Palma is compact and easy to navigate: most visitors walk the centre and use the odd bus for the outskirts and the beach. Here is the simple version that works for almost everyone, plus how to reach the rest of the island.
Getting Around Palma de Mallorca
On foot
The historic centre, the cathedral district, Santa Catalina, and the seafront, is small and made for walking, with most of this guide's sights within 15-20 minutes of each other. The old-town lanes are cobbled and uneven, so wear comfortable shoes, and note that the city is fairly flat apart from the climb to Bellver Castle.
EMT city buses
The orange EMT buses cover everywhere your feet do not, including Bellver Castle (bus 50), the Miro foundation (buses 46 and 3), and Playa de Palma (bus 25), all radiating from the Placa d'Espanya intermodal hub. A single ticket is 3 euros in cash (2026), but roughly 40% cheaper if you pay by contactless card, which is the easy option for visitors. Residents with a city card ride free.
From the airport
Palma airport (PMI) is just 8 km from the centre. The A1 bus runs to the city in under 20 minutes for a flat 5 euros, leaving every 15 minutes during the day (every 30 after 9pm) and stopping at Placa d'Espanya before ending near the Es Baluard museum. A taxi takes about 15 minutes and costs roughly 28 euros by day and 37 euros at night, including the airport surcharge.
Around the island
The rest of Mallorca is reached from the Estacio Intermodal at Placa d'Espanya. The public TIB network of interurban buses and the Palma-Inca-Manacor trains remains free for residents and very cheap for visitors in 2026, reaching towns like Soller, Valldemossa, and the southern beaches. The separate historic wooden train to Soller (Ferrocarril de Soller) is a paid heritage experience in itself. For the Tramuntana mountains and remote coves, a rental car gives the most freedom.
Taxis & bikes
Licensed taxis are metered at around 1.25 euros per kilometre with a flat city minimum; they are easy to find at ranks and by app, but you rarely need one within the centre. For the waterfront, the BiciPalma bike-share scheme and the flat, dedicated cycle path along the bay make cycling from the Passeig Maritim to Playa de Palma a genuine pleasure.
Tap water
Palma's tap water is officially safe to drink, but it is hard and desalinated and many locals and visitors find the taste unpleasant, so most drink bottled or filtered water. Carry a refillable bottle and judge for yourself.
FAQ
- How do I get from Palma airport to the city centre?
- The A1 airport bus is the simplest option: a flat 5 euros, every 15 minutes, and under 20 minutes to Placa d'Espanya in the centre. A taxi takes about 15 minutes and costs roughly 28 euros by day or 37 at night. Both are easy to find right outside the terminal.
- Do I need a car in Palma de Mallorca?
- Not for the city, which is walkable with cheap buses for the outskirts and the beach. A rental car only pays off if you plan island day trips to the Tramuntana mountains or hard-to-reach coves; for the main towns, the cheap TIB buses and trains do the job.
- Is public transport in Palma cheap?
- Very. City EMT buses are 3 euros cash (cheaper by contactless card), the airport A1 bus is a flat 5 euros, and the island-wide TIB interurban buses and trains are free or nearly free in 2026. You can see Palma and much of Mallorca on a small transport budget.
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