The capital city of Palma meets the ocean at the Paeso Maritimo bay, the edge of which glitters with hotels, bars and restaurants. Paeso Maritimo is overlooked by high cliffs that rise up behind the bay, and you can’t fail to notice the huge yachts moored in the marina, dropping their passengers right to the buzzing centre of Palma.

Looking for nightlife in Palma? You’ll want to head to the El Terrano district where most of the clubs and bars are located. El Terrano is situated behind the Paeso Martitimo and boasts a huge variety of clubs, bars and music nights.

For a once in a lifetime clubbing experience visit Tito’s, built directly into the cliffs and accessed by a glass lift. Once frequented by celebrities such as Ray Charles and Marlene Dietrich, these days it’s a great place to go for garage and R&B.

The Pacha Mallorca is probably the largest and most famous club in Palma. Built directly into the cliffs of Paeso Maritimo, Pacha Mallorca is open from 10pm to 6am and attracts the18-30 crowds who dance the night away.

For alternative nightlife, try Palma’s best gay club, The Black Cat, offering live shows at 3.30am and staying open until 5am. For live jazz and rock music, head to the Garito Club which is also free to enter. The Barcelona Bar is a jazz club that is very popular with locals.

If you’re after sea and sand in Palma, you may have to head down the coast (roughly four miles east or west)  to C’an Pastilla or Cala Mayor for more traditional beach resorts, not forgetting that just west of Palma is Magaluf, the sun worshipper’s favourite!

There are 3 key things to keep in mind when you buy your euros before going to Palma:

1. Avoid changing currencies at the airport at the last minute, because these provide the worst exchange rates.
2. Avoid using your UK debit or credit card in Palma, because you will be subject to a host of fees and penalties.
3. The best exchange rates are not available from bureaux de change, but specialist credit and pre-paid cards designed for use abroad.

Let’s look at these points in more detail then.

1. Avoid getting your euros at the airport

This is because at the airport you’re a captive audience, and bureaux de change can provide the worst exchange rates knowing you have little other choice. Depending on the amount you change, this can leave a big dent in your euro total.

2. Avoid using your normal UK debit or credit card

This is because the vast majority of UK debit and credit cards (including those from Lloyds TSB, HSBC, Barclays, NatWest and RBS, to name just a few) charge extortionate fees if you use them abroad. These include:

• 3% load fee. Meaning each time you spend money with the card, you’re charged 3.0% on top. So spending £100 worth of euros will cost £103, for instance.
• £2.50 cash withdrawal fee. So you’re charged each time you use a cash point.
• £1.50 card usage fee. In addition to the load charge, you receive a £1.50 in addition every time you use the card.

Suffice to say, using a UK credit or debit card in Palma can get expensive then! Instead:

3. Use a specialist credit or pre-paid card designed for use abroad.

These provide both better exchange rates than the best bureaux de change, and don’t include the fees associated with normal UK cards. The best specialist cards include:

• Halifax Clarity (credit card) which has no load cost, meaning you don’t pay a premium when you change sterling, and no fees when you withdraw cash.
• Post Office (credit card) which, like the Clarity, has no load cost. It does though charge you £3 each time you withdraw cash, so take care.
• Caxton FX (prepaid card.) Pre-pa means you load the card up with euros before you go. Caxton charge no fees for using the card, and its exchange rates are among the best. Best of all, if you lose it, you can get it replaced for just £10.

Keep these tips in mind, and you can enjoy the best possible exchange rate when you go to Palma. Have fun!

If you decide to move to Palma, get in touch with foreign exchange specialists Pure FX for personal in-depth guidance and the best exchange rates on transactions over £5,000.

The City of Palma is the capital of Majorca and is an ideal destination for a holiday. Majorca can be reached quickly and at little expense from most parts of Europe and once you arrive at the airport, the City is only a short bus journey away -and by taxi you can be in the city centre within about half an hour.

There are many good Hotels at all price ranges and the City which is quite compact, is of great interest. You must visit Palma Cathedral and then have a walk down to the busy Marina. The Old Town and surrounding streets have a wide selection of designer shops and when you need to rest, there are many restaurants and cafe`s throughout the city.

This is a perfect destination for a long weekend, a week or much/ much longer.

