21 Best Sights in Palma, Ibiza and the Balearic Islands

Overlooking the city and the bay from a hillside, the castle was built at the beginning of the 14th century in Gothic style but with a circular design—the only one of its kind in Spain. It houses an archaeological museum of the history of Mallorca and a small collection of classical sculpture. The Bus Turistic 50 and the EMT municipal buses Nos. 4, 20, and 46 all stop a 20-minute walk from the entrance. In summer, there are classical music concerts in the courtyard, performed by the Ciutat de Palma Symphony Orchestra.

Palma's cathedral is an architectural wonder that took almost 400 years to build. Begun in 1230, the wide expanse of the nave is supported by 14 70-foot-tall columns that fan out at the top like palm trees. The nave is dominated by an immense rose window, 40 feet in diameter, dating to 1370. Over the main altar (consecrated in 1346) is the surrealistic baldoquí (baldachin) by Antoni Gaudí, completed in 1912. This enormous canopy, with lamps suspended from it like elements of a mobile, rises to a Crucifixion scene at the top. To the right, in the Chapel of the Santísimo, is an equally remarkable 2007 work by the sculptor Miquel Barceló: a painted ceramic tableau covering the walls like a skin. Based on the New Testament account of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, it's a bizarre composition of rolling waves, gaping cracks, protruding fish heads, and human skulls. The bell tower above the cathedral's Plaça Almoina door holds nine bells, the largest of which is called N'Eloi, meaning "Praise." The 5-ton N'Eloi, cast in 1389, requires six men to ring it and has shattered stained-glass windows with its sound.

From April through October you can take a guided tour of the bell tower and the cathedral's terraces overlooking panoramic views of the city. Reservations must be made in advance on the website.

West of the city center, this museum rises on a long-neglected archaeological site, parts of which date back to the 12th century. The building itself is an outstanding convergence of old and new: the exhibition space uses the surviving 16th-century perimeter walls of the fortified city, including a stone courtyard facing the sea and a promenade along the ramparts. There are three floors of galleries, and the collection includes work by Miró, Picasso, and Antoni Tàpies, among other major artists. To get here, take the narrow Carrer de Sant Pere through the old fishermen's quarter, from Plaça de la Drassana.

Along Carrer Colom is the 17th-century ajuntament (town hall). Stop in to see the collection of gigantes, the huge painted and costumed mannequins paraded through the streets during festivals, which are on display in the lobby. The olive tree on the right side of the square is one of Mallorca's so-called olivos milenarios—purported to be more than 1,000 years old. The adjacent building is the Palau del Consell, the headquarters of the island's government, a late-19th-century building on the site of a medieval prison. The palau (palace) has its own collection of gigantes and an impressive stained-glass window over the ornate stone staircase; visits inside can be arranged by appointment ( [email protected]).

One of Palma's oldest monuments, the 10th-century public bathhouse has a wonderful walled garden of palms and lemon trees. In its day, it was not merely a place to bathe but a social institution where you could soak, relax, and gossip with your neighbors.

The 13th-century monastery church of Sant Francesc was established by Jaume II when his eldest son took monastic orders and gave up rights to the throne. Fra Junípero Serra, the missionary who founded San Francisco, California, was later educated here; his statue stands to the left of the main entrance. The basilica houses the tomb of eminent 13th-century scholar Ramón Llull. The cloisters (enter via the side door, on the right) are especially beautiful and peaceful. The €5 entrance fee includes entrance to five other churches.

Binissalem, about a half-hour drive (25 km [15 miles]) from Palma, is the center of one of the island's two D.O.-registered wine regions and has a riotous harvest festival in mid-September, when surplus grapes are dumped by the truckload for participants to fling at each other. Some of Mallorca's best wineries are here, many of them open for tastings and tours. This winery is hard to find, but it's worth a detour, especially for its award-winning red Tres Uvas, a rich blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and a Mallorcan grape called Manto Negro, that's easy on the palate. It's open for tours and tastings, but call ahead on weekends.

One of the largest of Mallorca's wineries, Bodegas José L. Ferrer can be visited for tastings. Ferrer wines consistently do well at international competitions in France and Germany; Pedra de Binissalem, its ecological red, is a subtle blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and the local varietal Manto Negro—well worth a try.

