Plaça Major is Palma's main square, a large rectangle of yellow houses with green shutters and ground-floor arcades in the middle of the old town. It looks calm today, with café terraces and street artists, but it was built on the site of a convent that later became the headquarters of the Inquisition in Mallorca, which only disappeared in 1823.
Plaça Major at a glance
- Where: in the centre of Palma's old town, at the top of Carrer de Sant Miquel and a short walk from Plaça d'Espanya and the Rambla.
- Built: from 1825 into the early 20th century, after the Inquisition building had gone.
- What it is today: a pedestrian square with cafés and restaurants under the arcades, seasonal craft markets and concerts during the Sant Sebastià festivities in January.
- Time needed: 15 to 30 minutes, longer if you sit down for a coffee.
From convent and Inquisition to a public square
The site was once occupied by the convent of San Felipe Neri. Later, the building on the site served as the seat of the Spanish Inquisition in Mallorca, until 1823. Its removal opened up a large space in the middle of the city, and from 1825 a regular square took shape, surrounded by uniform houses with arcades at street level.
The square was completed piece by piece over the following decades, into the early 20th century. The arcades were made for trade: shops displayed their goods in the covered walkway, protected from sun and rain. Today the ground floors are mostly bars, cafés and restaurants, while the square hosts craft stalls in the summer months, at Easter and at Christmas, and live music during the Sant Sebastià festivities, the festival of Palma's patron saint.
What to look for
- The arcades: walk the full circuit under the arches, the covered corridor where shopkeepers once set out their wares.
- The colours: the facades are painted in the typical Mallorcan yellow, with green wooden shutters, which gives the square its uniform look.
- The street artists: puppeteers, living statues and painters often set up on the square, especially in the high season.
- The entrances: four main streets lead into the square, among them Carrer de Sant Miquel, the busy shopping street to the north.
- The Costa des Teatre: the flight of steps that links the square with Carrer de la Unió and Plaça Weyler, showing how much higher Plaça Major sits.
A square on the move
Palma is planning a major redevelopment of Plaça Major and its surroundings. The plans include removing the old kiosks on the Costa des Teatre steps to make way for terraces with benches and greenery, opening up a lower level beneath the square for a city history centre, exhibition spaces and a tourist office, a panoramic glass lift from the Rambla, and ramps linking the square with Plaça del Mercat, CaixaForum and the Teatre Principal. Works may affect access for some time, so check before you go.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning for photos of the empty square and the arcades, or in the early evening when the terraces fill up.
- Sit on the edge of the square rather than in the middle if you want shade in summer; the arcades are the coolest place.
- Use the square as a starting point: Carrer de Sant Miquel to the north and the shops of the old town to the south start here.
- Combine Plaça Major with the modernist buildings on Plaça del Marquès del Palmer, just a few steps away.
Nearby
- Plaça del Marquès del Palmer: a small square next to Plaça Major with Can Forteza Rey, an early 20th-century modernist building with colourful tile decoration.
- Carrer de Sant Miquel: a busy shopping street with the old church of Sant Miquel, leading north towards Plaça d'Espanya.
- CaixaForum Palma: housed in the former Gran Hotel, a modernist landmark on Plaça Weyler designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
- Mercat de l'Olivar: Palma's main covered food market, good for a snack among the fish and fruit stalls; a short walk north.
See Palma de Mallorca with World City Trail
Our Palma de Mallorca scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 38 minutes of walking. Plaça Major is one of the stops, along with Plaça d'Espanya and the Sóller train station. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour of Palma de Mallorca and an outdoor escape game in the city.
Play the Palma de Mallorca scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Palma de Mallorca →
Play the outdoor escape game in Palma de Mallorca →
Facts checked in October 2026.