Best Mediterranean Ports Of Departure - Palma De Mallorca, Mallorca

Palma lies on the south west coastline of the island of Mallorca in the West Mediterranean Sea.

The history of Palma goes back to the Romans, who founded the settlement as a trading port between Italy and Spain. Mallorca was captured by the North African Moors in the middle ages, but little is left of this time, except the narrow maze-like layout of the alleys of the old city similar in design to a Kasbah. The Mallorcan Moors employed Palma as a base to attack Catalan boats sailing to and from the mainland.

In 1229, to remove the menace, James I of Aragon captured Palma. So the Kingdom of Aragon gained control over Mallorca and Palma. The following years were a magnificent era for Palma and Mallorca. This time is often termed Mallorca's Golden Age. The massive Bellver Castle and magnificent le Seu cathedral were built, and the Almudaina was rebuilt to form a marvelous Renaissance palace. In 1516 the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were joined when Charles I, son of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, the first King of all Spain.

Because of the different priorities of the King of Spain, the Moorish pirates took their opportunity and returned to preying on Palma's shipping, to become a problem that was to continue all through the 17th and 18th centuries. Eventually the danger from the Berber Pirates was removed when the French overrun Algeria in the early 19th century. Palma's business and commerce started to grow once more.

At the end of the 19th century, tourists began to discover the beautiful coastline and the balmy climate of Mallorca. Today Palma is a vibrant and charming city, mixing the vitality of a capital with the slower pace of a Mediterranean island port. It has enjoyable pavement cafes, an array of cultural sights, striking architecture and a cheerful population.

Mallorca is positioned at the heart of the West Mediterranean making Palma a favorite port-of-call for cruises. Lately, mainly due to the large close by airport, the island has also become a major homeport for cruise ships.