{"id":7817,"date":"2022-09-17T20:43:23","date_gmt":"2022-09-17T17:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.padureanu.com\/uncategorized\/mallorca-la-palma-and-other-delicacies\/"},"modified":"2022-09-17T20:57:08","modified_gmt":"2022-09-17T17:57:08","slug":"mallorca-la-palma-and-other-delicacies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.padureanu.com\/en\/travels\/spain\/mallorca-la-palma-and-other-delicacies\/","title":{"rendered":"Mallorca: La Palma and other delicacies"},"content":{"rendered":"

A visit to Mallorca cannot exclude the capital, La Palma<\/strong>, the jewel of the Balearic Islands.<\/p>\n

La Palma<\/strong> is a big city with almost 400,000 inhabitants and on the streets of the modern city, frankly, I didn’t feel anything different from other cities of the same size in southern Spain. As soon as I went out, I felt like I was in Malaga for example, for those who have ever been to Andalusia.<\/p>\n

La Palma<\/strong> is known worldwide, primarily for its long beaches and especially for the hundreds of hotels lined up in the southern bay of La Palma around Arenal<\/strong> Beach.<\/p>\n

But what I think individualizes the city more than anything else is its old centre, with its medieval masterpieces preserved intact.<\/p>\n

The pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance of the old town is the Cathedral of Mallorca<\/strong> or La Seu<\/strong> as the locals call it for short. It is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Spain.<\/p>\n

I recommend you start your visit in the old city centre with the cathedral, starting from the Parc de La Mar<\/strong> park. There you will also find a spacious underground car park, where you can leave your car and visit the streets of the old town at your leisure.<\/p>\n

The view of the cathedral and the Royal Almudaina Palace<\/strong> next door from the Parc del Mar<\/strong> is superb.<\/p>\n

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La Seu Cathedral and Amudaina Royal Palace – La Palma<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Mallorca Cathedral<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The cathedral is reached by climbing an endless row of stairs full of street vendors<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The Cathedral Esplanade offers a superb view of La Palma harbour<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Entrance to the cathedral from the port<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The main entrance, located next to the Almudaina Palace<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Access to the cathedral and the beautiful streets of the old centre is by climbing several flights of stairs, La Seu<\/strong> being built on the high cliff of the harbour.<\/p>\n

The cornerstone of the cathedral was laid in 1230<\/strong> by King Jaume I<\/strong>, after the liberation of the island from Arab rule, and was built over the Arab mosque and completed 400 years later.<\/p>\n

To visit the cathedral, I recommend you to buy tickets online, with the time of entry, from the official website<\/a> and select the ticket that includes the visit of the terrace<\/strong>. Worth every penny. Here is a direct link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The interior of the cathedral is spectacular, the central nave being 44 metres high. The central stained glass rosette is composed of 1200 pieces of coloured glass and measures almost 11 metres in diameter.<\/p>\n

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The main rosette measures 11 meters in diameter<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The central ship stands over 44 metres high<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The remaining Gaudi altar decoration is actually a cardboard and wire model because the work was never completed.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

The visit to the cathedral terraces is unique.<\/p>\n

It can only be climbed at fixed times in groups, as only one person in a row can climb the spiral staircase, which has no less than 137 steps. Of course, the ladder is not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia.<\/p>\n

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The 137 spiral steps<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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On the terrace of La Seu Cathedral<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Huge rosette 11 meters in diameter that you can touch<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Side buttresses of the cathedral towards the city<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Side buttresses of the cathedral towards the sea<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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View of the old city from La Seu Cathedral<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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View of La Palma harbour from La Seu Cathedral<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Carved buttresses in Gothic motifs<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Access is allowed on the terraces of both side aisles of the cathedral from where you can admire both the panorama of the old town, with its narrow streets and tiled roofs, and the superb La Palma<\/strong> harbour with the masts of dozens of yachts moored.<\/p>\n

Getting off the terrace is a new adventure, as you have to wait for one group to get on until another is allowed to get off.<\/p>\n

