Port
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Activity Level
Easy
Excursion Type
All
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Starting At
$64.95
Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
Duration
Approximately 3 Hours
Meals Included
Meals not included
Leave the port of Palma and head to the city center. Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the island, is a city open to the sea and the bay that takes its name.
Your tour starts with a panoramic drive along the Maritime Promenade en route to Bellver Castle. This is one of the most important examples of Gothic civil architecture in Mallorca. Dubbed 'the castle of beautiful views', its imposing form watches over the port. It was built by Jaume II at the beginning of the 14th century, originally conceived as a defensive stronghold and a royal residence. But it became an infamous prison between the Middle Ages and the Civil War. Among many others, the Enlightenment encyclopedist Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos was a prisoner here for six years. The young French Physicist François Arago, who played a role in measuring the Paris Meridian, was also a 'guest' of the castle.
Next stop -- the Mallorca Cathedral, which presides over the city and frames its very silhouette. Constructed between the 13th and the 14th century, this is one of the finest examples of pure Gothic architecture in all of Europe.
Nearby is the Almudaina Palace -- a monument which was converted from an Arab fortress into the residence of the Kings of Mallorca. Your guide will point out the most important aspects of this monument from the outside.
Next, head to the Bull Ring (1929), whose architectural elements stem from the Baroque to the Modernist. The building is perfectly set out, with four main boxes oriented to the cardinal points.
Return to the ship via the pearl factory as your tour concludes.
Notes:
No inside visits are included. This is a panoramic driving tour with photo stops.