Palma de Mallorca: No friends, no car, no problem
There’s no shortage of travel guides for Mallorca. It’s a well visited Balearic island in which you can drive the entire diameter in about an hour. That’s why most visitors rent cars in order to explore the beautiful beaches, quaint mountain towns, and do outdoorsy things like coasteering (it’s a thing).
On a recent trip to Palma de Mallorca I had no car, no daytime companions, and no dollars. (Ok, not zero, but remember I’m currently jobless.) So I put together a guide for if-you-should-ever-find-yourself-in-Palma-with-no-car. If you know me at all, you can be sure these mostly beaches, restaurants and wine.
I stayed in a hotel about a mile outside Palma city center, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. A little Instagram stalking, a basic internet search, and bus and taxi money was all I needed to see everything listed here.
Playas Ses Iletes
My first day in Mallorca was obviously going to be at a beach. I asked the hotel staff for some guidance and they directed me to Playas Ses Illetes since it was an easy bus ride away and very popular. Both true. It was insanely picturesque, and insanely crowded. We were packed on that beach like sardines, but happy sardines. Pros: the stunning view, a bus drops you off a 10 min walk from beach, and there’s a charming bar on top of the cliff. Cons: the bathrooms were also on top of said cliff above the beach and getting a chair wasn’t possible unless you were first ones on the beach.
Portixol
There’s no shortage of boat-filled ports in and around Palma. Portixol, a former fishing village has a little strip of sand where locals come to layout. There is a boutique hotel in the area that has acclaim for its restaurant and lodging, but I opted to walk along the promenade in the other direction for only a few minutes before discovering Restaurant Club Maritimo Molinar. I could tell this was a local joint that required reservations, but being solo has its perks - tables for one are easy to snag on walk-in basis. Eating for one does not suck on a beautiful shore with fresh seafood and a glass of wine. And look at those langoustines!
Ca'n Pere Antoni - Palma City Beach
Surprise! A third beach. This is one of the closest beaches to Palma city center and it stretches from Portixol all the way to the famous Cathedral de Mallorca. While not as scenic as the other two beaches, Ca’n Pere had public restrooms, chairs and umbrellas to rent for the day and it was also the only ‘real’ beach with waves. It may not seem as charming as the other beaches, but it’s a beautiful beach on the Mediterranean, so no complaints here.
Santa Catalina
If I'm going to take a break from the beach, it's going to be to eat or shop. After my second day on Ca’n Pere Antoni, I headed to the Santa Catalina neighborhood a little over a mile from the beach. I grabbed a bocadillo at the Mercat de Santa Catalina and strolled around the nearby streets. While most restaurants were taking siesta, I did check out the menu and reviews for Bunker’s Restaurant which looked delicious. I also picked up an iced latte (holy grail in Spain) from an adorable cafe - Claro Mallorca, pictured above.
Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t find a local boutique. Mozaic, a furniture and clothing shop was everything. Laid out by color and carrying funky jewelry and unique clothes, this shop definitely checked all the boxes. I might be broke, but a green dress with tigers on it? Obv.
La Rosa Chica Vermuteria
Just a few blocks from the center of Santa Catalina, there is a hopping vermuteria and tapas bar - La Rosa Chica. Full disclosure: my husband was free for dinners so I didn’t go there solo. We had some traditional Spanish tapas, vermouth & soda, and a refreshing glass of Alabarino. Very tasty, very lively, and very good prices.
Other Notables
Tast Club - Part of a larger restaurant group, this was a swanky tapas spot in the city and you’d likely benefit from a reservation. It’s pricier than a traditional tapas bar, but high quality and a nice cocktail and wine list.
Even if I retraced by steps on my Instagram rabbit hole, I couldn’t tell you how I discovered the Lundgren Raw wine shop. But I did. And I was their FIRST EVER CUSTOMER. I won’t be their last, as they had some very exciting bottles.
Next time I go to Mallorca, I hope to drive to other areas of the island. But I had plenty to do and see in and around the small city of Palma and now you can too. Or you can go caving and rock climbing and report back because, nah.