Convent de la Missio Boutique Hotel GL, Adults Only – Preferred Hotels & Resorts

The Convent de la Missio occupies a 17th-century seminary along a narrow street in Palma's old quarter, part of a careful conversion that preserves the building's historic bones while serving guests who value quietude and architectural restraint. This is Preferred Hotels & Resorts at its most understated: a property that lets the surrounding city speak for itself.

Palma reveals its Catalan-Moorish heritage in layers. The cathedral looms over the old town, its Gothic buttresses casting long shadows across stone plazas where morning light turns amber on honey-coloured façades. Within a few blocks, the Central Market Olivar hums with vendors selling sobrassada and tumbet, the air thick with the smell of fresh fish and ripe figs. The Mercat Ecològic, just 300 metres away, draws a quieter crowd on Saturdays, its stalls piled with organic produce from farms in the Serra de Tramuntana. Walk east and the streets open onto the broad paseos along the bay, where joggers and cyclists trace the waterfront beneath the palms.

Palma de Mallorca Airport lies eight kilometres east, a quick taxi ride or shuttle into the city centre. The island's popularity with northern European visitors means frequent flights year-round, though the crush peaks in summer.

Start at the hotel's own Marc Fosh, a one-Michelin-starred table where chef Marc Fosh applies a light hand to Mallorcan ingredients: expect dishes built around local prawns, citrus from the Sóller valley, and seasonal vegetables treated with precision rather than flourish. Within a kilometre, DINS Santi Taura translates traditional island recipes through a modern lens, while Zaranda, housed in the nearby Es Princep hotel, pushes further into creative territory with Fernando Pérez Arellano's inventive tasting menus. Book ahead for any of these; Palma's dining scene has grown competitive.

Beyond the table, the cathedral and the tangle of medieval streets around it reward aimless wandering. The Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana, 18 kilometres north, offers stone-walled terraces and hiking trails that cut through centuries-old olive groves. Closer in, the marinas at La Llotja and Real Club Náutico cater to sailors and spectators alike. For wine, head inland: Macià Batle and Sebastià Pastor, both around 13 kilometres from the city, pour estate bottlings in settings that feel far removed from the coastal tourism machinery.

Summer is relentless and bone-dry. July and August bring temperatures near 29°C, the streets emptying during midday as locals retreat indoors. The light turns hard and white, bouncing off limestone walls. Evenings stay warm enough for outdoor dining well past ten.

Spring and autumn temper the heat without sacrificing brightness. May and September hover in the low to mid-twenties, with occasional showers that clear quickly. These months draw fewer crowds and allow for comfortable exploration of the Serra de Tramuntana's terraced slopes and coastal trails.

Winter remains mild by northern European standards, daytime highs around 14 to 15°C, though rain picks up from October through February. The city takes on a quieter, more local rhythm, the cafés filled with residents rather than tourists. Pack layers; evenings can feel cool near the water.