free tour mallorca

The Royal Palace of l’Almudaina 

After the Parc de la Mar and an introductory explanation about the evolution of the city of Palma, in the palatial gardens of s’Hort des Rei, in front of the statue Es Foner, you will find yourself in front of the Almudaina Palace.

L’Almudaina is the Royal Palace or Royal Alcazar of the city of Palma and forms part of the National Heritage. In Arabic, Almudaina means “citadel”, “fortress” or “walled enclosure”.

This castle tells the history of Mallorca at different times, from the arrival of the Romans, during the time of the Muslims on the island, and later during the Christian conquest by the Crown of Aragon. The current castle dates from 1281 and is a modification of the Muslim fortress.

History and anecdotes of La Almudaina 

After the Christian conquest of Mallorca, the seat of the Crown was established in the Almudaina and the Moorish features were largely demolished, thus adopting a Gothic style.

The Mallorcan expression “Te pareixes a s’angel de Palau” (You look like an angel of Palau), which in Spanish translates as “you look like a weather vane”, was created on the highest tower of L’Angel, crowned by a weather vane representing an angel.

Another anecdote to tell, just like the Palacio de Oriente and the Palacio de la Zarzuela in Madrid, the Palacio Real de l’Almudaina is the King’s official summer residence, although he lives in the Palacio de Marivent and only uses it for state ceremonies and receptions during the summer.

If you want to know more anecdotes and details about the Almudaina Palace, we are waiting for you in Mallorca Free Tour where you will discover what to see in Mallorca.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria de Mallorca 

We leave l’Almudaina and go up the stairs that lead us in front of the Cathedral.

The Cathedral-Basilica of Santa Maria de Palma de Mallorca, also known as the Cathedral of Mallorca, Cathedral of the Sea, Cathedral of Light or La Seu in Mallorcan, is full of names, anecdotes and curiosities.

It overlooks the sea over the medieval and Renaissance walls that protected the city of Palma, and is the only Gothic cathedral that fulfils this peculiarity.

History of the Cathedral of Mallorca

Its construction began with James I, King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona after the conquest of Madina Mayurqa in 1229, which had been in Muslim hands since 903.

He decided to demolish the old mosque in order to build a large church dedicated to Saint Mary, apparently in fulfilment of a promise he had made after being saved from a shipwreck at sea.

It was not until 1630, almost 400 years later, that its construction was completed.

It has been restored on many occasions, but Gaudí’s interventions in 1904 and Miquel Barceló’s in 2007 stand out above all.

Major Rose Window of the Cathedral 

Its rose window known as the “Eye of the Gothic”, with a diameter of around 12 metres, is the largest of the Gothic cathedrals in the Mediterranean. With 1,236 crystals, it offers different lighting effects such as the “Vuit” (eight) or “Festival of Light” spectacle, where the reflection of the largest rose window is projected under the opposite rose window to form an eight.

This show takes place only twice a year (on 2 February and 11 November) and attracts more than 2,000 people.

We could write lines and lines about the Cathedral but we prefer to leave some for the Free Tour, where you will discover what to see in Mallorca.

The Jewish quarter or call jueu 

Located very close to the Cathedral, the Jewish quarter is characterised by its tranquillity, peace and serenity that can be breathed in its streets and alleys.

History, mysteries and anecdotes surround Mallorca’s Jewish community, which dates back to Roman times.

History and anecdotes of the call jueu 

During the Middle Ages and part of the Modern Age in the city of Palma there were two Calls jueus, a name used to refer to the Jewish quarters in the territories of the Crown of Aragon, which were organised into aljamas, subject only to royal authority.

The Jewish community in Mallorca numbered around 3,000 people (approximately 15% of the city’s population) during some years of the 14th century.

In 1391, the peasant revolt ended with the storming of the Call Major in the city of Mallorca. Finally, at Easter in 1435, the official existence of the island’s Jews came to an end.

Since the 17th century, the descendants of Jewish converts have been called “Xuetes” (a mixture of the Catalan word juetó and the Mallorcan word “xuia” (bacon) used in a derogatory way) and they were singled out until the first half of the 20th century, preventing marriages and relationships.

A lot of history, mysteries and anecdotes surround the Jewish community in Palma de Mallorca. Discover the Jewish quarter with Mallorca Free Tour and what to see in Mallorca.

