Palma's Old Town is a revelation for visitors expecting generic Mediterranean resort architecture. The Casco Antiguo is a dense medieval quarter of narrow streets, baroque churches, and aristocratic palacios (mansions) centred on La Seu — one of Europe's most spectacular Gothic cathedrals, rising from the waterfront with interior light installations by Gaudí and Miquel Barceló. Hotels here occupy converted palacios with interior courtyards, fountains, and rooftop terraces offering cathedral and harbour views.
The old town has undergone a stylish transformation, with international galleries, concept stores, and chef-driven restaurants filling the ground floors of historic buildings. The Santa Catalina market (Mercat de Santa Catalina), on the old town's western edge, is the best food market in Mallorca. The streets around Plaça Major and Carrer de Sant Miquel combine shopping with architecture. The Arab Baths, hidden in a courtyard garden, recall Palma's Moorish period.
Palacio hotels are Palma's signature accommodation — historic mansions converted into intimate luxury properties with 10-30 rooms, inner courtyards with citrus trees, rooftop pools, and a sense of place that chain hotels cannot replicate. Prices are premium (€200-500+ per night) but the experience is exceptional. Budget travellers will find guesthouses on the old town's edges offering atmospheric if simpler accommodation at €80-120.
Compare prices for Casco Antiguo (Old Town) hotels.
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