A Guide to Palma Nova

The hugely popular resort of Palma Nova and its nearest neighbour Magaluf are the largest resort developments of the municipal district of Calvia and is situated on the south west coast of the island, approximately 15km or 10 miles west of Palma.

Making the resort transfer is for most visitors fairly painless, once you have collected your luggage and cleared customs should normally take between 20 to 30 minutes, however this can and often does vary, depending upon the time of day and the sheer volume of traffic on the Palma motorways. Having said that, for those visitors who choose to pay the additional cost for a tour operators coach transfer, although after 20 minutes you will certainly be "somewhere" in either Palma Nova or Magaluf, the final transfer time may be somewhere in the region of 45 minutes before you actually arrive at your chosen accommodation all depending on the route taken by the driver on the day.

Once you've arrived in the resort, and settled into your accommodation, making the return trip into Palma for either shopping or sightseeing is fairly easy by public transport. Throughout the day and well into the evening, buses from Palma Nova to Palma run every 35 minutes or so, and at less than £2.50 for the journey do represent excellent value for money. One word of advice though, these buses can become very crowded, and have in the past been known to attract pickpockets. Also worth considering when a number of people can travel together, is one of the numerous taxis that operate about the resort. Generally, fares are very reasonable, however, experience shows that it is better to agree the fare in advance, especially when going out of the resort, and always try to have the correct money (plus the obligatory tip) ready.

Although technically the dividing point between Palma Nova and Magaluf is still somewhere on the rocky headland between the two beaches, the two resorts have over the years, grown to the point where they now effectively merge into one, and during the summer months are without doubt everything you would associate with Majorca. You will either have the holiday of your life or a holiday from hell, all depending on your outlook on life. In all fairness though, of the two resorts Palma Nova is the quieter, and is perhaps more suited to families.

Although it may be hard to appreciate now, but Palma Nova was actually one of the earliest purpose built holiday resorts on the island. The original fishing harbour still remains, but fishing boats are now in the minority when compared to the large expensive yachts moored in the nautical club and marina.

Both Palma Nova and Magaluf have fine sandy beaches with everything on hand to part you from your money. Watersports, glass bottom boat trips, as well as countless shops, bars and restaurants are all located along the wide traffic free promenades. For those on self catering breaks, you will never be more than a few hundred yards from either a McDonalds, Wimpey, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut etc, and you will never starve as long as you have money in your pocket. If you do ever tire of fast food, and in all fairness to Palma Nova, you'll also find a number of more traditional cafes and restaurants along the seafront.
In comparison between the two, the beach at Palma Nova is also quieter than the one in Magaluf, however this may be simply because there is less hotels here. Although it must be said, that both beaches are kept very tidy, which is partly due to the fact that it is illegal to drink alcohol on the beach, or to take glass bottles of any kind on to them.

Nightlife here is described in many brochures as being "lively" or "extrovert", which we all recognise as being "tour operator speak". In recognition of the huge numbers of British tourist that come to Majorca every year, both resorts have developed numerous English style pubs to target this market, but as yet Palma Nova does only have the one disco which in the summer rarely closes before dawn.

During the summer, both Palma Nova and Magaluf are more suited for those looking for an active, action packed holiday, and are certainly not suitable for long lazy days on the beach, followed by a quiet relaxing drink in the evening. Whatever your preconception of Palma Nova is, the reality is either better or far worse than you can ever imagine.