Mallorcan patios

Undoubtedly one of the answers to what to see in Mallorca and often omitted, are the Mallorcan patios. Very characteristic of the city, in the old town, you can find both large and small patios.

Palma is considered to be the city of patios. The old town would not be the same without the courtyards of the old manor houses, a symbol of power and social status. Writers and chroniclers coincide in pointing out that Palma’s architecture has one of its most important references in these urban houses.

History and anecdotes of Mallorcan patios

Mallorca, as an island with a strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea, adopted the construction of residences with courtyards as the most natural way of building, whose origins are based on the houses of the Roman, Muslim and Catalan cultures.

The Mallorcan courtyard is a space located halfway between the street and the house, all of which have a similar structure and had an “open-door” social function.

The history of Palma’s patios dates back to the 13th century. The oldest patios on record date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. A document from the early 19th century extracted from the Municipal Archive of Palma lists more than 500.

Today they have been converted into institutional buildings, museums and, in many cases, independent dwellings where the people of Palma live.

Undoubtedly they caused and continue to cause admiration in those who have the pleasure of stopping to appreciate them. You can’t look for what to see in Mallorca and not see its patios.

The parish church of Santa Eulàlia

After visiting the Mallorcan courtyard of Can Vivot, we stopped in front of the Church of Santa Eulàlia, one of the oldest in Palma, along with the churches of San Miquel, Sant Jaume and Santa Creu, and a must-see in Mallorca. It is also one of the parishes into which Ciutat de Mallorca was divided.

History of the parish of Santa Eulàlia 

It is named after the patron saint of Barcelona, much loved by the Catalans. Of historical significance for the Kingdom of Mallorca, where the coronation of Jaume II and Jaume III as kings of Mallorca was celebrated.

It was built in the 13th century, although its façade and bell tower stand in contrast, as they were remodelled in the 19th century, due to the earthquake that occurred in Mallorca in 1851.

The terraces surrounding the church show a large number of gargoyles, representative figures from the Middle Ages with images of monsters, demons and dragons whose symbolic function was probably to protect the temple and frighten sinners.

If you want to see how scary they are, you can check them out with Mallorca Free Tour.

Cort o Palma Town Hall

We continue towards the centre of municipal life: Palma City Hall, located in the emblematic Plaza de Cort, a square you have to see in Mallorca.

The Palma Town Hall was the Hospital de San Andrés and later the Casa de la Corte del Reino de Mallorca (Court House of the Kingdom of Mallorca).

The Plaza de Cort is considered to be the kilometre 0 of Mallorca, the origin of the roads. In the centre we find the mythical and immense Cort olive tree, catalogued and protected by law and transplanted in 1989 from Pollensa, as a symbol of peace and roots.

History of Palma Town Hall

The current Town Hall building, built between 1649 and 1680, reproduces the layout of the traditional Mallorcan manor house, in the form of three descending floors crowned with an impressive overhang.

On the façade, some elements stand out, such as the balcony, with seven large windows, the clock d’en Figuera and the “Banc del si no fos” (Bank of if it wasn’t) or lazy people’s bank.

Cort was the seat of the Great and General Council, founded by Jaume I in 1249 and with power over the whole island.

With the decrees of King Philip V, the civil institutions that had formed the Kingdom of Mallorca since 1229 disappeared. The old name of Palma, which replaced that of the City of Mallorca, was also recovered.

Discover more about the political life of the city, and what to see in Mallorca, with the Free Tour.

The modernist buildings of Palma 

If you are an architecture lover, the most outstanding buildings to see in Mallorca are the modernist buildings, most of which follow the Catalan modernist trend.

The Grand Hotel

It is perhaps the most dazzling example of Modernisme. Located at number 3, Plaça Weyler, it was built in 1903 by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

The Gran Hotel was the most luxurious hotel in Spain until the opening of the Ritz in 1910. Among the innovations and luxuries were the lift, steam heating and electricity.

Can Forteza Rey

It is particularly reminiscent of Gaudí’s Casa Batlló on Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona. Its promoter was José Forteza-Rey, who worked as a goldsmith at the Cathedral at the same time as Gaudí carried out the renovation (1904-1914).

