Palma - More than just an airport
Mallorca, June 2009
The old town of Palma has kept up with the times over the centuries in a most unusual way. Old windmills have become trendy nightclubs; a dried up river bed is now a flower market and the ancient Fort is home to the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum. Even its gothic Cathedral was given a Gaudi make-over and then there are the new rubbish bins!
it has managed to retain its old reflection, except it now appears in a new man-made lake
The Spanish island of Mallorca has seen a staggering rise in the number of tourists, from 500,000 in 1960 to over 23 million passing through its airport last year. Surprisingly many never see the capital, located a quick 10 minutes away, choosing to head straight to the popular beach resorts. However, Palma has risen to the challenge and is not only tempting tourists away from their sun-loungers but encouraging them to visit the city instead of the beach.
It is appropriate that the very first thing you see as you drive into Palma is its Cathedral – La Seu. Over the duration of your visit the Cathedral will become your main point of reference and will feature in the majority of your photos either up close or on the horizon. Sitting high on ancient walls, this gigantic gothic masterpiece was once reflected in the sea and thanks to thoughtful city planners it has managed to retain its old reflection, except it now appears in a new man-made lake which is the main feature of the Parc de la Mar.
It is not just the park that now separates the Cathedral from the sea but also a six lane motorway and an equally wide promenade with a separate jogging and cycling lane, all of which have been built on reclaimed land. The Paseo Marítimo is lined with Palm trees, which softens the look of the motorway as it sweeps around the Bay of Palma taking you past yacht clubs, old grain windmills that are now nightclubs and onto the port and its numerous cruise ships.
The hotels located around the Bay lost their beaches to the motorway many years ago but can still boast wonderful views of the Mediterranean Sea and of a harbour filled with white yachts and expensive cruisers. Even if you are not staying here there are several cafes and restaurants along the promenade where you can enjoy the same view but, before long you will find yourself looking across to the old town and it’s Cathedral.
The best time to visit the Cathedral is mid morning when the sun shines through its 87 stained glass windows and 7 rose windows filling the vast interior in dazzling multi-coloured light. Work started on the Cathedral in 1306 and took almost 300 years to complete and by 1901 it was in need of some restoration. Gaudi was put in charge of the project and although his work wasn’t completed, due to a disagreement with the contractor, his influence is clearly visible. His main addition is an enormous candelabra which dominates the main altar and is so “Gaudi” that you will either love it or hate it.
Immediately next door, sharing the same escarpment and sea view, is the Almudaina Palace. The Palace was originally built as a Moorish Citadel before being turned into a summer residence by King Jaume II in the 14th century. Lying behind these two dramatic buildings is the oldest part of the city and the Banys Arabs. Although the two roomed brick building that houses these ancient “baths” are not much to look at, the tranquil courtyard garden where they are located is a perfect spot to rest your legs.
As you weave your way back through the maze of narrow streets, lined with elegant townhouses, you will find yourself staring through many wrought-iron gates into cool courtyards before arriving outside the 17th century Town Hall. The front of the building has a very unusual over-hanging roof which provides welcome shade to those sitting on the stone benches beneath the clock.
From here it’s very easy to find the main square – all you have to do is follow the music. Under the covered walkways that surround Plaza Mayor opera singers and musicians take advantage of the acoustics to perform for the crowds and inside are more entertainers in the shape of Zorro dressed statues and flamenco dancers swirling in red dresses to the rhythm of Spanish guitars.
crowds of surprised tourists who keep looking around expecting to be on Candid Camera
Exiting the square to the left will lead you to the beginning of a wide street known as the “Ramblas“ but to reach street level you have to either take the lift or walk down a two tiered grand staircase. When you reach the bottom and look back up, you will think you had just left a large modern hotel or apartment building, complete with underground car park.
The Ramblas is the city’s flower market and there are several permanent flower stalls so even if the market isn’t on you can imagine it in full flow. The market runs down the middle of the wide straight street, flanked by two Roman warriors and its black and white mosaic walkway is refreshingly cool thanks to large Plane trees that border it. Originally this street was a dried up riverbed created when the river was diverted to the outskirts of the city after a severe flood in 1403.
