Palma de Mallorca, Capital City of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands

When sailing into Palma, the capital city of Mallorca, the giant cathedral named La Seu is the most prominent landmark visible.

The Palau de l'Almudaina was originally the palace of the Moorish governors and later the palace of the Mallorcan kings. It is located next to La Seu.

Cruise ships dock about four miles from old town Palma. If you are in the mood for some exercise, the walk is flat and the harbor sights interesting.

King Jaume II of Mallorca started building the gothic Cathedral in Palma de Mallorca in 1229 after the reconquest of Mallorca from the Moors. He planned the Cathedral, called La Seu, to be built on the site of the Great Mosque. It took over 500 years to complete. The rose window is over 40 feet in diameter.

La Seu's altar is located beneath a giant wrought-iron canopy designed by Antoni Gaudi.

Antoni Gaudi worked on the cathedral in Palma de Mallorca intermittently between 1904 and 1914. His largest contribution to the cathedral is the giant hanging wrought-iron canopy that is supposed to symbolize the Crown of Thorns. Gaudi also introduced electric lighting to the Cathedral, which was quite a novelty in the early 1900's.

The 10th century Arab Bath House in Palma is one of the last remnants of the Moorish presence in Mallorca.

As your cruise ship sails away from Palma, the last sight will be the same as your first one--the towering cathedral.