In 2015 The Times named Palma de Mallorca as the best city in the world to live in, because “it has everything” and “in an accessible manner”. We of course already new that the island of Mallorca was one of the favourite destinations of British people, but what has now led them to crown its capital as the greatest place on earth to live?
It is not just that they are in love with the Mediterranean climate that the Balearic Islands enjoy, and not only the island's cuisine that has wood their palate. What Palma happens to have is a broad variety of attractive features helping it as a contender for this true honour. Whether it's the Winter or the Summer time. Whether you're British or not.
La Seu
The cathedral of Mallorca is one of the main tourist attractions in the city: built from 1229 to 1346, it boasts the largest
gothic rose window in the world. Standing next to the bay of Palma and erected on the former roman city walls, the cathedral has a truly spectacular gothic style.
Besides admiring the magniloquence of its three naves you must really also visit the Almoina building, adjacent to the cathedral and a prime example of civil Mallorcan gothic architecture.
The streets of Palma
Without walking far from La Seu cathedral and the building of la Almudaina, one can reach Palma's gothic quarter, within its narrow cobbled backstreets and stately señorial town houses with incredible inner courtyards. This is the Holy Cross marine district or
barrio marinero de la Santa Creu.
Right alongside this, lies the
Paseo del Born avenue, a pedestrian área located in the city centre and connecting with
Avenida Jaume III, one of the city's main shopping districts.
The Santa Creu neighbourhood is not the only one in Palma with its own special charm, as we also then find the quarter of
Santa Catalina: one of the best places to go out for a drink or dinner in the Mallorca's capital.
Other historical buldings
Besides La Seu and the Almoina building, Palma has many historical remnants. Not far from these lies Palma's
Sa Llotja: another masterful feat of gothic architecture, and the former head office of the College of Merchants, in which the highlights include its helical pillars, which spiral up as far as the ceiling.
Another of the monuments in the city is the
Castell de Bellver, the oldest castle to have been built on a circular base, in all of Europe. Its name comes from the union of the words "Bell ver", meaning “beholding beauty”, in reference to its panoramic oversight of the city and bay.
Visiting the Castell de Bellver and enjoying its corners and view is among the best plans one can make in Palma de Mallorca. Further historic buildings you will be able to find in Palma de Mallorca include the Arabian baths, the Sant Francesc basilica, the Consolat de Mar, etc.
Art and culture
The city is rich with history, throughout, and this is also the case for art and culture. There are endless galleries and a great amount of museums. To be highlighted among these is of course
Es Baluard, the modern and contemporary art museum, and esteemed standard-setter on a regional and national level.
The
Fundació Joan Miró foundation allows us to visit the place where the Mallorcan artista performed his works, besides viewing some of his paintings and sculptures. Another of Palma's great museums is the Fundación La Caixa, a museum with a variety of exhibitions, which has its location in the magnificent
Gran Hotel de Palma building.
Nightlife on Playa de Palma
They didn't mention it in The Times, but one of the great reasons the British like coming to Mallorca, is for partying.
S'Arenal and Magaluf are proof of this: these two bar, disco and night-club areas are completely colonised in the summer, by youths from all over Europe.
Anyone is welcome to give it a try and have a wild time, while those with less of a penchant for hard partying will enjoy their lack of a hang-over on the following day.
Small, yet Great
One of the reasons for which The Times named Palma de Mallorca the best city in the world to live in in 2015 is due to its being a
small city with a great range of leisure and culture activities: “it has it all”, and near-by. It is a small city, with just 400,000 inhabitants and a broad variety of leisure options, and in which everything is close to everything else.
You have everything available to you and in a very accessible manner, just one of the reasons for which The Times named Palma de Mallorca as the best city in the world to live in.
Mallorca, the beautiful island
Besides everything the city of Palma itself has to offer one, it has one more advantage: it i son the
island of Mallorca, a paradise in the Mediterranean where everything is near and everything is wonderfully beautiful.
