Palma de Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca is one of the Mediterranean's great cities — the capital of the Balearic Islands with a magnificent Gothic cathedral rising directly from the seafront, a beautifully preserved Arab quarter (the Arab Quarter is now the trendy Casc Antic neighbourhood), world-class museums and a dining scene that has developed dramatically over the past decade to become one of the finest in Spain. The Cathedral (La Seu), begun in the 13th century and completed in the 17th, is one of the most dramatic Gothic buildings in the Mediterranean — its rose window (the largest Gothic rose window in the world) floods the interior with coloured light on winter mornings, and Antoni Gaudí left his mark on the interior with an early 20th-century restoration. The Almudaina Palace adjacent to the cathedral (the residence of Mallorcan kings, then Spanish royals) is open for visits. The Es Baluard Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art occupies a restored Renaissance fortification on the seafront. Palma's old town is richly layered — Arab baths, Renaissance courtyards (patios), Baroque mansions and modernist buildings by Gaudí collaborators create an architectural feast. The Santa Catalina neighbourhood and Llonja quarter are the most vibrant for restaurants and bars. Palma is an excellent base for exploring Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana mountains (UNESCO World Heritage), the north coast's dramatic calas (coves) and the charming hilltop villages of Valldemossa, Deià and Fornalutx.