The charm of Palma - Miró, meandering and an evening 'vermut'!
This was my first time in the city itself having previously used Palma as a gateway to other resorts on the island. Thanks to a large inventory of flights from the UK, you can often find reasonably priced fares, especially if you plan in advance. As this broken record keeps telling you, it really does pay to book in advance and since we planned this visit 7 months previous, we benefited from terrific flight prices……..more money to go towards the odd little ‘copa de cava’ or tapas pit-stop!
Our home for four nights was the glorious Hotel San Francesc, a former 19th Century mansion, combining contemporary design with sympathetic nods to its historic past. Our deluxe room overlooked the pretty San Francesc Square and ornate 13th Century basilica whose baroque facade looked magnificent against a completely cloudless springtime sky. With temperatures in the late teens, we were able to put up our weary feet around the rooftop pool, whiling away a couple of hours before ‘vermut-oclock’ - vermouth as we know it, is enjoying a renaissance in Palma and I’m rather liking it!
One of my biggest travel tips is Book Your Restaurants! There’s nothing more frustrating than hungrily trudging around an unfamiliar city and being disappointed when you end up ‘settling’. It pays to do some research ahead of time whether it be asking around for personal recommendations or hunting down bloggers who live locally. If you’re after an excellent quality, perched-at-the-counter tapas experience, make sure you make a reservation at El Camino. (The latest venture from the creators of Fino & Barrafina in London.) They offer an impressive list of wines by the glass and a theatre-like atmosphere where you can see your dishes being prepared right in front of you.
Since the weather was expected to be exceptionally warm and sunny on our 2nd day, we decided to travel north via the Tren de Soller (an historic wooden train) through the Tramunatana mountains and then on to Soller port via tram. (A combo ticket costs €18 per adult, one-way.) A little tip: remember to allow some time at Soller station as they have permanent exhibitions dedicated to both Picasso & Miró. Set around a circular harbour, lined with restaurants, cafes and boutiques, Soller makes a perfect daytrip from the city where you can enjoy the turquoise waters, a spot of yacht-admiring, lunch with sea views and the sand between your toes. Upon returning to Palma, my tip would be to take the Number 203 bus instead, which winds its way through pretty hilltop villages such as Deia and Valldemossa for absolutely glorious views of the ocean below (providing you don’t mind cliff-hugging mountain roads!)
As a real treat to round off our short break, we thought we would do what the Spanish do well and indulge in a long, leisurely fine-dining lunch. Adrian Quetglas is one of four 1-Michelin star restaurants in the city. The 5-course tasting menu comes at a reasonably priced €55 with wine pairings available at a further €30 per head. Since the chef is of Mallorcain parentage, many of the dishes contain authentic flavours and are cooked in traditional methods.
If someone had asked me what my favourite European city was, until now I had always said either Krakow or Seville. Well….I think Palma may well have just elbowed its ways in to top spot and we’re already looking forward to the ‘same time, same place’ in 2024!