Security guards are everywhere and their coordination is admirable, considering the large number of visitors.<\/p>\n

Across the road from the cathedral is the Royal Almudaina Palace<\/strong>, the official residence of King Juan Carlos on the island, which can also be visited every day of the week, except Mondays, when all museums are closed. Here are the details<\/a> if you want to book a ticket online.<\/p>\n

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Another landmark in the old town are the former Arab baths<\/strong>, located in a shady courtyard near the cathedral.<\/p>\n

But after having visited years ago the Arab baths of Granada, “El Banuelo”, at the foot of the Alhambra, they seemed to me a pale shadow of them.<\/p>\n

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The remains of the Arab baths<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Court of Arab baths<\/div><\/div>
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The remains of the Arab baths<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

In general, it must be said that, unlike in Andalusia, where the remains of the Arab heritage can be found everywhere, surviving the times and even being a source of pride for the locals, in Mallorca, they have been almost completely removed.<\/p>\n

I also enjoyed visiting St. Francisc<\/strong>, an absolutely special monastic complex, which had a special meaning for me.<\/p>\n

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Basilica of St. Francisc, part of the 13th century monastery of the same name<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The courtyard of St. Francisc<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The courtyard of St. Francisc<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Students playing in the monastery corridors<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

As we visited La Palma<\/strong> in June, when the school year had not yet ended in Spain, we were surprised to find all the halls of the monastery full of students. Because the Franciscan monastery is at the same time a general school and a university, besides the religious activity that takes place as in any other establishment of this kind.<\/p>\n

We left the monastery and sought the coolness of a terrace to catch our breath a little more in the heat of the day.<\/p>\n

By pure chance I discovered one of the most beautiful places I’ve stayed in Mallorca, which I recommend to you.<\/p>\n

This is the terrace of the Hotel Cappuccino Palma<\/strong>, located right across the street from the town hall, on Placa de Cort<\/strong> street.<\/p>\n

Don’t stay on the street, enter the place and there, in an enclosed courtyard with Moorish influences, perfectly restored, linger over a glass of sangria and a tapas. It will be a unique experience.<\/p>\n

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In the courtyard of Hotel Cappuccino Palma we felt like in an exotic Agatha Christie story<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Cappuccino Hotels<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Palma City Council<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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On the streets of La Palma<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

And don’t forget, if you’re in La Palma<\/strong> you should visit Castell del Bellver<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Located in a park, on a hill, probably in the most stylish district of La Palma<\/strong>, the castle offers, as its name suggests, a superb view of the city.<\/p>\n

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La Castell de Bellver<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Bellver Castle<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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View of the city from the castle<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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La Castell de Bellver<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

A journey by Train de Soller<\/h4>\n

The journey from La Palma<\/strong> to Port de Soller<\/strong> by historic train and then by vintage tram is pleasant entertainment on a day when you want to transport yourself back in time, away from the hectic present.<\/p>\n

The experience of driving a kind of mocanita<\/a> from La Palma<\/strong> to Soller<\/strong> is very pleasant and takes about an hour. The “vintage” tramway, which is more like a sort of titicar, from Soller<\/strong> to Port de Soller<\/strong> is not as pleasant.<\/p>\n

We also didn’t like the fact that when you get to your destination, as soon as you get off the tram, you feel as if you were thrown into the arms of the various “you-know-what” vendors and the crowded terraces of the port, as if the purpose of the trip was just to bring you to them.<\/p>\n

We still tried to enjoy the otherwise beautiful harbour scenery.<\/p>\n

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The tram stop that takes you to Port de Soller is across the street from the train station.<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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After the tram ride, you are disembarked in the arms of various traders<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Port of Soller <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Port of Soller<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

It is advisable to buy your reservation online, as the number of seats is limited, both outbound and return.<\/p>\n

Go to trendesoller.com<\/a> and remember to book the combined route, train + tram, round trip. Don’t leave yourself more than an hour in Port de Soller<\/strong> because there’s not much to do there, especially if it’s hot.<\/p>\n

Here is a video of the road to show you what and how:<\/p>\n