Situated on the coast to the south of the island of Mallorca, in the center of the La Palma Bay, this city offers a mix of history, culture and night life.

There is a fascinating city center with narrow streets between high walls of ancient buildings. It is comfortable to walk through the central nucleus of the city that extends towards the interior of the island from the commercial port. Palma de Mallorca has 375,773 inhabitants and it covers a surface of 213 square kilometers.

Since it is on an island, its distance from the peninsula is evident. It is situated 334 kilometers from Alicante, 692 kilometers from Madrid, 698 kilometers from Granada, and 931 kilometers from Seville.

It goes without saying that the excellent weather of Palma de Mallorca, the capital, and the climate of the other cities on the island are one of the main reasons that send tourists flocking to the island year after year. Although its maximum temperatures seem high, Palma recovers at night thanks to its minimum temperatures, which are in no way comparable to the hotter cities on the mainland with which it competes in attracting more visitors. It suffices to compare the average temperatures from statistics taken over the last 30 years: the average maximum temperature for the month of September is 27.1 degrees Celsius and the the minimum is 19.8 degrees.

These annual parameters put Palma on the list of the most envied cities: the total average is 17.9 degrees Celsius, with an average high temperature of 21.6 degrees and an average low of 14.3 degrees.

In the year 1229 it was conquered by King Jaime I, who created in his will the Kingdom of Mallorca, made up of the Balearic Islands and the Catalan territories in the south of France.  It was during the reign of King Ferdinand II that the island and the rest of the archipelago, along with Aragon, came to be a part of the Kingdom of Spain. In the 19th century, Mallorca was incorporated into commerce and trade and the industrial civilization.

One of the main characteristics of Palma is the presence of its noble estates and mansions, situated in the old part of the city. These stately houses reflect the influence of the Italian Renaissance, a style brought to Mallorca as a result of the trade relations with Italian merchants.

The monuments that best represent Mallorca are the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. When Christians reclaimed the island, the aforementioned buildings were built on the plundered ruins of the Alcazar and the Mosque.

Every tourist itinerary should include the Cathedral (La S

		Palma de Mallorca

eu), The Palace of Almudaina, La Lonja, and the Arabian baths. All of these monuments are in the ancient town center and near the port. The Castle of Bellver and El Pueblo Español (reproductions of typical houses from various places in Spain) are a short distance from the summit overlooking the city.

The most vibrant night-life is found in the neighborhood of Terreno, although in the old part of town and the tree-lined avenues things are also quite lively. The Tourism Office offers a monthly program which includes concerts, festivals, exhibits and theater and ballet performances.

As for accommodations, the best hotels are concentrated on the seaside promenade located to the west of the city. There are many bars and restaurants. Golf lovers will find first class accommodations at the Son Vida golf course.

Another attraction of Palma is its concentration of shops where one can buy anything imaginable. There are shops on the streets of the old city and on the avenues in the vicinity.  Via Sindicato, Calle San Miguel, Calle Jaime II,  Calle Colon and La Rambla are some of the more important shopping streets.  Every Saturday there is an open air market called El Baratillo.

By Plane:
The airport of Palma de Mallorca is eight kilometers from the city.  Due to the intensity of tourism on the island, a major part of the airport traffic is international (15,217,279 passengers in 2005), reaching its peak during the summer months. The airport also plays an important role in connecting the island to the peninsula.  In 2005 the Son Sant Joan airport received a total of 21,240,736 passengers and 21,025 tons of merchandise, while processing 182,028 operations.

By Sea:
Mallorca has an excellent ferry service which connects the island to the mainland. There are three ferry companies: Balearia, Transmediterranea and Iscomar. These companies serve Palma de Mallorca, Denia (Alicante), Valencia and Barcelona every two to three hours.

2006
 
Prince of Asturias Basketball Cup
International Challenge of Mallorca
XIV Palma City International Half Marathon
Palma 2005 Sailing Regatta
Mallorca Cycling Championship
Criterium Drach – City of Palma Trophy
City of Palma Triathlon
European Junior Swimming and Diving Championships
Match Racing (World University Sailing Championship)
Masters International Cycling Week
TUI Marathon
III Illes Balears Tennis Tournament
XXXI His Majesty the King’s Volleyball Cup

2005

Basketball Summer League 2005
International Challenge Mallorca
Final Four Volleyball
XIII City of Palma International Half Marathon
Mallorca Open Master’s Tournament
Palma Sailing Regatta 2005
Mallorca Cycling Championship
Criterium Drach – City of Palma Trophy
City of Palma Triathlon
Spanish Masters Championship
Palma-Calvia Half Marathon
City of Palma Marathon
Three Nations Swimming Tournament
Illes Balears Soccer Trophy 2005
Vodafone Beach Football Tournament 2005
II Islas Balears SEAT Altea Tennis Challenge Tournament

2004

Basketball Summer League 2004
Her Majesty the Queen’s Basketball Cup
Spanish Masters Swimming Championship
His Majesty the King’s Volleyball Cup
City of Palma Triathlon
World Waterpolo League
World Triathlon University Championship
Sailing King’s Cup
Spanish 420 Class Sailing Championships
World University Indoor Soccer Championship
City of Palma Marathon
Antonio Diaz Miguel Memorial Pre-Olympic Tournament
European Rugby 7-Man Final Championship 2004
I Islas Balears SEAT Altea Challenge Tennis Tournament

For more information about the city at www.palmademallorca.es