I have just flown back from Palma de Mallorca Airport after spending a very entertaining weekend in the capital city of the same name. There are lots of things to see and do in its immediate environs and more than enough to keep you occupied for a long weekend.
Because I was only there for a few days I did not want to spend the whole time exploring the island and did not hire a car and opted for the bus from Palma Airport into the city center (which runs very frequently and it very cheap at EUR1 .25 single fare for the 30 minute journey.One of the best ways I found to get a quick view on what the main sights were to go on the open top sightseeing bus which has 15 stops at the main tourist attractions in Palma.
For just EUR13 you can stay on the bus for the duration of the tour which lasts for about one hour and 20 minutes or hope on or off at any of the stops as many times as you want during the day still using the same ticket which is valid for 24 hours from the time it was purchased. A set of headphones are provided so that the guided tour is pre-recorded and translated into Spanish, Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish: you simply plug them into the socket at the side of our seat and twiddle the know until you get the right language.
The bus leaves at 20 minute intervals from May to September starting at 09:30 with the last bus at 20.00 and every 30 minutes during the low season from October to April between 09:30 and 19:00.
I boarded the bus at the main stop in the city center on the Avda Antonio Maura (Placa de la Reina) which provides access to the Cathedral and Alumndaina Palace. The bus travels through Paseo del Bourne to the shopping area of Juan Carlos I and into the City Center to Plaza Espana. Its actual route and stops are: Muelle Commerciale, Placa de la Reina, Placa Joan Carles 1, La Rambla / Carrer dels Oms, Placa de Espanta, Avinguda Alexandre Rosello, Avinguda Gabriel Alomar i Villalonga, Avinguda Gabriel Roca, Poble Espanyol, Castell de Bellver, Placa de Gomila, Avinguda Joan Miro, Estacion Maritima, Avinguda Gabriel Roca and Avinguda Rei Jaume 111.
Highlights for me were Poble Espanyol and Castell de Bellver: Poble Espanyol is a fabulous place to visit if you are interested in Spanish architecture as you suddenly turn into this Spanish village contains reproduction houses from Cordoba, Toledo and Madrid together with typical houses from the Spanish regions. Bullfights are held in its run on summer Sundays and there are representations of a number of famous structures including the Alhambra in Granada, Torre de Oro in Seville, and El Greco’s House in Toledo It is a fascinating place to wander around the very well put together.
The Castell de Bellver is the next stop and is perched on top of the hill overlooking the Bay of Palma. It has spectacular views over the island and the word Bellver meant “lovely view” in ancient Catalan.
It is a circular castle which was built in the 14th century for King James II of Aragon. It was used as a military prison during the 18th and 19th centuries and is so well preserved that it is hard to believe it has been standing for almost 700 years. It is unique among Spanish castles because it is entirely round with three large towers surrounding a central courtyard, connected by an arch to a free standing keep. The courtyard is on two levels: the ground floor has semicircular arches and a flat roof and the upper level has Gothic arches and rib-vaulting. To get the full effect walk around the moat then climb onto the roof and look down into the courtyard to compare the contrasting styles.
Then you walk a few meters down the hill to catch the bus which then wends its way back towards the city center via the sea front promenade and past the ferry port.
At the end of this tour I really felt I had a good overview of Palma and it left me free time to explore the amazing Seo Cathedral which dominates the entrance in the city center as well as any museums I fancied wandering around.