One of the most common ways of seeing the city is via the Palma City Sightseeing Tour Buses. These travel around the city and stop at around 15 different locations such as La Rambla, Bellver Castle and Placa de Espanya. The entire route takes around 80 minutes, but buying a ticket allows you to get off one bus take your time to visit a location and then hop back on the next bus to continue your exploration. The service runs for about 10-12 hours a day beginning at around 9:30am during the summer months.

Walking is another option for within the city of Palma, and there are large areas of the city which are easy to walk around. It is a city however, so you’ll want a good map if you’re planning on doing a lot of walking around here.

Car rental one of the easiest options to look at. This gives you access to travel anywhere you want to across the island visiting many of the sites without having to rely on public transport. Cars can be hired easily from the airport on arrival here.

Old fashioned trains run from Palma to the town of Soller including one run daily which is designed as a tourist run with a built in photo stop where you can hop off and take pictures of the amazing scenery. The scenery really IS amazing on this run as you wend your way through orange groves on your one hour long journey. There’s also a tram which does the run down from Soller to the coast which is another interesting and novel journey and one worth taking if you do pay a visit to Soller.

Public buses run across the whole island on a fairly regular basis, so whether you want to visit Deia, Puerto Pollensa or somewhere else you can do so easily. The Pirates adventure show in Magaluf is worth a look as is the Western themed water park at Calvia.

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Sited at Playa de Palma, the designers of Palma Aquarium have succeeded in recreating habitats and ecosystems of the world beneath the seas and oceans. A marine haven for kids, the aquarium allows kids
to immerse themselves in a world of rays, sharks and turtles in the huge water tanks. As if that was not enough, there is also a large garden here with play area for kids which come along with two cafeterias.

Setting out on the magical journey amidst the 25 huge water tanks that display a wide array of unique species you can come across only in the sea, is a once in a lifetime opportunity and if you
were clever enough you would make sure that this attraction features on the top of your must-see attractions in Palma.

The tropical marine ecosystems here showcase a medley of aquatic habitats from Oceania, Asia and America displayed in the most spectacular manner in 24 tanks here. Due care is given to this
particular segment by providing the aquatic animals adequate food, shelter, protection and breeding grounds to enable it to survive.

The center-piece of attraction here and the most exciting part of the aquarium is its mammoth shark tank-The Big Blue. Said to be one of the deepest shark tanks in the entire European continent, this tank boasts of a length of 33 meters, width of 25 meters and a depth of 8.5 meters. It holds about 3.5 million liters of salt water in it, thus making its very sight quite impressive. There are four varieties of sharks here amongst the other 200 different species of marine life and it can’t get better if you have a PADI diver’s license with you for then you can actually dive in this tank and swim along with the sharks. A truly unique experience that you can treasure for a lifetime!

The large garden area here displaying Japanese-styled pools and waterfalls are a welcome contrast to the interactive aquarium here and serve to delight visitors in every sense of the word. Enjoy the feeling of rays, turtles and hammerhead sharks feed out of your hand during the feeding time or simply spend some time at the hands-on touch pool where you can pet and touch marine creatures such as sea
urchins, star fish and sea cucumbers.

To amaze you even further the place has also gone so far as to recreate an Amazonian tropical rain forest. Tagged “The Jungle”, this has evolved as the largest roof garden in Spain. The specifically
created microclimate ensures the growth of abundant vegetation here.

If your kids are with you on your Majorcan holiday, the best time to visit the Palma Aquarium will be during the summer months when exclusive activities are organized for kids. Your children can participate in the exciting events like gaming, water fights on pirate ship, face painting or they can assist ocean guides while they go about their task of feeding the marine species. Palma Aquarium also provides a lifetime opportunity to host a birthday party here and forthe ultimate experience, you can even think of arranging a sleep over here at the Big Blue. Imagine gifting your kid the fun of spending his birthday night with a huge shark tank in full view-few things would gift them such joy!

There is also a gift shop at the end of the aquarium where you can buy a variety of gifts for your loved ones. Dedicated to the purpose of increasing public awareness regarding the perils faced by Nature, the
Palma aquarium does live up to its guiding idea of – ‘Learn to value and Value to protect’.

