Three-Day Itinerary for Palma de Mallorca

Palma’s historic center now runs a low-emission zone, so a rental car with the wrong sticker cannot legally enter the old town at all. That single rule reshapes how you should plan these three days: walk and taxi inside the city, and only pick up a car for the mountain run to Soller and Valldemossa.

Day 1: Exploring the City Center

Morning:

• Breakfast at Cappuccino Grand Cafe on Plaça Cort, a reliable spot for a Spanish-style breakfast before the streets fill up.
• Palma Cathedral, known locally as La Seu, dominates the skyline and is worth the entry ticket for the Gaudi-influenced interior alone, not just the facade everyone photographs from the sea wall.
• Walk over to the Almudaina Palace next door, a royal residence still used by the Spanish royal family for official functions, built directly on top of the old Moorish alcazar.

Afternoon:

• Lunch at Es Racó d’es Teix on Carrer de Sant Miquel for honest Mallorcan cooking away from the tourist-menu places near the cathedral.
• Take a short taxi ride, about ten minutes and roughly 8 euros, up to Bellver Castle. This is a 14th-century royal fortress, not a monastery, and it is one of the few genuinely circular castles left in Europe. Entry is a few euros, and it is free on Sunday afternoons, which is worth timing your visit around if you can.
• The hilltop view over the bay and the cathedral from the castle walls is better than almost any paid viewpoint in the city.

Evening:

• Dinner at a rooftop restaurant on Carrer de la Reina Cristina with old-town views over dinner.
• For a drink after, head to Plaza Weyler or the bars along Carrer de Sant Feliu. My take: Palma’s nightlife rewards wandering more than following a list, since the good terraces change year to year.

Day 2: Beach Morning and the Soller Valley

Morning:

• Grab pastries from a bakery near Carrer de la Mercè and walk to Can Pere Antoni, the city’s own beach, just under two kilometers from the cathedral and easily reached on foot or by bike lane. Do not confuse this with Es Trenc, which is a separate, much wilder beach on the island’s south coast, over an hour’s drive away and not a realistic add-on to a Palma morning.
• Swim before the midday crowds arrive, since this stretch fills up fast in summer.

Afternoon:

• Drive or bus toward Soller, stopping in Deia for lunch at a village restaurant tucked into the terraced hillside.
• In Soller, ride the vintage wooden train that has connected the town to Palma since 1912, winding through orange groves and mountain tunnels. A one-way ticket runs around 23 euros, and the connecting tram down to Port de Soller adds about 10 euros more if you want to finish at the harbor.
• Opinion: the train is the actual event here, not a means to an end. Sit on the side facing the mountains going out and swap for the coast view coming back.

Evening:

• Dinner at a family-run restaurant in the heart of Soller, then either take the tram back to the port and a ferry to Palma, or retrace the train route.
• Overnight back in Palma.

Day 3: Countryside and Craft

Morning:

• Last Palma breakfast at Cappuccino Grand Cafe or wherever became your favorite over the past two days.
• Taxi or rental car up to Valldemossa, the hill village where Chopin and George Sand famously spent a difficult winter at the Carthusian Monastery. The drive is short but winding, so budget more time than the distance suggests.

Afternoon:

• Lunch at a family-run spot in the village center.
• Visit a local artisan workshop specializing in esparto grass weaving, a traditional Mallorcan craft that is dying out elsewhere on the island and worth supporting directly rather than buying the plastic imitations sold near the cruise port.

Evening:

• Farewell dinner back in Palma at Es Racó d’es Teix, the same spot from day one. Repeating a good restaurant on your last night beats gambling on an unknown for a send-off meal.

Things to Know:

• The Balearic sustainable tourism tax applies per night and rises during June, July, and August, so factor it into your accommodation budget rather than being surprised at checkout.
• Palma’s old town is a low-emission zone. Check your rental car’s environmental sticker before assuming you can drive into the center.
• Restaurants near the cathedral and Plaza Weyler get busy fast in high season. Book dinner tables a day ahead where you can.

Transportation:

• Walk the old town. Use taxis for the short hop to Bellver Castle and for evening transfers.
• Rent a car only for day two and three if you want full control over Soller, Deia, and Valldemossa timing, otherwise the train and organized transfers cover the same ground.

Tips:

• Buy Soller train tickets online in peak season, since same-day tickets sell out on the popular midday departures.
• Sit on the correct side of the train for the views, mountain side outbound, coast side on the return leg.
• Carry small change for Bellver Castle’s entry fee and for the tram, which some drivers still prefer over card payment.