Palma de Mallorca Cast off from the Spanish mainland, the Balearic island of Majorca features pretty coves and beaches, dazzling azure waters, soaring mountains, sedate citrus orchards and olive groves. Its major city is a hub for fun-seeking tourists, with a buzzing foodie scene and a fascinating architectural landscape spanning the Neolithic period, the Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, and Moorish times, as well as the medieval and modern Spanish eras. At its centrepiece is Palma Cathedral, towering over the city and attracting hordes of travelers keen to gaze at its soaring gothic facade and main stained-glass window. At
12 metres wide and containing 1,236 pieces of glass, it’s one of the largest in the world. Built over a 300- year period between the 14th and 17th centuries, the cathedral sits on the former citadel of the Roman city and contains the tombs of Kings James II and James III of Mallorca. Elsewhere, there’s La Almudaina Royal Palace — constructed on the foundations of a Muslim fortress in 1281, it’s a summer residence for the current King of Spain; the Convent of Santa Clara — a monastery built in the 13th century that was the subject of a full-scale restoration in 2017; and 14th-century Bellver Castle, with some of the best views of Palma and the Med.
