Planning a villa holiday in Mallorca? Take a day out to enjoy Palma, one of Spain’s smartest cities, says Solange Hando

Go for style Palma ranks among the top Spanish cities for quality of life. It’s easy going, chic and cool. Art galleries pop up like flowers in the spring, gleaming boutiques along Jaume III Avenue display designer wear, pearls and jewellery, and trendy cappuccino bars beckon on every corner. Fabulous yachts moor in the marina and well-heeled visitors and locals head for Santa Catalina, seeking the friendly buzz of Palma’s upcoming district.

Explore the Old Town Behind the seafront, old mansions cluster around secluded courtyards festooned with potted plants. Stepped alleyways and winding lanes wander up the hill, lined with bakeries, squares and craft shops. Beyond the town hall and its ancient olive tree, you reach Plaça Major, where green shutters and balconies look down on café terraces.

Visit the cathedral It’s the jewel in Palma’s crown. Standing on the site of a mosque, this Gothic ‘Cathedral of Light’ was founded by the young Catalan conqueror Jaume I when he drove out the Moors in 1229. It took 500 years to complete, and has interior additions by Gaudi, among them the controversial Crown of Thorns canopy. Bathed in glorious sunshine or lit up at night, it’s a spellbinding sight.

Try these for culture Stroll around the old Arab Baths and their Moorish garden; gaze at the modernist façade of the former Grand Hotel or the lofty twisted pillars of the Llotja, the merchants’ building turned exhibition space; check out the 115 columns of St Francesc Cloister or see the statue of the Virgin in St Miquel’s Church, carried, they say, by Jaume I on the stern of his ship. There are cultural centres and museums galore, including the Almudaina Palace with its state apartments overlooking the city and guardian angel atop the tower.