Palma de Mallorca · 6 min read
Where to stay in Palma de Mallorca
Five neighbourhoods, and what each one actually means for a group — quiet, beach, nightlife or price.
Palma is not a big city, but the difference between its neighbourhoods is larger than the map suggests. Choosing the area matters more than choosing the property.
Old Town
Stay here if you want to walk everywhere. Narrow streets, the cathedral five minutes away, terraces on every corner. The downside: it's crowded in summer, and parking is expensive and hard to find.
Good for: groups not renting a car.
Santa Catalina
The old fishermen's quarter, now the area with the best small restaurants. The neighbourhood market opens in the morning and is worth seeing even if you buy nothing. Fifteen minutes on foot from the centre.
Good for: groups who cook and go out in the evening.
Portixol
On the edge of the city, by the water. Quieter, with a promenade and a small beach. Prices sit below the centre for the same quality.
Good for: families and groups who want the beach without the noise.
Son Vida and the residential belt
Villas with pools, ten minutes from town by car. Stay here if the group is large and you want a garden, a grill and silence. Without a car it makes no sense.
Good for: groups of six to ten.
Inland
Restored farmhouses among the almond groves, twenty to thirty minutes out. The best space for the money, but you depend entirely on a car.
Good for: groups who want quiet and are staying more than a week.
What it actually costs
For four people, eight nights, in high season: a decent apartment in Santa Catalina or Portixol starts around €1,100 in total. A villa with a pool goes past €3,000. A boutique hotel in the centre lands near €1,300 for two rooms.
Add the car to all of that, unless you're staying in the centre.
