This Balearic Island Is Spain’s Most Exciting Arts Destination—Here’s Where to Shop and Stay

Long before it became a magnet for sun-seekers and super-yachts, Palma de Mallorca was one of the Mediterranean’s key trading ports. Its deep, sheltered bay drew merchants and sailors from Europe and North Africa, fostering an exchange of cultures that is reflected in the city’s soaring Gothic spires, Moorish patios, and Renaissance-era ramparts. Centuries later, the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands remains a crossroads—but these days, it’s becoming known for its crafts, shopping, and galleries.

The city’s artistic calendar peaks each spring with Xtant, a multiday gathering of textile artists and makers founded in 2020 by Madrid-based designer Kavita Parmar and Colombian fashion entrepreneur Marcella Echavarría. More than 80 craftspeople from 30 countries set up shop in historic buildings—such as the Baroque Can Vivot palace—to display handwoven rugs, embroidered caftans, tie-dyed textiles, and other wares. There are also workshops led by artists specializing in traditional crafts, like esparto-grass weaving and roba de llengües, the island’s distinctive fabric, which is said to be based on ikat styles that arrived via the Silk Road.

At perfumeries Arquinesia and Viti Vinci, the shelves are lined with scents made with Balearic-foraged botanicals such as fennel, orange, and bergamot. For ceramics, make your way to PK Studio, where Italian architect turned artist Roberto Paparcone crafts minimalist vases and dinnerware—and invites visitors to try their hand at the pottery wheel themselves. 

Set in a 15th-century palace, the bi-level Rialto Living is the brainchild of Klas Käll, formerly of the clothing brand Gant, and his partner, Barbara Bergman. The concept shop is stocked with homewares and breezy island fashion. Its design studio has also furnished the interiors of top Mallorca hotels, including Richard Branson’s Son Bunyola. 

In 2001, Mallorcan designer Rosa Esteva opened her clothing store, Cortana, in Palma’s casco antiguo, or Old Town, where she showcased monochromatic dresses, slouchy pants, and billowing blouses in breathable silk, cotton, and linen. Her new 6,500-square-foot flagship, opened this year, builds on that foundation with limited-edition collections, bridal wear, and tableware.

On the edge of the casco antiguo, Mallorcan designer Jaime Llambias runs his by-appointment showroom. He works with natural dyes and upcycled fabrics like the island’s traditional linen-like drap (once used for bedding and curtains) to create wearable yet sculptural silhouettes, from wide-legged pleated trousers to A-line dresses. Every piece is designed and tailored on site.

In the heart of the Old Town is Pelaires, Spain’s longest-running contemporary gallery, established in 1969 and famously championed by Joan Miró. (The artist once called it “his gallery and that of his friends.”) Now helmed by the second generation of the founding family, Pelaires continues to spotlight influential artists from Mallorca and beyond, including Catalan painter Mònica Subidé and Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa. 

A short stroll away, the Spanish outpost of Germany’s Kewenig Gallery stages large-scale shows by international heavyweights, including English sculptor Richard Long and Korean conceptual artist Kimsooja, inside the vaulted main hall of a 13th-century chapel.

One of the best places to get in touch with Palma’s creative spirit is Portella, a new 14-room hotel. It’s in a 17th-century palace that was once the residence of Spanish painter Joaquín Torrents Lladó.

The property still feels like an artist’s home: it’s scattered with treasures including a Miró lithograph and custom light fixtures by Gordiola, a Mallorcan glassmaker founded in 1719. The hotel overlooks the 10th-century Arab baths, making it an ideal perch for taking in the city’s civilization-spanning history, while still feeling the contemporary current running through its streets.

A version of this story first appeared in the October 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Pieces of Palma.”