Born Passage is one of Palma de Mallorca’s most elegant and historically layered promenades, linking the Old Town with the former port area. Its origins stretch back to the medieval period, when this open space lay just outside the city walls and was used for tournaments, military drills, and public gatherings. The name “Born” is thought to derive from medieval jousting grounds.

In its modern form, the promenade dates largely to the 19th century, when Palma expanded beyond its fortifications. The Born was laid out over the former riverbed of the Riera torrent, which once divided the city. For more than a hundred years, this tree-lined avenue has hosted feasts, demonstrations, public events, and generations of peaceful strollers. A wide central promenade runs between two traffic lanes, originally designed for vehicles moving in each direction. Today, vehicle traffic is strictly limited, giving the entire area the feel of a pedestrian plaza.

Architecturally, the Born is framed by grand townhouses whose ground floors now house galleries, boutiques, and cafés. Landmarks along the promenade include the Solleric Mansion, a former palace turned exhibition space, and the site of the old Born Cinema, now occupied by a Zara store. During the Franco era, the dictator attempted to rename the avenue “Franco Passage,” but locals continued to call it simply the Born.

The passage is ideal for an evening walk. From here, views open toward the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and Palma Cathedral, both especially atmospheric after dark. Cafés and terraces invite lingering, and even small rituals—such as stopping for vegan ice cream at a place called Dolce—fit naturally into the rhythm of the promenade.

Romans, Byzantines and Arabs had settled one after the other in Mallorca before the Catalans arrived. In the Arab days it was called Medina Mayurqa and they really liked to bath. They built their baths, called hammams, using materials left behind by the Romans and Byzantines. They used old bits of columns and capitals and voila! A bath!

The Arabs built well. The baths in Mallorca are over a thousand years old. One may not vouch for the plumbing, but the building materials are still good. Maybe shabby, but ok. The hot room and warm room of the Arab Baths are still extant but the cold room is no more.

The hot room is a square room. It has 12 columns and a domed ceiling. It is a gallery with a barrel vault. The room has 24 holes for ventilation. The dome has five holes to let in light and fresh air. There is a small well-tended garden attached to the baths. The garden has a jasmine archway, subtropical trees and plants. An afternoon enjoyment.

The baths are only a walk of a minute or so from the Palma Cathedral. They open at 9am to 6pm in the evening in winter and until 7:30pm from April to November.

Palma Cathedral, commonly known as La Seu, is the most iconic landmark of Palma de Mallorca and one of the great Gothic cathedrals of the Mediterranean. Rising directly above the Bay of Palma, its vast sandstone structure dominates the city skyline. According to tradition, its construction was born of a vow. In December 1229, King James I of Aragon was caught in a violent storm while sailing to conquer the Balearic Islands. Facing disaster, the young king swore that if he survived and succeeded, he would build a great cathedral in Mallorca. He survived, conquered the island, and in 1230 construction began on La Seu, on the site of the former main mosque.

Building continued intermittently for around 350 years, making the cathedral a record of evolving architectural styles. The seaward-facing portal reflects early Gothic influences from the 13th century, while the opposite portal dates to the late Gothic period of the 16th century. Elsewhere, Gothic gives way to Renaissance elements, Baroque chapels, and touches of Classicism, particularly in the baptistry. The nave, completed last, ranks among the largest in Europe.

Light is central to the cathedral’s identity. The immense Gothic rose window on the eastern façade measures about 41 feet in diameter and is composed of roughly 1,200 pieces of stained glass. Each morning, sunlight floods the interior with shifting colours. Twice a year, on February 2 and November 11, this effect becomes especially dramatic during the “Light Game of the Eight,” when the rising sun projects the rose window’s image directly beneath the western rose, forming a luminous figure eight. For about twenty days on either side of the winter solstice, sunrise can be seen through both rosettes. The rose window on the eastern façade is positioned directly above the High Altar.

Another highlight to admire is famed modernist architect Antoni Gaudí’s early 20th-century intervention: a massive chandelier suspended above the central altar area. To see it best, stand at the front of the pews in the central nave and look up. You will see a large, illuminated, hexagonal baldachin hanging from chains. Made of wrought iron and cardboard, it features 35 brass lamps.

A natural follow-up after viewing Gaudí’s chandelier is another major intervention, completed in 2007. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament was renovated by renowned Mallorcan artist Miquel Barceló, who covered its walls with large, cracked ceramic sculptures representing the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Look for the submerged textures of fish and sea plants, as well as the tall, eerie, monochromatic windows that make the space feel underwater. The chapel is located at the front end of the south aisle, near the main altar.