And so, if in Majorca never miss your chance to visit this mesmerizing underwater world which is home to over 8000 from 700 species of flora and fauna-because it is definitely worth it!

http://www.palmaaquarium.com/

So pack up your bags, put on your sandals and get ready for the best way you can explore the city – a city walk. If history is something which fascinates you,your best option is this walk that covers literally every aspect of the Majorcan history and architecture. Tagged “a walk covering the History & Architecture of Palma”, the walk starts from the front of the Cathedral here and takes you past the scenes of Palma de Mallorca. From ancient cloisters and archaic shipyards to arab baths and a king’s garden, this walk gift you a feel of yesteryears. Even as you sip your hot chocolate in an 18thcentury cafe, walk among the flower sellers or have a langosta in bar Bosch, it brings you everything reminiscent of the past. Flip through the pages of history as this walk takes you to the Parc del Mar which dates to the mid 1980s and which gifts you spectacular views of the 17th and 18th century walls. As you pass through by the walls of the Porta de la Portella, do not forget to look to your left or you will miss the late 17th century Cala Torre, today the Collegi d’Arquiteetes. This walk which starts with historical wonders, boasts of them all the way long. Every street you turn and every corner has an archival surprise in store for you.

If history is not something that interests you, a sightseeing walk through the capital of the island would definitely make you smile for the rest of your life. It is difficult for anyone to ignore the beauty of living and this sightseeing walk brings you the best that Majorca has to offer. The walk starts from Placa de Espanya and meanders its way through all of Palma’s main sights. Beginning with the Mercat Oliver where you can take a look around the market, the walk takes you past outdoor cafes and street entertainers stationed at the end of the pedestrian shopping street. Sited beyond the knurled olive tree you will see the town hall. That brings you to the heart of the old city. Move on and you will reach the Cathedral. Walking past the Cross Placa reina and Bar Bosch one can spot the Carrer Unio. The old gran hotel and the bakery sited here are typical examples of the contemporary style of architecture. Stretching up to a distance of 3.5km, this walk has coffee breaks and takes around half a day.

As if this isn’t enough, Majorca offers another walk through the face of nature through the coastal lines of the island making you definitely want to come for another trip. This walk along Palma’s waterfront is just perfect for early morning walks as you can witness the city turning alive with the beautiful sun. The pandemonium at the fish market during this part of the day guarantees full-fledged entertainment. If not early morning, a late evening walk as the sun sets over the sea is equally appealing. The pavement bars buzzing up with crowds, the cathedral lighting up with old-fashioned lights and the razz-dazzle view of the castle is a treat to visitors. You can end your day with a walk on the jetty opposite the excursion theatre, where you can spot a commercial port beyond. This is the place where the boats leave for Barcelona, Valencia, Menorca and Ibiza. The distance of the walk is three kilometers and since there is no entertainment stops interrupting the walk, it takes approximately two hours.

And so to explore the soul of the city in its fullest form, these three walks would be just perfect.

The street called–Avenida Jaume III, is in quite a good position and if you like looking in designer shops,
then you will find many in that part of the city. As the street is long, it is advisable to find accommodation
at it`s eastern end, near the Passeig de Born, as that section is within a short walking distance from the Old Town, the Cathedral and further on is the Marina.

If however you do not mind spending money on taxis, or walking longer distances, then Palma has a wide choice of Hotels in all price brackets.

Once you arrive at Palma airport, you will find a fast local bus service or taxi to take you to the city centre in about 30 minutes.

The city has an excellent choice of Hotels, many designer shops and the old town with it`s narrow cobbled lanes and cafes must be visited.

The size and beauty of Palma Cathedral is breathtaking and the many restaurants will serve meals to remember.

It is often wise to check comparison sites as they pull the very best from the web and show you many different hotels. It can be confusing to look for hotels in large cities as there are so many to choose from. The option to look at a large variety will always help with your decision. Finding cheap hotels is especially hard because of the sheer volume; also this makes it equally hard to find a quality hotel to stay in.

It is important to look at such things as star ratings and also a good tip is to check out any reviews before you book. This way you can build a good picture of what different hotels are like; there is nothing worse than reading bad reviews after you have already booked. So make sure you do your research first.

Do not always go by the star rating; especially if all you are going to be doing is sleeping at the hotel, you will not need all the luxuries of a 5 star hotel perhaps. With this in mind there is no point in paying out for a 5 star hotel if you will not use the facilities because you are out all day exploring. This is why reviews are always a good indicator if you are not relying on star ratings.

Where ever you choose to stay you are sure to enjoy your holiday on the island of Majorca.