PLAYA de PALMA
Area: Majorca
Country: Spain


Location:
On the S coast of the island, at the E end of the wide, deeply curved Bay of Palma. 7 miles SE of the centre of the city of Palma, 2» miles from its international airport.

Telephone code from UK:
34

Position:
Playa de Palma extends about 2» miles along the sea front, nearly merging with Ca'n Pastilla in the NW, and in the SE culminating in Arenal, the older, hilly part of town around the harbour. Playa de Palma occupies mainly level terrain, with flat agricultural land surrounding. Cala Blava is a remote area 4» miles farther S occupying an almost clifftop position above a rocky coastline.

Description:
Sprawling, sometimes untidy development runs the length of the car-free seafront road and the central road parallel to it. Along the promenade, horse-drawn carriages vie with pedal-powered vehicles and a tourist train; the palms along the promenade are unfortunately succumbing to the wayward lifestyle practised here. Halfway along the promenade is a tourist sub-centre, containing a couple of churches on a small green that look a bit out of place in the tawdry environs. Some areas resemble a permanent "beer fest", hugely atmospheric but not quite traditional. The streets in the commercial harbour area are narrow, congested and not particularly pleasant. The harbour or port is itself unnoteworthy; it has a nautical club and marina. Arenal is a charmless place; its selling points are its beach, proximity to Palma and the airport and its lively, sometimes wild nightlife. Cala Blava on the other hand is completely different with very little development in a remote, isolated spot.

Suitability:
Young singles and couples are most likely to enjoy the rather limited appeal of the resort. The convenient position and flat pavements also suit older visitors who come here, particularly in the low season. Prospective visitors should brush up on their German before arriving.

Accommodation:
A great choice, including some quality establishments that seem a little out of place in the lagerlands. Hotels and apartments are evenly distributed along the full length of the development, with budget options concentrated in the older harbour area, and more modern choices found towards Ca'n Pastilla. Properties more than 300 yards from the promenade offer some opportunity of a peaceful night's sleep. Cala Blava has a couple of properties with lots of facilities plus peace and quiet.

Shopping:
Fairly limited to tourist tat and necessities; jewellery and leather dominate. Mainly concentrated in the commercial centre and scattered along the promenade and central road. Tuesday and Friday market.

Beach:
Uninterrupted miles of fine, light sand and a turquoise, surprisingly clean-looking sea. The beach is fairly wide with concentrations of thatched parasols and loungers to rent and a gently shelving water entry. The section at Arenal is a little scruffier. Further S the coast is rocky and there is no sand at all. From all hotels there is at least one road to cross to get to the beach.

Entertainments:
Daytime: water sports, horse riding, minigolf, tennis, cycling. Large water park at edge of town. Horse-drawn carriage rides. Pedal-powered vehicles. Nightlife: innumerable watering holes, several discos and clubs, at least one where the topless waitresses are overdressed; taste and subtlety are not common attributes here. Again, they are concentrated near the harbour and close to the sea front, although some hotels also have their own shows.

Eating:
Enormous number of cafes and fast-food establishments. Some seafood restaurants on the sea front. Plenty of choice spread over a wide area, although local specialities and fine dining are harder to find.

Public-transport:
Buses to Palma stop at intervals along the main road and run every 15 minutes or so. They drop off at several useful points in the city. A tourist train follows a route around the hotel zone. Taxis are easily encountered.

Local-excursions:
Palma is a quick, easy trip by public transport; Marineland (aquatic life in unnatural surroundings) a short hop beyond. Soller, Deya, Valldemosa and the monastery of Lluc on the rugged N coast. Thursday market in Inca. E coast _ caves of Drach and Hams _ a day trip. Likewise for Pollensa and Formentor Peninsula in the extreme N. Boat cruises.