Palma de Mallorca – What to See When Visiting on a Cruise
The port of Palma de Mallorca is a popular port on many mediterranean cruise itineraries. It has a variety of experiences to offer its visitors and many cruisers mention it as their favorite Mediterranean ports. This is not only for its beauty, but also accessibility as the cruise port is located in the heart of Palma.
If you want to discover the best attractions of the port of Palma, find out the best ways to get there and the distance between them, keep reading!
How do You Get From Palma de Mallorca Port into the City Centre?
The cheapest way to get from the port of Palma de Mallorca to the city centre is to walk, the journey will take around 45 minutes. Most cruise lines will also put on shuttle buses and local buses are also an option. Taxis are usually the most popular option at a cost of around €15 each way.
Walk
The cheapest way to get into the city centre from the cruise port is to walk. The journey takes about 40-45 minutes and it’s described by most passengers as being a pretty pleasant walk. This walking time is based on the cruise ships docking in the Estacio Maritima cruise port where the majority of cruise ships dock. There is another smaller less frequently used commercial port. To walk from the commercial port would take you around 90 minutes so generally isn’t advised.
Shuttle Bus/Local Bus
The majority of the cruise lines offer a shuttle bus to the city centre and there are also cheaper local options. If you are on a budget taking the €1.50 local bus can be a great option but this can take longer and is usually quite crowded.
The shuttle bus usually costs around €12.
Another option is to take the hop on hop off bus which stops outside the cruise port.
Taxi
Outside the cruise terminal there is a taxi stop where you can pick one of the local cars which will drive you to one of the chosen locations mentioned below for around 15 euro (one way).
Taking a taxi over a shuttle bus gives you more freedom, you can even request to stop for a moment if you see something interesting on the way.
Palma de Mallorca – What to See On a Cruise, Buildings:
Palma Cathedral
Formally known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma or “La Seu”, is perhaps the most well known monument of the Spanish islands. Situated 4,7 km from the cruise terminal, it offers a good starting point for city exploring. It’s one of the tallest gothic cathedrals in the world, it reigns even over the Notre Dame de Paris. You can start discovering it from the virtual tour here: Mallorca Cathedral on 360 View.
Royal Palace of La Almudaina
Just around the corner of La Seu Cathedral, you will find one of the most beautiful architectural gems in Spain. This structure consists of two main focal points – the King’s Palace & the Queen’s Palace, with magnificent “Arab baths” situated in between them. It’s possible to visit the interiors of the Palace, since it partially serves as a museum – but it is still an official residence of the King & Queen of Spain, who sometimes decide to host summer receptions at the property.
La Lonja de Palma
Palma hosts far more historical monuments that are worth visiting in the tight city centre. La Lonja de Palma used to be a structure for Colegio de la Mercaderia, but now it mainly serves as an architectonical decoration.
Plaza de Toros
Palma de Mallorca still hosts bullfighting games and can be visited by tourists. I wouldn’t recommend that you go to watch bull fighting but the design is impressive – the ancient arena really gives a majestic touch to the Old Town of Palma. Plaza de Toros is situated 5.5 km from the cruise terminal and around 1 km from the monuments mentioned before.
Castell de Bellver
On the way back to the cruise terminal, you can also visit Castell de Bellver. Situated around 1 km from the previous points and around 3.7 km from the cruise terminal, this castle located on a hill offers a wonderful panoramic views of the whole city of Palma.
Due to its shape, some people compare it to the Colosseum, even though it was never meant to look like a roman amphitheater. If you like long walks, then going up to the hill could be a nice exercise for you. However it is possible to drive all the way to the top of the hill, where you can be dropped off by a taxi. This castle is closed every Monday, so if Monday is your cruise port day in Palma, you unfortunately won’t be able to access it.
What Are The Best Beaches in Palma De Mallorca?
When it comes to the natural wonders of Mallorca, there are a lot of picturesque beaches you can enjoy during your stay in Palma. When it comes to cruises including Italy, Spain & France, you won’t find another port with these breathtaking “beach-day” spots. But you have to know where to look.
Good: Cala Mayor
The most popular and biggest beach of Palma is definitely Cala Mayor. It’s roughly 2.6 km from the cruise port and you can enjoy this epicenter of summer tourism even by a longer walk. However, even though the views are really nice, it usually is very crowded. We were there once with our July cruise and there were so many people on the beach that there was hardly a place to sit and the souvenir shops were laying one on another.
If you’re looking for a relaxing day, this beach isn’t the be a good choice for you. This is why we have found an alternative, a hidden gem that you probably won’t find in any other guide.
Better: Cala Comtesa
Situated 9 kms from the port, it only takes less than 12 minutes with the local taxi to get there (and around 15 euro). When I first went there, I was just expecting to see a less crowded, secluded beach. But what I’ve found exceeded all of my expectations.
This beach is the best place to enjoy marvellous panoramic views of all the surroundings, showcasing the magically blue waters and the disappearing horizon. It will remind you of a private island somewhere in the Caribbean.
There aren’t many people there, even during the high peak season, due to the fact that it’s not as close or popular as Cala Mayor. There is also a little beach bar there from which you can catch the taxi back to port when you want to.
Palma Aquarium
For the lovers of sea animals, this cruise port also offers a wonderful aquarium that can be compared to those of Valencia or Genoa, it’s one of the biggest aquariums in the world. It’s a little further from the port than the other attractions mentioned in this guide, but it’s around a 20 minute drive in a local taxi.
Coves del Drach
Many cruisers also love to visit Caves del Drach (literally translated as Dragon Caves) situated on the other side of the Mallorca island. They are quite far from the port – around 70 km – which doesn’t make them easy to access on your own.
The majority of cruise lines however do offer excursions to Coves del Drach, but in my humble opinion, there are so many wonderful things to see and admire in Palma itself that a place like Cuevas del Drach would be a great choice for a 2nd or 3rd cruise to Palma – I wouldn’t suggest fitting all of the possible attractions in one day.
Lluc Sanctuary
Another more distant attraction that cruisers love to visit is the Lluc Sanctuary – a stunning monastery & pilgrimage site.
It’s located around 55 kms from the port, so it’s also not advisable to visit it on your own, however it can be visited either with a dedicated excursion or with a joint one, that includes the Dragon Caves as well.
Palma de Mallorca is a destination for everyone, because both nature & beach lovers as well as tourists focused on the historical monuments will find what they look for there. Hopefully this post made you understand why Palma keeps being chosen as the favorite Mediterranean destination by so many cruisers around the globe – me included.
Connected by the passion of cruising, these two young travellers from Poland are founders of an unconventional travel blog. Lenas Around The Globe is a place for everyone who wants to discover hidden secrets of traveling, check out the most wonderful destinations and gather useful information about cruising, but most importantly – have fun while doing all of it!
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