Transfers in Palma de Mallorca

About Palma de Mallorca

Palma is the capital of the Balearic Islands and home to about 438,000 of Mallorca’s 940,000 residents. The skyline is dominated by La Seu, the 14th-century cathedral, with the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the medieval old town tucked beneath it. The seafront stretches from the cruise terminals at Porto Pi past the marinas of Paseo Marítimo to the long city beach at Playa de Palma, 10 km to the east.

Mallorca’s tourism sector accounts for around 45 percent of the local economy, and Palma’s airport is the single largest contributor to that flow. Spring and autumn see strong cycling tourism around the Serra de Tramuntana, while sailing and superyacht traffic builds steadily from Easter through to October. The historic centre, with its Arab baths, Plaça Major and Passeig del Born shopping street, remains compact enough to explore on foot.

Getting around

The old town and Santa Catalina are easily walked. The EMT bus network covers the city and beaches, and metro line M1 plus the historic train to Sóller leave from Plaça d’Espanya. Cars can be useful for the Tramuntana mountains and quieter east-coast coves, but parking in the centre is tight. For airport runs and resort transfers, a pre-booked private car is usually faster, particularly during the May to October peak when the road from PMI fills with shuttle and rental traffic.

Best time to visit

May, June, September and October are ideal, with daytime highs of 22 to 28 °C, manageable crowds and the full ferry and excursion schedule running. July and August deliver peak heat (often 32 to 35 °C) and full hotels across Mallorca. Winter is mild at 14 to 17 °C in the day, with almond blossom from late January and quieter roads, although flight choice is thinner.

Major dates include the Sant Sebastià festival in mid-January (street concerts and bonfires), Easter Holy Week processions, and the Copa del Rey sailing regatta in early August. The Tramuntana mountains can be skiable in cold winters but mostly serve cyclists and hikers from February to May, so transfers to the Sóller and Valldemossa valleys peak in shoulder season.

Transferring from Palma’s airports

Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) is Spain’s third busiest, behind Madrid and Barcelona, with a single terminal split into modules A to D. It sits 8 km east of the centre and 3 to 5 km from the closest resorts at Ca’n Pastilla and Playa de Palma. Pre-booked transfers price the trip as one fixed fare regardless of luggage or time, with flight tracking and 60 minutes of free wait built in.

Common transfer routes

Frequent transfer routes around Mallorca include:

• PMI to central Palma and the cathedral, around 15 minutes.
• PMI to Magaluf, Palmanova and Santa Ponsa, around 25 to 35 minutes.
• PMI to Alcúdia and Port de Pollença, around 60 to 75 minutes.
• PMI to Cala d’Or and the south-east coves, around 55 to 70 minutes.
• Palma cruise port to PMI for fly-cruise turnarounds, around 20 minutes.

Day-trip routes from Palma frequently include the village of Valldemossa (about 30 minutes), the cliff-top monastery at Lluc (about 50 minutes) and the Caves of Drach near Porto Cristo (about 60 minutes). Pre-booked transfers with the driver waiting on-site are a flexible alternative to organised coach excursions, particularly for families with small children or older travellers.

Booking your Palma transfer

Use the search on this site to compare licensed Mallorca operators for any PMI or port transfer, with a single fixed price, meet-and-greet at the terminal and free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. Most major cards and wallets are supported, which is helpful for groups splitting the fare across different banks and currencies.