In My Hood: Out and About in Santa Catalina, Palma de Mallorca

I like to take a stroll down the promenade in Palma to the former fishing village of Santa Catalina, which is now considered one of the trendiest parts of the city. Here, typical Mallorcan houses with green shutters and colorful facades line the narrow streets. There are countless good restaurants and small, special shops. As an interior designer, I find Santa Catalina a very inspiring place, because the many old buildings in the area have been lovingly restored over the years while retaining their traditional charm.  

On Saturdays, head to the Mercat de Santa Catalina, a market hall that is more than 100 years old. Vendors from all over the island sell fish, vegetables, fruit, and typical Mallorcan specialties such as ensaïmada con albaricoque (apricot cake) or sobrasada, a type of sausage with peppers. I like to order coca de verduras – a kind of pizza with vegetables – from one of the many food stalls and then meet friends.

At around 5 p.m., we meet for a cocktail before going out to a restaurant. This ritual of going out is called tardeo. In Madrid, where I grew up, nobody would go out that early, but here on the island we like to do so.  

A great place to start the evening is the cocktail bar on the roof of the 120-year-old Hostal Cuba Hotel, overlooking the sea. Afterwards, the area around Calle Fábrica with its many bars and restaurants is worth a tapas hop. We recommend the fish tacos at Naan Street Food and the fresh shrimp at Patrón Lunares.  

During the day, I often browse Santa Catalina for home accessories for my interior design projects. For example, you can find Mallorcan pottery or handwoven cushions at Degüayhaus or Lifestyle Mallorca. I also get a lot of inspiration at the Es Baluard museum. This museum for contemporary art is part of Palma’s historic fortifications and is worth a visit for the fantastic ocean views alone.

For those with a sweet tooth, I have two final recommendations: mango or stracciatella ice cream from Rivareno Gelato and freshly baked almond croissants from Thomas’ Bakeshop Boutique. A real treat, like just about everything in Santa Catalina!

Pura de Prado runs an interior design studio in Mallorca and shares Mediterranean interior design ideas on her blog mallorcapura.es. Originally from Madrid, she lived in Hamburg for several years before moving to Mallorca with her family ten years ago.