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Shopping in Palma

Take your flexible friend for a walk in this stylish city

Mime artists entertain in Plaza Major, Palma

The main shopping areas in Palma are Avinguda Jaume III and the Passeig des Born for up-market boutiques and the pedestrian streets around Placa Major for small specialist shops. There is also a modern shopping mall and hypermarket complex, the Centro Comercial Porto Pi, 2km from the centre.

(See our Maps page for directions)

For the shopper, the relatively small size of Palma is of great advantage. Avinguda Jaume III, as well as being the best-known street in the city, is also the newest. Although it is hard to believe. only 30 years ago the street didn’t exist. Today it is one of Palma’s most elegant avenues, lined with sophisticated shops offering men’s and women’s fashions as well as jewellery and gifts. Galerias Preciados, one of Spain’s most popular department store chains, is also present. For a thorough shopping spree you shouldn’t forget the side streets of Bonaire, Sta. Maria del Sepulcro, Sant Marty etc.

Following the broad street down its gentle slope, you’ll find it branches at the Placa Joan Carles I, in which is found the department store C&A, which specialises in off-the-rack clothing for all ages. Turning onto the pedestrian street, the Passeig del
Born, we find a small hut interesting variety of shops ranging from the fashion accessories of’ Loewe to the alpagateria (traditional rope shoes) of Cesteria del Centro.

Returning to the square in front of C&A, turn right onto carrer Unio on the left, is Palma’s best known toy shop, Arlequin, which always has a window display to send a shot of nostalgia through the veins of even the most jaded visitor. In Placa Sta. Catalina Thomas you will find two chocolate shops, Can Frasquet and Cas Net, whose mouth-watering displays are difficult to resist.

After this, carrer Unio takes a dog-leg to the left and enters the pedestrian street La Rambla, which is the street of the flower sellers in Palma.

Returning to the Placa Joan Carles I again, take Carrer Jovelanos (near MacDonalds) to Carrer Pelaries, on which you will find Ereso, one of the best bookshops in the city.

Passing in front of the doorway of the shop, you enter Carrer Sant Nicolau, named after the church nearby. This street, along with the areas around Plaza Chopin and Carrer Tous i Maroto, is part of one of the busiest commercial districts of the city. Nearby are the chic boutiques of Carrer Verl. The street is worth a stroll for its architecture, even if you are not interested in high fashion.

Continuing on Sant Nicolau, before climbing the stairs of Pas d’en Quint you will find the jeweller Paradis. At the top of the stairs a turn to the left onto Carrer Jaume II will take you past a Gordiola glass shop, and the well known La Montana delicatessen, before continuing on to the Placa Major. Alternatively, at the top of the stairs, enter the City Hall square (Plaza de Cort) and take the next left onto Carrer Colon. There are a great variety of shops in this zone, some of which date back 100 years and have maintained the old store fronts. Examples are the knife shop on the corner of Placa de Cort and a music shop, the Antigua Casa Banque.

The main interest of Placa Major is the outdoor craft market, which is held there Monday, Friday and Saturday mornings. From the enclosed square, under which is a touristy shopping mall, you may leave either by proceeding straight ahead onto Carrer Sant Miquel or taking the right-hand exit and joining Carrer Sindicat, where the shoe shops seem to go on forever and, traditionally, people used to go to find the cheapest prices.

On Sant Miquel you will pass a wide variety of clothing, hardware and pastry shops. One interesting shop, is the alpalpateria Fornes, which sells all sorts of articles made of woven straw, from shoes to shopping bags. The street leads to Carrer des Oms (Olmos). The descent on the newly converted pedestrian street is between book and poster shops, opticians and the city’s most popular photocopy stores, where, at times there are queues for one and all. The bottom of the street again joins onto the Rambla after a few short minutes’ walk.

Opening and closing time

Most shops are open from around 10 to 1:30pm and 5 to 8 Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings. The exceptions are souvenir shops in the large resorts, which stay open every day, El Corte Ingles (leading department store in Spain), Pryca, and the Gigante chain of supermarkets, open throughout the day Monday to Saturday.