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PalmaDeMallorca.co.ukPROPERTIES FOR SALE

Areas of Palma de Mallorca

Palma changes character quickly from one district to the next. A few minutes' walk can take you from narrow sandstone streets to an open seafront promenade. These notes describe how each area feels day to day, what the housing stock is generally like and the kind of buyer it tends to suit.

Narrow sandstone street in Palma old town with green shutters and the cathedral tower beyond

Palma Old Town

Palma's old town is a dense network of narrow streets between the cathedral and the Plaça Major, built from the honey-coloured sandstone quarried on the island. It is a residential quarter as much as a historic one, which is why it stays busy through the winter.

Lifestyle

  • Everything is walkable: galleries, independent shops, markets, bakeries and restaurants sit within a few streets of one another.
  • The seafront promenade and the port are a short walk downhill, and the city's cultural programme runs year-round.
  • Streets are quiet at night in the residential pockets, though the busier restaurant streets stay lively into the evening.

Property character

  • Apartments within converted townhouses, often arranged around a central courtyard.
  • Period features are common: sandstone arches, timber beams, tiled floors and tall shuttered windows.
  • Outdoor space is usually a roof terrace or courtyard rather than a garden, and parking is generally off-site.
Read the Palma Old Town guide
Quiet street in Santa Catalina, Palma, with pastel townhouses, café tables and bougainvillea

Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina sits immediately west of the old town, on a regular grid of low townhouses. The covered market at its centre still functions as a daily food market, and much of the neighbourhood's character follows from that.

Lifestyle

  • The market, small food shops and a wide range of restaurants are all within a few minutes on foot.
  • The neighbourhood is flat and easy to walk or cycle, with the marinas and the seafront a short distance away.
  • It has a mixed, international residential population and remains active outside the summer season.

Property character

  • Two- and three-storey townhouses, many converted into apartments.
  • A limited amount of contemporary new-build on infill plots.
  • Terraces and roof terraces are the usual outdoor space; private gardens are rare.
Read the Santa Catalina guide
Seafront promenade and small harbour at Portixol, Palma, with white houses and calm blue water

Portixol

Portixol grew around a fishing harbour and still keeps that scale. The promenade runs east towards Es Molinar and Ciudad Jardín and west into the city, which makes the neighbourhood unusually easy to move around on foot or by bicycle.

Lifestyle

  • Swimming, walking and cycling are part of ordinary daily life here rather than a summer activity.
  • Cafés and restaurants face the water, and the neighbourhood keeps a residential feel outside peak months.
  • Central Palma is a short cycle or bus ride along the seafront.

Property character

  • Low-rise houses and apartment buildings, many of them renovated former fishermen's homes.
  • Terraces facing the water are the defining feature of the better homes.
  • Coastal exposure means specification and maintenance of external materials deserve attention.
Read the Portixol guide
Wooded hillside at Son Vida above Palma with mature pines, a golf fairway and private driveways

Son Vida

Son Vida is a low-density residential area on wooded slopes above the city. Plots are large, roads are quiet, and the outlook over the bay is the reason most houses are positioned the way they are.

Lifestyle

  • Private and green, with golf courses and hotel facilities within the area.
  • A car is necessary for daily life; central Palma is a short drive rather than a walk.
  • The setting is quiet year-round, with mature planting providing shade and privacy.

Property character

  • Detached villas on generous plots, ranging from mid-century houses to recent contemporary builds.
  • Private pools, terraces and covered parking are standard.
  • Older properties frequently need modernisation of insulation, glazing and services.
Read the Son Vida guide
Wooded coastal hillside near Portals Nous, west of Palma

Portals Nous

Portals Nous lies along the south-west coast a short drive from Palma. The marina is the focus of the village, with residential streets rising into the hillside behind it.

Lifestyle

  • Marina restaurants, small beaches and coastal walks within the village.
  • Quick road access to Palma and towards the wider south-west coast.
  • Noticeably busier in summer than in the winter months.

Property character

  • Apartments with sea outlooks, and detached houses on the slopes behind.
  • Communal pools and gardens are common in the apartment schemes.
Calm Mediterranean coastline west of Palma with a stone promenade and clear water

South-West Mallorca

The south-west takes in a series of coastal communities within easy reach of Palma and the airport. Character varies considerably from one bay to the next, so the area is best considered village by village.

Lifestyle

  • Beaches, coastal paths, sailing and golf are all within the area.
  • Road connections to Palma and the airport are straightforward.
  • Some villages are strongly seasonal, while others remain occupied year-round.

Property character

  • Apartments in coastal schemes, townhouses and detached houses on hillside plots.
  • Sea outlooks and orientation vary sharply over short distances.

See how these areas relate to our current selection on the projects page, or read our guide to buying in Mallorca.

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