Pueblo Español (Spanish village) is located -in Poble Espanyol, 39- this is an architectural complex built between 1965 and 1967 which faithfully recreates the most characteristic houses and monuments of Spain's various autonomous regions. The narrow streets and cosy squares are teeming with shops where artisans sell their forged iron and sculpted wood wares ( bus 29; April to September from 9:00 to 18:30, October to March from 9:00 to 17:30). The Bellver Castle, located on a low mountain peak surrounded by the Bellver Woods -in calle Camilo José Cela- affords a magnificent view of the city. A circular Gothic military fortress and palace commissioned by Jaume II, the castle was erected between 1309 and 1311. It has four watch towers, the most notable of which is the Homage Tower, a 34 metre tall structure divided into tour smaller sections. The Bellver Castle is home to the City Historical Museum, which contains a large collection of recently excavated archeological artefacts ( bus 50; October to March Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00, April to September Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 21:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 19:00; adults 2 €, children 1 €).

Lake Martel in Cuevas del Drach

The caves known as the Cuevas del Drach are situated in the eastern part of the island of Mallorca at 65 km from Palma; they extend over some 2,400 metres and reach a depth of 25 metres. Their interior includes the Lago Martel, which is considered to be one of the largest underground lakes in the world (117 metres long and 30 metres wide) and where classical music concerts are held daily; after the performances those attending are invited to take a boat trip (PMV 401-4 road to Porto Colom, in Porto Cristo; daily guided tours with concert from April to October at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 & 17:00 and from November to March at 10:45, 12:00, 14:00 & 15:30; adults 9.50 €).

SÓLLER

Sóller Bay

28 km north-west of Palma lies Sóller, a pleasant town situated around a large valley in the form of a basin that is famous for its olive groves and its orange trees. It has an Ethnographical Museum (in Calle Sa Mar – 9) located in the building of the Casa de la Cultura of 1740 ( Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 16:30 and Saturdays from 11:00 to 13:00); the baroque Church of Sant Bartomeu in the Plaça de la Constitució ( Monday to Thursday from 10:30 to 13:00 and from 14:45 to 17:15, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 a 13:00); and a Natural Science Museum and Botanical Gardens (on the road to the port) of 1985 ( Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00). The Port de Sóller lies 3 km away and includes the Sea Museum in the 3rd-century Oratorio de Santa Caterina d'Alexandria ( June to September Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00, Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00), alongside which there is a fine balcony that affords views of the cliffs.

The Firó is a festival that is held every year on 11th May to commemorate the pillage of the pirates suffered by Sóller on 11th May 1561 (see support in the margin). To avoid further assaults, the 16th century saw the construction of the Torre Picada and the Castle of the Port de Sóller (a electric train links Sóller to the Sóller station in Palma de Mallorca, which has used the same carriages and locomotive since its inauguration in the early 20th century; it leaves Palma daily at 8:00, 10:10, 10:50, 12:15, 13:30, 15:10 and 19:30; and leaves Sóller at 7:00, 9:10, 10:50, 12:15, 14:00 y 18:30; return fare 17 €; a tram line links Sóller and the Port de Sóller, with departures every hour from Sóller between 7:00 and 20:00, and from Port de Sóller between 7:30 and 20:30; fare 4 €).