Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
squares, where massive churches sidle up to noble houses. The bright Mediter-
ranean light and glittering sea are never far away.
To the north lies
Plaça Major
, a typically Spanish central square, lined with ar-
cades, shops and cafes. Lively by day, it falls eerily silent at night. To the east, Car-
rer del Sindicat spokes out towards the avenues that mark the limits of historic
Palma. It crosses a district known as
Sa Gerreria
. For decades run-down and
slightly dodgy, Sa Gerreria is enjoying a revival and it's becoming a trendy hub of
the city's nightlife. Off Plaça Major, the shopping boulevard, Carrer de Sant Miquel,
leads north towards the vast
Plaça d'Espanya
, the city's major transport hub.
Plaça Major and Carrer de Sant Miquel are on high ground that falls away to the
west down to tree-lined
Passeig de la Rambla
boulevard.
strolling boulevard and one of Palma's major arteries. It frames the historic quarter
of
Es Puig de Sant Pere
, which is buttressed by the fortress walls of Es Baluard to
the west and the shop-lined Avinguda de Jaume II to the north. Crossing the Sa Ri-
era river brings you to
Santa Catalina
, with its long, grid-pattern streets and tradi-
tional low-slung one- and two-storey houses, which was once a down-at-heel sail-
ors' district. As early as the 17th century, windmills were raised in the area (still
known as Es Jonquet) south of Carrer de Sant Magí, the oldest street in thebarri
(district). In recent years gentrification has transformed Santa Catalina into an
artsy, bohemian quarter, filled with one-of-a-kind boutiques, galleries, bars and
restaurants. Follow the seafront
Passeig Marítim
further west still and you reach
the ferry port and western Palma's major drawcard: Castell de Bellver.
A 1km walk from the city-centre end of the Platja de Can Pere Antoni brings you
to
Es Portitxol
. The 'little port' has a quiet abundance of pleasure craft and is
closed off inland by the motorway (at a discreet distance). You can walk, cycle or
rollerblade here along the Passeig Marítim from central Palma. From Es Portitxol,
walking around the next point brings you to
Es Molinar
. This simple, waterfront
'suburban' district of low fishing folks' houses has become a dining haunt, with a
handful of places at the Es Portitxol end. Over the bridge is
Ciutat Jardí
, a low-key
residential area with a broad, sandy beach.
Círculo de Bellas Artes
GALLERY
(
www.circulopalma.es
;
Carrer de l'Unió 3)
Casal Balaguer - with the grand if unevenly
cobbled courtyard, graced by four thin, leaning palms - is home to a faded but weighty
art institution, the Círculo de Bellas Artes. The site was closed for much-needed major
renovations at the time of our visit, and is set to reopen and host exhibitions in 2015.
