
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
We were onboard the Norwegian Cruise Lines 'Epic' on
a repositioning cruise from
Port Canaveral, FL to Barcelona with various stops along the way - the sixth stop
being Palma de Mallorca.
Mallorca is 5,130.5 sea miles from Port Canaveral and 334 sea miles from Cartagena. Since December 2016 Palma is the capital and largest
city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca on the Bay of Palma. The
Cabrera Archipelago, though widely separated from Palma proper, is administratively considered part of the municipality. As of 2018, Palma
de Mallorca Airport serves over 29 million passengers per year.
Palma Quick History Lesson: Palma was founded as a Roman camp upon the remains of a Talaiotic settlement. The city was subjected to several Vandal raids during the fall of the Western Roman Empire, then reconquered by the Byzantine Empire, then colonised by the Moors (who called it Medina Mayurqa) and, in the 13th century, by James I of Aragon.
Interesting facts about Mallorca / Where is it? Map
- The name of the island comes from an old Latin phrase ‘insula maior’ that means ‘larger island’, as Mallorca is the largest island in all of Spain. Gradually the phrase was mispronounced and the island became known as Mallorca. The British often call the island Majorca, whilst everyone else calls it Mallorca.
- The island has been inhabited by humans since 7000 BC. Due to its significant geographic location in the middle of the Mediterranean, many armies have attempted to invade Mallorca. In 123 BC, the Romans claimed the island. The most famous invasion was that of King Jaime of Aragon in 1229, which was the start of the creation of Mallorca as we know it today.
- Artists and writers have been attracted to the dramatic and picturesque west coast of the island for many decades. Robert Graves, known as one of England’s greatest poets, was one of the first English to move to the island. He resided (& was buried) in the pretty mountain village of Deia, which has since become a hub for the creative crowd and celebrities.

Palma Mallorca Coat of ArmsImage is the property of Heraldry of the World
This was day 15 of our transatlantic cruise on the Norwegian Epic. The ship arrived in Palma de Mallorca harbor at 8AM, however, by this stage of the trip I was feeling bad with a cold that was causing coughing fits, sneezing, etc. Even though we had shore excursion tickets, I did not relish infecting everyone on the tour bus so I asked Celeste to go ahead on the tour without me.
As the Norwegian Epic entered the harbor, the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (more commonly referred to as "La Seu Cathedral") was the first thing visible as it is so large. It turned out to be yet another Gaudi project!
Bellver Castle: is a Gothic-style castle on a hill 3 km to the west of the center of Palma. It was built in the 14th century for King James II of Mallorca, and is one of the few circular castles in Europe. First serving as the residence of the Kings of Mallorca, and afterward long used as a military prison throughout the 18th to mid-20th century, it is now under civilian control, being one of the main tourist attractions of the island, as well as the seat for the city's History Museum.
Valldemossa
This is a village and municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is famous for one landmark: the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa, built at the beginning of the 14th century, when the mystic and philosopher Ramon Llull lived in this area of Majorca.
Since the 19th century Valldemossa has been promoted internationally as a place of outstanding beauty, largely as a result of the affection of distinguished traveller and cultural writer, the Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator.
Valldemossa is a very attractive tourist destination, as it shows early Spanish culture. There are many shops and restaurants to indulge in Spanish culture. It is approximately 21 kilometers from Palma de Mallorca.
- Just Traveling Thru European Travel Tips
- Just Traveling Thru Travel Planning Tips
- Mallorca on the 'Wikipedia' site
- Mallorca History on the 'Britannica' site
- Discovering Palma on the 'See Mallorca' site
- 12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Mallorca on the 'Planetware' site
- 20 Must-Visit Attractions in Mallorca on the 'Culture Trip' site
- Google Search Results list for "Palma Restaurants"
- Google Search Results list for "accommodations in Palma"
- Amazon Search Results list for "Mallorca Spain"
- Youtube Search Results list for "Mallorca Spain"
- Things to do in Palma de Mallorca on the "Get Your Guide" site
- Visit our Youtube Channel
- View our Mallorca Image Gallery

Norwegian 'Epic' Cruise Overview
Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Funchal Madeira Portugal
Cadiz/Seville, Spain
Malaga, Spain
Cartagena, Spain
Mallorca, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
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