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A cruise ship moored below a pastel hillside town on the Mediterranean coast

Western Mediterranean · Cruise port guide

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

A Balearic capital under an enormous sandstone cathedral, with a walkable old town and beaches within a short ride of the berth.

  • Ships dock
  • La Seu cathedral
  • Tramuntana mountains
  • Sóller railway

Port basics

These are the patterns Palma de Mallorca normally operates on. Berth assignments, tender arrangements and time in port vary by ship, line and day, and we confirm the specifics for your sailing once we know the dates.

Planning a group cruise that calls at Palma de Mallorca?

About Palma de Mallorca

Palma is dominated by La Seu, a Gothic cathedral on the seafront whose scale makes no sense for a city this size — it was begun in 1229 and took over three centuries. Antoni Gaudí worked on its interior in the early 1900s, which is why the canopy above the altar looks nothing like the rest of it.

The old town behind the cathedral is a dense grid of sandstone lanes and hidden courtyards, and it is genuinely walkable in a couple of hours. It rewards wandering more than a checklist, which makes it a good port for a group that wants to split up and meet for lunch.

The Serra de Tramuntana, the mountain range along the northwest coast, is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. The classic way in is the Sóller railway — a narrow-gauge line from 1912 with wooden carriages that climbs through orange groves and tunnels to a mountain town, with a connecting tram down to the harbour.

Mallorca is large enough that the excursion decides the day entirely. The mountains are an hour away, the caves are on the far east coast, and beaches are twenty minutes from the berth. A group should agree the plan before arrival rather than on the quay.

Going ashore in Palma de Mallorca

Within reach on foot

  • La Seu, the Gothic cathedral above the waterfront
  • The Royal Palace of La Almudaina, next to the cathedral
  • The old town’s courtyards and the Arab Baths
  • Passeig del Born and the covered Mercat de l’Olivar

What the port is known for

  • The Sóller railway, a 1912 narrow-gauge line through the mountains
  • Valldemossa and the Tramuntana mountain villages
  • Caves of Drach, with an underground lake and concert
  • Beach time at Illetas or Palma Nova

How ships berth here

Ships berth at the Poniente and Paraires quays west of the city. Both are walk-off, but the old town is about 4 km away, so a shuttle, bus or taxi is needed rather than a walk.

Access and mobility

The berths and the waterfront promenade are flat. The old town climbs from the cathedral and is cobbled throughout. The Sóller railway has step access to vintage carriages.

Weather and when ships call

Hot and dry in summer, 28–32°C in July and August with very little rain. The shoulder months are 20–25°C and far more comfortable for walking the old town.

Cruise season

Calls April to November, busiest June to September

Typical itinerary length

Palma de Mallorca usually appears on 7 nights Western Mediterranean itineraries. April – November, busiest June to September.

Ports often paired with Palma de Mallorca

Itineraries that call here usually call at these too, so it is worth reading them together when you are comparing weeks.

Explore further

Bringing a group to Palma de Mallorca?

We hold five cabins or more together as a single block, quote it once, and let each household book and pay separately. Tell us roughly when and how many.

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