Laura Harrison

TEFL Course Advisor

Cactus Worldwide Ltd

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Here at Cactus we naturally offer a range of Spanish language courses throughout the whole of Spain, and Mallorca remains a popular choice. We are often asked for a little background information on the area and I thought that this may be of interest.

Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the Balearic Islands, which lay off the east coast of Spain. It is also their biggest city and home to some 380,000 people – about half the population of Mallorca.

History

While the area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, it was the Romans who gave it the name Palma. The Arabs occupied the islands during the Middle Ages and called the city Madina Mayurqa, however it was subsequently reconquered by King Jaime I of Valencia and Aragon in 1229 and became a important trading port. Attacks by Turkish pirates during the 17th century lead to a decline in the city’s fortunes, which were revived a century later when trade with the Indies was opened up. The city began to attract tourists in the 1950s and the numbers of visitors has grown significantly since then.

Transport

There are regular flights to the nearby airport from most parts of Europe, so it’s an easy place to get to. There are also ferry services between Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands, and to and from the Spanish mainland. Local buses and trains can be used to get around Palma and Mallorca, and there’s a regular bus service from Palma’s airport, Son Sant Joan International.

Attractions

Palma’s historic centre is a good place to explore on foot on hot days thanks to it’s narrow, shady streets. Interesting things to see there include Mallorca’s Cathedral (Catedral de Mallorca) and Cathedral Museum (Museo Catedralicio), the Arab Baths (Banys Àrabs) and the Museum of Contemporary Spanish Art (Museo de Arte Español Contemporáneo). Elsewhere you can visit Bellver Castle (Castell de Bellver), which is home to an interesting museum and has great views of Palma Bay, and the Paseo Marítimo Palma, the centre of Palma’s lively nightlife.

Studying in Palma

There’s a good selection of Spanish language schools in Palma which offer group and individual classes, and also combinations of Spanish classes with other activities such as sailing. They can arrange accommodation with local families or in shared apartments, and run activity programmes of excursions, sports and cultural activities.

When to go

With it’s warm climate and over 300 days of sunshine a year, Palma de Mallorca is a good place to visit at any time during the year. It can get very hot in the summer though, and it tends to rain most in the winter and spring.

Why not contact us via the link through to our own website (above) to find out about our special offers for learning Spanish in Palma, and other Spanish Cities ?