Palma Cruise Port

Palma de Mallorca, Majorca

For many visitors, the city of Palma de Mallorca is simply where the airport is located when they are headed off to one of the many holiday resorts on the island for a sun soaked, fun filled holiday on the island.

Thankfully, many holidaymakers do make their way to the city that does have lots to offer visitors and all of it can be explore easily by those calling into Palma de Mallorca on a cruise ship.

Palma de Mallorca is the capital city of not only Majorca but also of the Balearics Islands as an entire archipelago but from our point of view, it is also the most important cruise port in the archipelago.

Although you will need to take a shuttle bus from the cruise terminals to the edge of the town centre, or set off on a quite a long walk around the massive city harbour, the actual centre of Palma is very walkable.

Cruises To Palma

Our Visit

Before visiting on a cruise both my wife and I had visited Palma on a few occasions but never together, so we new what we were in for.

Our cruise visit came in October 2023 when we called into Palma onboard the Norwegian Prima cruise ship on a repositioning journey between Southampton to Barcelona.

It cost us $20 for a shuttle bus via the ship and even then, you only get dropped off on the edge of the town and not in it, so you are still in for quite a walk which could be an issue for those with mobility problems.

We walked from the drop off to the iconic Palma Cathedral, which is always impressive no matter how many times you visit it.

From there we set off into town and headed for the historic railway station to look at the Soller train. We didn’t have long enough in the city to take a ride on it so after walking around the small station, we headed back into town, walked through some its back streets and wound our way back to the Cathedral.

It was quite a port intensive cruise we were on, so with us both having already seen all that there is to see in the city previously, we headed back to the ship for a few hours relaxation.

One of the great aspects of the cruise port is that when you are on your ship, you have great views of the whole harbour, the cities promenade and over to the Cathedral.

Palma Cruise Guide

This cruise guide is based on our own visit to the port and the research that we did before going there.

If you have already booked a cruise to the Med that calls into Palma, this guide should hopefully help you to make the most of your time onshore.

If you are still at the research stage and are trying to decide whether an itinerary that calls into Palma is the right one for you, this guide should help you decide that.

Type of Cruises Available

There is plenty of options for those wanting to experience visiting the port of Palma on a cruise including round trips from the UK, fly cruises starting from other ports in the region, repositioning cruises and as one of the leading turnaround port sin the Western Med, you can start and/or end your journey in the city and spend some time holiday on Majorca.

Palma Cruise Port Location

The cruise port is located in the far southwest of the vast port of Palma and far from the city centre and most of its attractions.

It is well over an hour walk from the cruise terminal to the centre but there are some bars, cafes and shops along the way, and you are walking along the harbour promenade.

If you are embarking or disembarking in Palma, you will dock at the main cruise terminal, whilst those stopping off at the port could either be at the main terminals or on the outer wall of the port and even further away from Palma itself.

Palma Cruise Facilities

The cruise port of Palma is well equipped for every type of visit as it can handle even the worlds biggest ships that are either homeporting, getting turnaround, interporting or simply calling in there as a port of call.

If you dock at the main terminal, there are plenty of facilities whilst if you dock on the outer wall, there are few facilities but as you will only be there on a visit, all you need are the shuttle buses which park close to the ship.

Palma de Mallorca Attractions

There is lots to do and see in Palma, but you have to start with its Cathedral which can see seen from onboard your ship as you enter the harbour, and it will be close to where most will get shuttled to.

Further along the coast is the Palma Aquarium which can be a good option for families if you are unfortunate to arrive on a wet day.

Between the cruise terminal and the city centre, with a great view of the harbour, is the historic Castell de Bellver, a castle that is now a museum.

There are many neighbourhoods in the city that are well worth heading for including the picturesque houses of the Passeig de Born.

There are a few historic buildings around the city including the Sa Llotja and the Palau de I’Almundaina are amongst the best and most photogenic.

The Placa Major, a large square in the centre of town, often has markets and shows taking place there but even if no events are taking place, it is a impressive place to walk around.

The city hall and Soller railway station are worth taking a walk to despite been a trek from the mai

To the southeast of the Cathedral is the old town of Palma which still features many buildings and streets from its Islamic past.

There are a few beaches on the outskirts of the town that can be a great place to relax and make the most of the sunny weather and blue skies.

Palma Shorex

If you have already visited Palma, or perhaps you are spending time on holiday in the city after your cruise, so you want to head off an explore, there are lots of options for shore excursions from the port.

You can of course book a coach tour of the city and with the often-steep shuttle price, that is a great option for those who have never been there or if you have mobility issues.

A popular excursion out of the city is to see the famous Caves of Drach in the south-east of the country.

Palma is known for its wine and there is often a chance to explore a vineyard and try a local tipple or two on an excursion.

A great excursion, but one that comes with a hefty price tag, is to take a trip onboard the historic train from the centre of Palma to the beautiful town of Soller, which is like stepping back in time.

Best Time To Visit Palma

It is possible to visit the city all year around on a cruise holiday and with decent weather for much of the year, any time you want to visit is a good time.

The winter months can see some storms and rough seas, so we would recommend visiting during the main cruise season between May to October.

During that period, we would recommend avoiding school holidays and especially August, due to holidaymakers heading to the city and surrounding area from across the world.

With all of that in mind, we would recommend visiting between May to early July or September to October to make the most of the weather and have a better chance of avoiding crowds.

Transport

You can walk to the main road for service buses to the city centre or for heading down the coast to the popular tourist resort of Palma Nova.

From the cruise port itself, you are limited to shuttle buses or taking a long walk for a taxi, although their also an option of taking a Hop On Hop Off tour bus.

Palma Cruises From UK

If you want to visit the port directly from the UK on a cruise, you can do with year around itineraries from a number of different ports.

Cruises From Southampton

The port of Southampton offers the widest range of itineraries, ships and cruise lines sailing between England and Palma de Mallorca.