DK Travel : Mallorca : Places of interest

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Castell d’Alaró

The original castle was built a thousand years ago by the Moors and then refurbished following the “reconquest” by Jaume I in the 13th century. It’s little more than rubble now, but the lofty position certainly seems unconquerable enough. At the bottom of the trail is an excellent restaurant; from here you can follow well-beaten paths and dry-stone tracks along the cliff-face (see also Castell d’Alaró).
Cathedral

Dominating the entire port, Palma Cathedral (known as Sa Seu) is a glowing man-made mountain of sandstone. The second largest Gothic cathedral in the world, it is also the symbol of the city and the island’s most visited building (see Sa Seu: Palma Cathedral).
Caves

Young adventurers will love the thrill of exploring Mallorca’s caves, especially the Coves d’Artà, which exit onto the open sea (seeCoves and Caves, Coves d’Artà). At the Coves del Drac, the pitch darkness at a certain moment will excite your children, though the very young might be frustrated at having to walk in silence for so long.
Ca’n Solleric and Passeig des Born

A fine Italianate edifice, Ca’n Solleric was built for a family of olive oil merchants in 1763 and converted into a modern art gallery in 1995. It stands at the top of the gracious Passeig des Born, which was created in the 19th century on a dried-up river-bed. This is Palma’s main promenade, similar to Barcelona’s famous Ramblas and the venue of large-scale cultural events. Set among its plane trees are flowerbeds and seats.
Coves del Drac

Mallorca’s most spectacular cave system is beautifully lit and can be toured in a gondola-style boat.
Coves d’Artà

During the Christian Conquest, Jaume I found 2,000 Arabs hiding with their cattle in this extraordinary network of caves. However, it was not until 1876, when geologist Edouard Martel entered the grottoes, 46 m (151 ft) above the sea at Cap Vermell, that they were studied. Another early visitor was Jules Verne, whose book Journey to the Centre of the Earth is said to have been inspired by them.
Coves d’es Hams

These caves are less interesting than the Coves del Drac or Coves d’Artà. Their name means “fishhooks”, which the stalactites are said to resemble. You get a guided tour and a concert.
Deià

Set in a dramatic ravine that plunges down to the sea, Deià is mostly associated with the English novelist and poet Robert Graves. Settling in the small town in 1929, Graves lived and worked here for the next 56 years, making the place popular with other artists including Picasso and the writer Anaïs Nin. Towering over the town is the modest 18th-century church of Sant Joan Baptista. The adjacent building houses the parish museum; there is also a museum founded by the American archaeologist William Waldren, displaying the prehistory of Mallorca. Hotel La Residencia has attracted many famous guests including Princess Diana and Sir Bob Geldof.
Deià

Spilling down a steep hillside, Deià’s earth-tone houses are, to many, the finest on the island. English poet and writer Robert Graves and his artistic friends certainly thought so, bringing international fame to this really rather modest town. Today, the tiny artists’ retreat has been bought up by the wealthy, though it still retains its humble appearance.
Els Calderers

This country house chronicles 200 years of the life of Mallorca’s gentry in a more modest version of Sa Granja. Demonstrations of traditional methods are part of the tour, and you can see historic breeds of Mallorcan farm animals.