British Airways, easyJet, bmi British Midland and Air Berlin all fly to Palma’s Son Sant Joan airport, five miles out of the city. Buses leave every 15 minutes and cost £1.25 for the 30-minute journey to the centre; alternatively, a taxi costs £15.

WAYS TO STAY

Classic
Palacio Ca Sa Galesa started the trend towards townhouse hotels in Palma when it opened in 1996 in a restored 16th-century mansion near the cathedral. Antique furniture and modern art – with originals by Joan Miró and contemporary Spanish artists – are combined with an atmosphere of informal luxury. Nice touches include free afternoon tea and pre-dinner sherry.
Doubles from £210 (Carrer Miramar 8, www.palaciocasagalesa.com)

Funky
Opened in 2004 in a former 14th-century townhouse, Hotel Puro defines itself as an urban oasis of ethnic bohemian chic. Dark wood, white walls, huge spa-like bathrooms and tented double beds on the roof create a chilled-out, hippy feel which is overly self-conscious at times. There is a cool champagne bar on the ground floor and a restaurant serving Asian-Mediterranean fusion cuisine.
Doubles from £123 (Carrer Montenegro 12, www.purohotel.com)

Business
Part of the stylish AC chain, Hotel Ciutat de Palma opened last year on the edge of trendy Santa Catalina overlooking the port. Rooms and public areas are sleek and minimalist in design, set around a sunny patio at the centre. Good business and meeting facilities, internet access, free coffee shop and free minibars in the rooms.
Doubles from £70 (Plaça Pont 3, AC Hotels)

THE BEST DINERS IN TOWN

Romantic
La Bodeguilla combines a wine bar with 200 wines by the glass and plates of cheese and ham to share, and a restaurant offering modern twists on traditional Spanish cuisine. Starters include garlic soup (£5) and main dishes might be roast suckling pig or venison and goose liver in puff pastry (£12). Alternatively go for the gourmet selection of tapas at £14 per person. Open all day, Monday to Saturday (Carrer Sant Jaume 1, Tel: 971 718274)

Cosy
For a few plates of tapas, it’s hard to beat La Taberna del Caracol, an unpretentious cellar bar with Gothic arches and wooden beams in the back streets behind the cathedral. The simple things are the best, such as scrambled eggs with Jabugo ham, spicy green peppers or snails doused in garlic and olive oil. Most dishes around £4. Closed Sunday.
(Carrer Sant Alonso 2, Tel: 971 714908)

Ethnic
Chef Zamam from Ethiopia turns out wonderful dishes from Africa and the Caribbean at Afrikana, in the hip Santa Catalina district. Start with aniseed flatbread with a selection of dips, followed by Kenyan peanut and vegetable curry (£6) or langoustines in vanilla and rum (£9) – washed down with home-made hibiscus or honey wine. If you want to splash out, order the Ethiopian banquet at around £15 per person. Closed Sunday.
(Carrer Dameto 17, Tel: 971 287007)

DON’T MISS

The cathedral. Standing proud over Palma Bay and reflected in the water, it has dominated the city ever since it was built soon after the 13th-century Catalan conquest. Essentially Gothic, it has additions by Gaudí and contemporary Majorcan artist Miquel Barceló, whose work-in-progress is a new chapel in ceramics and stained glass.

WHAT TO SEE

Everyone’s talking about…
Es Baluard, which opened in 2004 inside an old 16th-century fortress, is Palma’s answer to Tate Modern, combining military and modern architecture, art and dreamy terrace views. Open daily 10am to midnight until September, then Tue-Sun 10am to 8pm.

The previous model
Palau March opened last summer in a mansion formerly belonging to Joan March, a Majorcan banker who became one of the world’s richest men. The big draw here is the sculpture terrace, with works by Rodin, Moore and Chillida strewn around a courtyard in the shadow of the cathedral. It’s worth going inside to see the quirky collection of Neapolitan crib figures and the painted ceilings of acrobats and Carnival dancers by Josep Maria Sert.

On the waterfront
Don’t miss the chance for a sunset walk along the waterfront as the harbourside bars begin to buzz. A promenade runs the length of the curving bay and offers magical views of the cathedral seen through a forest of yachts and of Bellver Castle high among the pine woods.

LOCAL COLOUR

Santa Catalina, just west of the centre, is a traditional working-class neighbourhood which has suddenly gone all funky, with Italian restaurants, American diners and sushi bars mingling with ironmongers, coalyards and old-style lingerie shops. At the centre of it all is Palma’s best market, where many of the city’s top chefs come to shop for meat, fish and fresh produce. Late night The area around La Llotja is hopping at night, with jazz and salsa clubs, tapas bars and restaurants. The most unusual place here is Abaco, a classy cocktail bar inside a Renaissance palace with opera, fountains, candles and flowers. Drinks are expensive but the atmosphere is worth it. Open 8pm to 3am.

NEED TO KNOW

The main city tourist office is inside Palau Solleric at the top of Passeig des Born, the wide promenade which runs down towards the sea (Tel: 971 724090). There is another office in Parc de les Estacions, close to the bus and train stations (Tel: 971 754329).

Tony Kelly is a regular visitor to Palma and the author of Essential Mallorca (AA, £5.99).

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