Bellver Castle has cast a watchful eye over Palma Bay for more than seven decades. This gothic-style castle lies on the crest of a hill to the west of Palma’s town centre. Adding to the prominence of this domineering fortress is its unique circular shape, one of just several castles in Europe that boast this distinguished shape and the only one in Spain.
Palma is a hive of restaurants leaving diners literally spoilt for choice of where to eat the delicious Mediterranean cuisine Spain has become renowned for, or cuisine from around the world.
Although with such a comprehensive choice of restaurants on offer in Mallorca’s capital, knowing where to eat can be bewildering to say the least. Fortunately help is at hand with Vintage Travel’s top three restaurants in Palma.
Caballito de Mar
Located in La Lonja, an area thriving with international cuisine in Palma’s old town, Caballito de Mar is always bustling with life, as it is with character, as locals and tourists alike quickly fill its ample terrace.
Not only is the terrace of Caballito de Mar a fantastic location to sample some magnificent local cuisine, washed down with equally as appetising local wine, but it is a great place to watch and contemplate life in this lively Palma square.
Forn de Sant Joan
Situated in the neighbourhood of La Llotja-Born, just a stone’s throw from Palma’s mighty and impressive cathedral, Forn de Sant Joan is bubbling with character, as its dishes bubble with an aroma of deliciousness. This three-floor restaurant is tucked away in one of Palma’s many side streets and therefore many tourists fail to find it. The locals however definitely know about this traditional restaurant, where the food is excellent, the service friendly and the prices have been kept refreshingly low.
Casa Fernando
Having been dubbed, on numerous occasions, as the ‘best fish restaurant in Palma’, the restaurant of Casa Fernando could not be left out of a review on restaurants in Palma. Located in the Ciutat Jardin area of the city, Casa Fernando is masked by neon lights, an exterior not exactly ‘in-keeping’ with the quality of the food it serves. The fish and seafood are delivered fresh each day and are cooked to perfection. Choose your lunch as you enter the restaurant from the water tank, and, when you leave, your bill is prepared according to the weight of your dinner.
It’s quite possible that you would have either heard of Roussillon or seen it on a picture postcard somewhere. It’s situated in the South West tip of France and borders Spain, and as a village, has been deemed as one of France’s most beautiful thanks to its medieval ochre buildings (red rocks, red stone buildings and red tile roofs). The history of Roussillon is also fascinating and date way back to Hannibal and beyond.
Discover Roussillon’s medieval charm
Here’s a summary of what each contains (click on the ‘Discover xxxx’ links to see the full range on the website or alternatively please call us to request your own copy):
Discover Spain, the Balearics and Portugal covers Catalunya, Andalucia, Galicia, Mallorca, Menorca, Northern Portugal and the Algarve.
If you’re a bit of a culture vulture and enjoy taking in some sights when on holiday, or perhaps you’re bored of the beach then this article is definately for you.
We’ve highlighted the top three things to see in and around Palma to go and see.
Visit Old Palma
There are four guided tours of Palma that we recommend to choose from; Jewish Quarter, The “las Capuchinas” Convent, Modernist Palma and Palma and The Sea… all as interesting as the next. They are run by the Council of Tourism of the Balearic Government and each takes you back in time through the history of Palma (16th Century), a truly fascinating and beautiful place.
