Can you do this cruise port on your own?
Palma de Mallorca
DIY Score
Easy DIY
Take the public bus in, hit the cathedral early, then Bellver Castle before lunch.
Tender or Docked?
Always docked, but not all terminals are equal. Ships at Poniente terminals (EM1-4) are 4-5 km from the cathedral; Dique del Oeste (EM5-6) is 6-7 km out.
How to Get Into Town
Public bus (Line 1) to the city center: 15-25 min, €1.50-3. Taxis are faster at €15-20 and worth it for groups of three or more.
Main Attractions
La Seu Cathedral and Bellver Castle are the two headline sights, within a taxi or short walk of each other. For more ambitious days, the Soller vintage train and Cap de Formentor (by rental car) offer real Mallorcan landscape.
How Much Time You Need
8-10 hours ideal for Palma city plus a second sight. The cathedral and Bellver Castle together take about 3-4 hours; the old town fills the rest comfortably.
Keep in Mind
Cap de Formentor is off-limits to private cars from June to September, 10am-7pm daily. If that is your plan, check the current access rules before you rent a car.
Safety & Comfort
Palma is safe and well set up for tourists. English is spoken almost everywhere; taxis are reliable; pickpocket risk is low by Mediterranean standards.
Tips from Cruisers
"Took the Line 1 bus from the port, paid about 2 euros each, and were at the cathedral in under 20 minutes. We'd been slightly drea…" — by Cath
Took the Line 1 bus from the port, paid about 2 euros each, and were at the cathedral in under 20 minutes. We'd been slightly dreading the transport question and it turned out to be nothing. Really easy port.
Bellver Castle was the surprise of the day for me. Arrived around 11am, basically had the place to myself apart from a school group. The view over the bay is something else. Four euros well spent.
Did the Soller train on a whim. Bought tickets that morning at the station. Got two of the last four walk-up seats. The ride through the mountains was lovely. Port de Soller was a bit touristy but the tram down to it from town is fun.
We rented a car to do Formentor and got to the road closure at 10:05am. Spent 20 minutes trying to work out the bus situation. We did eventually get there on the shuttle but it ate a lot of time. Wish we'd read about the seasonal closure properly before going.