Palma has a habit of surprising people. Travellers arrive expecting a gateway to the beaches and discover one of the Mediterranean's most seductive small cities: a walled old quarter of golden sandstone lanes, a cathedral that glows over the bay at sunset, and a food and wine scene that now rivals cities three times its size. I spent a long weekend there recently, based at a gorgeous boutique hotel Palma newcomer called Casa Roca in the heart of the Old Town, and I came home already planning a return.
If Seasoned travellers know that where you stay is half the story of any city break. In Palma, that means one thing: sleep inside the Casco Antiguo, the historic Old Town, where the city is at its most atmospheric long after the day trippers have drifted back to the resorts. Here is how to do a boutique weekend in Palma properly.
Every city has one hotel that captures its spirit, and in Palma right now that hotel is Casa Roca. For five generations this building on Carrer dels Hostals was a family run papeleria, a stationer's where locals came for fine papers. Its recent restoration has kept that artisanal soul while layering in Art Deco elegance, a secret speakeasy and genuine five star comfort, all a three minute stroll from Plaza Mayor.
What makes it special is the wine. Casa Roca is a dedicated wine hotel showcasing more than 40 local labels, and every guest receives a personal Wine Pass to explore Mallorcan wine through the hotel's tasting machines. The Tasting Room hosts sessions led by island winemakers, and the experience menu is a love letter to Mallorca: an Olivar Market tour with a hands on cooking class, gin and vermouth tastings from small local producers, even a coffee tasting with one of the island's best roasters.
The rooms themselves run from open plan City Suites with deep soaking tubs to a three bedroom penthouse with its own chef's kitchen and sunny roof terrace. A few details that won me over:
It is also quietly brilliant for celebrations. The whole hotel, ten unique spaces plus the Art Deco bar, spa and rooftop terrace, can be taken over for exclusive use, and the team arranges private dining where the chefs prepare traditional and modern Mallorcan dishes in front of you. If you are plotting a milestone birthday or a small wedding somewhere with genuine character, file this one away.
Start with the showstopper. La Seu, Palma's vast Gothic cathedral, rises straight out of the bay and is even more impressive inside, where Gaudi left his mark on the interior and the morning light through the great rose window is unforgettable. From there, wander the lanes of the old Jewish quarter to the Arab Baths, a tenth century relic hidden in a quiet garden, peeking into the grand courtyards of the merchant palaces as you go.
Spend the afternoon on the Born, Palma's elegant plane shaded boulevard, with a detour to Calle Jaime III if designer shopping calls. As evening falls, do as the locals do: a slow vermouth at a pavement table, then tapas hopping through the lanes around Plaza Mayor before a nightcap in your hotel's Art Deco bar.
If the evening is warm, finish with a wander through La Lonja, the fifteenth century merchants' exchange whose twisted stone columns look like palm trees frozen mid sway. The surrounding quarter is Palma's prettiest place for a late drink, all lantern lit lanes and tucked away wine bars, and it is only a short stroll back to your bed through the quiet Old Town.
A word on the food, because Palma deserves it. Seek out the local classics: sobrasada spread thick on toasted bread, tumbet, fresh gambas from the morning boats, and an ensaimada, the island's feather light spiral pastry, with your coffee. The city does everything from third generation cellars to modern tasting menus, and almost all of it within ten minutes of the Old Town's central squares.
Begin at the Olivar Market, five minutes from the hotel, where the fish counters and produce stalls are a feast in themselves. This is where Casa Roca's chef led market tour starts, and I highly recommend it: you shop for ingredients together, then head back to the Tasting Room to learn to cook Mallorcan tapas and eat your homework with a glass of crisp local white. You leave with recipes and, in my case, a slightly worrying olive oil habit.
In the afternoon, walk off lunch along the seafront. Can Pere Antoni Beach is fifteen minutes from the Old Town, and another five brings you to Portixol, a former fishing port turned laid back marina lined with bars and restaurants. Watch the paddleboarders drift by, order something cold, and toast the fact that you are on a city break with a beach attached.
Back at the hotel, the evening takes care of itself. This is where the Wine Pass earns its keep: work your way through Mallorca's native grapes at your own pace, from light aromatic Mantonegro to rare recovered varieties like Escursac and Gorgollassa that you will struggle to find anywhere off the island. Paired with the hotel's signature tapas, it is effortless discovery, and a far better way to end a day than scrolling a room service menu.
The joy of basing yourself at Casa Roca is that Palma unfolds on foot from the front door. Here is how the distances stack up:
Palma rewards a third day handsomely. The century old wooden train to Soller rattles through orange groves and thirteen mountain tunnels from a station ten minutes from the Old Town, and it remains one of Europe's great little railway journeys. Pair it with the vintage tram down to the port of Soller for lunch by the water and you have a perfect day out, no car required.
Drivers have even more choice. The hairpins of the Tramuntana mountains lead to honey stoned Valldemossa, where Chopin famously wintered, while the east coast hides the Drach Caves, a subterranean world of illuminated lakes where classical musicians perform from rowing boats. Or simply stay put and book another of the hotel's tastings: the Mallorcan vermouth session, sampling organic vintages from producers like Jaume de Puntiro alongside jamon and gildas, is a very civilised way to lose two hours.
Palma Old Town is that rare thing: a genuine year round city break with Mediterranean light, world class food and wine, and history layered into every lane, all fifteen minutes from the airport. Do it properly by sleeping in the heart of it, in a hotel where the building itself is part of the story. Casa Roca gave my weekend its shape: mornings plotted over excellent coffee, evenings ending in the speakeasy, and a Wine Pass that turned every return to the hotel into a small celebration.
