Palma is a beautiful city and I felt super bougie when I finally realized I was in freaking Mallorca, but for some reason I couldn’t fall in love with the city like I wanted. My previous trip to Ibiza, another island in the Balearics, was one that I cherished due to superficial and commercial regions, but this time, with only the city itself to entertain me without my usual shenanigans, I was left feeling indifferent about Palma.

Weather is a hit or miss

I had planned this trip months in advance to celebrate the summer solstice, but even on the longest day of the year, there were still clouds. It wasn’t cold per se, but the on-and-off grey sky and the slightly cool breeze that would only be acceptable in late April didn’t exactly give me the #summervibes I was hoping for. I was told that the weather in the Balearics is similar to Valencia, so I expected a slight cold front– and this was proven during my Ibiza trip the previous month. I will say that during my stay, the grey was misleading and didn’t exactly mean cold… it just wasn’t hot enough to motivate me to spend all day in the water. But remember, I am from Las Vegas, so anywhere that drops under 85 degrees is cold to me.

Beautiful without any substance

You know the really popular boy in middle school that everyone liked because he was conventionally attractive (even though he wasn’t exactly your type), but when you actually spoke to him you realized he had no substance whatsoever and was actually a bit boring, but you only stared at him every day in Algebra I because he was just there? That’s kind of how I felt about Palma de Mallorca. According to my friend, the nicer beaches are accessed by bus, but again, you would need to spend more time on the island to see them.

Too Many German and English people

I love German men people so much, but if you’re looking for an authentic Spanish experience, Palma is is not the place if you’re only there for a few days. As a person who does not speak Spanish, I am grateful for the tourism sector in Spain because I would be completely lost while traveling around the country. However, despite the signs in Catalan, it didn’t feel like I was in Spain at all. Almost everyone in the main tourist hubs speak English and the bars were packed with English and German people (yikes). If I ever decide to marry and want to find a tall, German, first husband, I will go to Palma over any city in Germany. 

It’s basically Malaga in the ocean

I couldn’t help but notice how similar Palma de Mallorca was to Malaga, a costal city in the Andalusian region. The architecture looked almost identical, and like Malaga, the nicer beaches are located outside of the city center. Luckily I was able to stay with my friend, another language assistant, while staying in Palma, however if I wanted a weekend beach getaway while living on the mainland, I would return to Malaga rather than Palma because it’s basically the same city without the extra cost of an oversea flight. In Malaga there is more to do in the city center, and the bus system is easier to navigate if you want to visit the beaches in nearby towns.

Advice: Find locals!

I am in no way talking shit– of course Palma, and the Balearic islands in general, has their own rich and unique culture that will differentiate from other cities in Spain, but on surface level it’s going to be hard to find if you’re only there for a few days. Even in Madrid, the most touristic city in Spain where Spanish is basically non-existent in 30% of the city and everyone from all over the world comes to visit and live, I was lucky enough to interact with locals through my work, host families, and a few Spanish friends. Mallorcan culture is definitely there, you just need to make friends. I can’t give you advice on making friends because I have none, but they are definitely there if you try.