Where to Stay in Palma de Mallorca

The dense medieval core behind the cathedral, a maze of narrow stone streets, hidden patios and small squares. La Seu cathedral, the Almudaina palace, the Arab baths and the best tapas streets are all inside a ten-minute walk, and much of it is pedestrian.

Good to know: Buildings are old, so lifts are rare and rooms can be small - check both. Some streets near Plaza Mayor get noisy on weekend nights. Parking inside the Old Town is close to impossible, so arrive by taxi and leave the hire car until you head out of the city.

A former fishermen's quarter just west of the centre, built around a covered market and now the city's food heartland - tapas bars, natural wine, brunch places and international kitchens on low-rise streets with windmills still standing above them.

Good to know: About ten minutes' walk to the cathedral, so you trade a little sightseeing convenience for better and cheaper eating. It has become popular enough that prices have risen. The bar streets are lively at weekends but it is not a party district.

A former fishing village a 25-minute seafront walk or short bike ride east of the centre, with a small harbour, painted houses, swimming spots off the rocks and a run of good seafront restaurants. It feels like a village that happens to be attached to a city.

Good to know: Genuinely lovely and much quieter than the centre, but you walk or cycle in for sightseeing. The seafront path into Palma is flat and pleasant. Fewer hotels here and more apartments, so book earlier.

The elegant Passeig del Born with its designer shops runs down to La Llotja, a compact grid of bars and restaurants beside the old merchants' exchange and the marina. Central, polished and the most expensive part of the city.

Good to know: The best located area for both shopping and the cathedral, and the priciest. La Llotja is the main going-out quarter, so a room on those streets will hear it until late. Ask for something facing a courtyard.

A six-kilometre stretch of sand about 20 minutes east of the city with big resort hotels, beach bars and every water sport. It is a proper beach holiday base with the cheapest rooms on the island in high volume.

Good to know: This is not Palma the city - it is a resort strip that shares the name, and the bus or taxi in takes 20 to 30 minutes. Parts of it, particularly Arenal, are known for cheap package nightlife. Book it if you want a beach holiday with a city day trip, not the reverse.

The coast just west of Palma, where the road runs above a series of small coves with clear water and a run of comfortable hotels, including some of the island's smartest. Calmer and prettier than the eastern beaches.

Good to know: About 10 to 15 minutes by bus or taxi into the centre, which is far more manageable than Playa de Palma. The beaches are small coves rather than long sand, so they fill in August. A good compromise if you want swimming and the city.

Ordinary residential Palma just behind Santa Catalina, with local bakeries, corner bars and none of the visitor mark-up. Flat, quiet, and a fifteen-minute walk into the centre.

Good to know: Nothing to see here, which is the point - it is where you stay to spend less and still walk everywhere. Mostly apartments rather than hotels. Good for longer stays or families wanting a kitchen.