Built between 1901 and 1903 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, originator of Barcelona's Palau de la Música Catalana, this former hotel has an alabaster facade sculpted like a wedding cake, with floral motifs, angelic heads, and coats of arms. The original interiors are gone, however. The building is owned and used by the Fundació La Caixa, a cultural and social organization funded by the region's largest bank. Don't miss the permanent exhibit of paintings by the Catalan impressionist Hermenegildo Anglada Camarasa.

This gem of Palma's early Moderniste architecture, designed in the 1890s by Nicolau Lliteras, is on the corner of Carrer de Jaume II.

Designed by Lluís Forteza Rei in 1909, this Art Nouveau delight has twisted wrought-iron railings and surfaces inlaid with bits of polychrome tile, which are signature touches of Antoni Gaudí and his contemporaries. A wonderful carved stone face in a painful grimace, flanked by dragons, ironically frames the stained-glass windows of a third-floor dental clinic. There's a chocolate shop on the ground floor.

Even though it's nearly an hour's drive from Palma, this pristine 2-km (1-mile) stretch of fine white sand on Mallorca's southern coast, much longer than it is wide, is one of the most popular beaches on the island—arrive late in summer, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a space to stretch out. At times the water can be a bit choppy, and there are occasional patches of seaweed—but otherwise the clear, clean water slopes off gently from the shore for some 30 feet, making it ideal for families with younger kids. Es Trenc is in a protected natural area free of hotels and other developments, which makes for good bird-watching. Naturists lay their claim to part of the beach's eastern end. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: nudists; partiers; swimming; walking.

The permanent collection includes many drawings and studies by Catalan artist, Joan Miró, who spent his last years on Mallorca, but it exhibits far fewer finished paintings and sculptures than the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona. While the exhibits are fairly limited, the setting and views of Palma are worth the detour.

Off the south coast of Mallorca, this verdant isle is one of the last unspoiled places in the Mediterranean—the largest of the 19 islands of Cabrera Archipelago. To protect its dramatic landscape, varied wildlife, and lush vegetation, it was declared a national park in 1991. Throughout its history, Cabrera has had its share of visitors, from the Romans to the Arabs. The only intact historical remains are those of a 14th-century castle overlooking the harbor. Tours are operated daily by the Marcabrera company. Boats depart from Colònia Sant Jordi port, 47 km (29 miles) southeast of Palma. Tours, with a stop to swim or snorkel in the mysterious Cueva Azul (Blue Cave) start from €51; two-and-a-half-hour excursions by speedboat, leaving three times a day, between 1 and 5, are €60.

A few steps from the north archway of the Plaça Major is the Museu Fundación Juan March. This fine little museum was established to display what had been a private collection of modern Spanish art. The building itself was a sumptuous private home built in the 18th century. The second and third floors were redesigned to accommodate a series of small galleries, with one or two works at most—by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Juan Gris, Salvador Dalí, Antoni Tàpies, and Miquel Barceló, among others—on each wall.

Opposite Palma's cathedral, this palace was originally an Arab citadel, then became the residence of the ruling house during the Middle Ages. It's now a military headquarters and the king's official residence when he's in Mallorca. Audio guides cost €4.

Try to catch the changing of the Honor Guard ceremony, which takes place in front of the palace at noon on the last Saturday of the month (7.30 pm in July and August).

A crafts market fills this elegant neoclassical space from 10–2 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings during most of the year (usually April-Dec). Until 1838, this was the local headquarters of the Inquisition. A flight of steps on the east side of the Plaça Major leads down to La Rambla, a pleasant promenade lined with flower stalls.

On the seafront west of the Plaça de la Reina, the 15th-century Llotja connects via an interior courtyard to the Consolat de Mar (Maritime Consulate). With its decorative turrets, pointed battlements, fluted pillars, and Gothic stained-glass windows—part fortress, part church—it attests to the wealth Mallorca achieved in its heyday as a Mediterranean trading power. The interior (the Merchants' Chamber) often hosts free art exhibitions.

Carrer de la Cadena leads to this imposing Gothic church, where, in 1435, 200 Jews were forced to convert to Christianity after their rabbis were threatened with being burned at the stake.

Take time to appreciate the neoclassical symmetry of this theater, Palma's chief venue for classical music. The opera season here usually runs through June.