The history of the building is curious. José Forteza Rey built the building for his children: a pharmacy on the ground floor; the first floor as a dental clinic and the third floor as a private residence, the mezzanine was reserved for housing by the developer himself.

The decorative treatment, the polychrome ceramics of the Majorcan factory “La Roqueta” and the monstrous or rather painful and suffering face, flanked by two winged dragons located on the first floor and above, the dentist’s sign “Clínica Dental I. F. Rey” stand out. F. Rey”, an effective and artistic advertising, associating the evil with the remedy, worthy of the best publicists.

L’Àguila

Adjacent to the Casa Forteza Rey, we find the Águila building. It was built in 1908 by the architect Gaspar Bennàzar, popularly known as “s’Arquitecte”, whose works also include s’Escorxador and the Sagrera promenade.

The building built to house the l’Àguila warehouses is in the process of being converted into an interior hotel.

Discover more about the architecture of Palma’s old town, and what to see in Mallorca, with the Free Tour.

The plaza Mayor

Very close to the town hall is the Plaza Mayor. There is a local saying that “all roads lead to the Plaza Mayor”, because it is the actual centre of the city of Palma.

The mythical and busy streets of Palma are born from this place: San Miguel, Jaime II, Vía Sindicato, where you can find numerous shops selling traditional and local products and jewellery. On Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays there is a craft market.

History of the Plaza Mayor

Surrounded by 14th century buildings, it was the seat of the Inquisition until its final disappearance in 1823, and was such a gloomy and gloomy place that it was popularly known as the Black House.

Later, the square was turned into a market and after the civil war it became a square, where ponds and flower boxes were built. The square is connected to the Ramblas promenade by a staircase.

In 1969, the City Council approved what the newspapers called the “great reform”, creating a five-storey basement, four for parking and one for a shopping centre.

Discover more about the history of Palma, and what to see in Mallorca, with the Free Tour.

Sant Miquel Street

If you are interested in what to see in Mallorca, you are also interested in what to buy and where. Calle San Miguel is one of the main shopping streets in the centre of Palma. It is a narrow, elongated street and one of the busiest pedestrian thoroughfares.

It belongs to the most traditional and welcoming shopping area, next to Calle Oms and Las Ramblas. It could be considered an open-air shopping centre, with a multitude of shops, clothing, footwear, accessories, perfumery, souvenirs, fabrics and Mallorcan embroidery.

In San Miguel, local and traditional shops of yesteryear, such as the historic Bordados Valldemossa and the well-known Camper, coexist with big brands such as Desigual and Sfera.

The parish church of Sant Miquel

In the middle of Sant Miquel street is this parish church. Together with Santa Eulàlia, Sant Jaume and Santa Creu, it is one of the four oldest parishes to be seen in Mallorca.

Discover more ancient legends of the city of Palma, and what to see in Mallorca, with the Free Tour.

The Olivar Market

After walking through the old town we reach the Olivar market. Markets have become another attraction in the cities and the Mercat de l’Olivar is the largest and most complete municipal market to see in Mallorca.

Aromas, cheeses, colours, flavours and cured meats mingle in this traditional food market with food stalls, flower shops and bars.

History of the Olivar market 

In addition to being a landmark monument built in 1951, it is a luminous building of Mediterranean architecture. However, it should not be forgotten that it was formerly the Convent of the Virgin of Olivar.

The “variat” in Mallorca

The “variat”, a combination of Mallorcan dishes in the same plate, is one of the main reasons to visit this market, and is one of its main points of reference.

Plaza España

As in other cities, the Plaza de España is characterised by being a nerve centre of Palma’s communications.

Many streets and squares converge here, making it the perfect place to end the Mallorca Free walking Tour and go for lunch in any of the restaurants in the surrounding area. Depending on your tastes, don’t hesitate to ask our guides where to go for a good meal.

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Statue of Jaume I 

In the Plaza España is the equestrian statue in honour of Jaime I, the Conqueror, inaugurated on 20 January 1927.

It is said that depending on how a horse’s legs are placed, they show the cause of death of the illustrious personage who rides it: four on the ground would mean natural death, one leg raised, he died of wounds or illness, two legs raised, he died in combat.

But it seems that this is just a legend.

Discover more stories, anecdotes and things to see in Mallorca with the Free Tour.