Calle Unio follows the old river’s path past the Teatro and the Grand Hotel. Built in 1903, it is just one of the many examples of Art Nouveau architecture that can be found around the city and although no longer a hotel there is a café and restaurant which offers a less touristy place to have lunch. However, it’s the architecture on the outside that is really worth admiring and you have the choice of sitting across the road at either the old fashioned Forn des Teatre pastry shop or at the Cappuccino coffee shop (a contemporary restaurant chain that can be found around the city).
You will notice that shops start to appear as you approach the beginning of the elegant Paseo de Born whose central promenade leads you past designer shops to the Cathedral. Alternatively you can walk straight ahead along Avenue Jaume III, whose arched walkways provide shade to the shops, hotels, cafes and the El Cortes Inglés department store. Palma is a shoppers’ delight with many high street shops located along these two main boulevards. In addition, hidden down the narrow lanes leading off them awaits an even larger selection of boutiques.
The town doesn’t feel like a capital city as locals and tourists stroll up and down in holiday clothes creating a relaxed, beach resort atmosphere. It is also immaculately clean, thanks in part to its state of the art rubbish bins. These bronze recycling machines magically dispose of your rubbish via a subterranean vacuum system and will take you by surprise the first time you hear them. They also attract small crowds of surprised tourists who keep looking around expecting to be on Candid Camera.
At the end of Avenue Jaume III you will come to Paseo Mallorca and to the deep man-made riverbed that marks the boundary of the old town. Thanks to this concrete flume, rain water from the nearby Serra de Tramuntana mountains now runs safely through Palma and out to sea and as it passes the steep walls of the city’s ancient fortress it resembles a moat. Es Baluard, is the city’s Contemporary and Modern Art Museum and has been cleverly housed inside the thick walls of the old fort. It provides a wonderful setting for its whacky sculptures and, even if you are not interested in modern art, the café located on the ramparts offers great harbour views.
On reaching the motorway the river runs underneath into the harbour while the promenade turns left following the fortress walls back towards the Cathedral. This walk takes you past beautiful buildings such as La Llotja, originally the city’s Stock Exchange and whose adjoining square and nearby streets are filled with bars and restaurants.
the route out past the Cathedral along the edge of the citys sandy beach and back is spectacular.
Once you see the Cathedral you will have reached Avenue di Antoni Maura which is lined on one side with cafes and on the other with the tranquil King’s Gardens. At the end of the street sits the colourful Placa de La Reina whose fountain roundabout surrounded with red geraniums marks the other end of Paseo de Born.
The main restaurant street, Calle Apuntadores, is located just off this roundabout and is bustling day and night. However, the majority of the city’s restaurants offer almost identical menus translated into several languages and are somewhat “touristy”. The only thing unpredictable about your meal will be the quality of the musicians who serenade you!
The old town is the perfect size to explore by foot and the new promenades certainly seem to have encouraged locals and visitors alike to be more active with many people walking, running or cycling and there are several places where you can hire bikes for the day. If you are a keen runner, the route out past the Cathedral along the edge of the city’s sandy beach and back is spectacular. However, there is one place that was just a little bit too far even for me to walk.
On the far side of the Bay on top of a green wooded hill sits Castle Bellver. Built in the 14th century, the castle was used as a military prison in the 18th and 19th century. Today it’s one of the city’s main tourist attractions and its circular, open-air two storey courtyard provides a perfect venue for small concerts and corporate events. From the castle’s battlements you can see the whole of the Bay right over to the Cathedral in the far distance and for the views alone it’s well worth a visit.
What makes the old town of Palma unique is the way it has evolved over the years without losing any of its character and charm. It has found ingenious new uses for its ancient buildings; given Cathedrals and Palaces makeovers and installed modern promenades, parks and dustbins. Palma is no longer just the name of an airport but a city well worth visiting in its own right.