The Trinity Chapel, which is not open to the public, contains the tombs of Kings James II and James III.

The Royal Palace of La Almudaina is one of Palma de Mallorca’s most important historic monuments, standing directly opposite the cathedral and overlooking the bay. Its origins lie in the Islamic period, when it functioned as the fortified palace of Mallorca. Built on earlier Roman and possibly Byzantine foundations, the complex served as the seat of Muslim governors until the Christian conquest of Mallorca in 1229.

Following the conquest by King James I of Aragon, the palace was adapted for Christian rule. Its most significant transformation came in 1309, when King James II of Mallorca ordered a major reconstruction based on the Royal Palace of Perpignan. This rebuilding established much of the structure and layout that define La Almudaina today. By the 14th century, the palace had assumed its enduring form as a Gothic royal residence, while still preserving traces of its Islamic past, particularly in its courtyards and baths.

To enter the palace premises, look for the arched gateway with a balcony above it. As soon as you clear security, you will walk straight into the King’s Courtyard, easily recognized by the white marble lion fountain at its center. One of the palace’s highlights is the Chapel of Saint Anne, located along the western wall of the courtyard. Its exterior portal immediately stands out, crafted from rose and white marble from the Pyrenees. In contrast to this Romanesque entrance—one of the few surviving examples of the style on the island—the chapel’s interior reflects classic Mallorcan Gothic. Inside, look for the 14th-century alabaster altarpiece and the central rose window, which floods the small space with colorful light.

The most impressive and largest room in the palace is the Great Hall. It is the first major hall you enter after climbing the staircase flanked by two lion statues in the courtyard. Once inside, look up at the massive pointed Gothic arches and the high vaulted ceilings. Along the walls hang Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries, depicting intricate mythological and historical scenes. The hall remains the setting for official state receptions when the Spanish royal family is in residence.

Overall, the palace’s interior spaces are clearly differentiated by level. The ground floor maintains a distinctly medieval atmosphere, with art, furnishings, and tapestries dating largely from the 15th century. The upper floor, reserved for official royal acts, is more formal in tone and decorated with artworks and objects from the 17th, 18th, and 20th centuries.

The palace can get quite crowded in the mid-morning when cruise ship tours arrive. For the best experience and to see the Great Hall without the crowds, try to visit during the first hour of opening or in the late afternoon.

The Royal Garden is a tranquil green space set beside the Royal Palace of La Almudaina, offering a quiet counterpoint to Palma’s most monumental landmarks. Its origins lie within the palace complex itself: in the 14th century, the Almudaina Palace contained royal gardens laid out in the Andalusian tradition. These gardens combined fruit trees, vegetables, medicinal herbs, ornamental plants, and flowers, arranged around water features to create a shaded, carefully balanced environment. Until 1847, the garden area was enclosed by walls, the seashore, and the gardener’s house.

Between 1847 and 1918, much of the original garden was redeveloped. Buildings rose along its edges, including the Alhambra Hotel, the Lyric Theatre, and various shops, newspaper offices, and shipping agencies. The space was later reclaimed and redesigned as a public garden.

Today, the Royal Garden features cypress trees, orange trees, shady arcades, fountains, and reflecting pools, including a large pond inhabited by black swans. An original Islamic arch spanning the pond survives as a rare reminder of the site’s medieval heritage. Several sculptures are scattered throughout the garden, the most notable being the bronze "Stone Slinger”.

La Llotja, the old Maritime Trade Exchange, is a masterpiece of bourgeois Gothic architecture. It may be found next to La Seu, or Palma Cathedral, on the Avenue Gabriel Roca. The Trade Exchange was founded in Barcelona by a privilege granted by King Marti I in 1403. The exchange moved to Mallorca in 1452 to be housed in La Llotja.

The Exchange regulated trade and maintained the port of Palma. Business transactions could be conducted in the la Llotja building. As maritime trade fell off, la Llotja became merely a goods depot. It was an arms factory and arsenal in the Napoleonic wars and after the factory, it was a courthouse. From 1886 to 1962 it was a museum.

Architect Guillem Sanear began construction in 1426. It was completed in 1447 by Guillermo Vilasolar. In 1452 the Maritime Trade Exchange moved in. During this time the building formed a part of the city's defense walls. Four towers were set up on the four corners of the cube-shaped building. The building was almost touched by the sea.

Inside is a single space. Two rows of twisted columns support a vaulted ceiling. Above the main entrance is a sculpture of The Angel of Merchants in the tympanum.

In the last thirty years the Llotja has been a center for art shows, events and political meetings. It has been recently restored and the roof is now a terraced flat roof. Groups may ascend to the roof with permission. It is open daily except Monday.