The Best Museums in Mallorca, Spain

This museum is an located within the gothic Bellver Castle perched on a pine-covered hilltop overlooking Palma. For a reasonable fee you can enjoy not only the views of the city below, but learn about the history of the island itself, starting from the time when it was ruled by the Moors before the Christians conquered it in the late 13th century. You’ll learn about the rulers and relics from that era, and gain an understanding of the urban development of Palma as it grew beyond the old city walls, and the impact of tourism on the island in the 20th century. If you are visiting Mallorca for the first time, this is a great place to gain a well-rounded understanding of the island and its history up to the present.

La Granja is a beautiful 17th-century country mansion just outside the pretty village of Esporles. Converted into a museum dedicated to the island’s crafts and traditional way of life, each room is packed out with well-maintained pieces from across the ages. You’ll find a room dedicated to some very painful-looking dentistry, and another filled with dolls and puppets hanging from the ceiling, while outside there’s an ikat fabric workshop, and on the ground floor a basketweaving room and an olive press as well as the parish dungeon, filled with terrifying torture equipment. If that is not your thing, head into the gardens or visit the animal menagerie, where the peacock might do a little dance for you.

It stands to reason that one of the most famous Mallorcans of current times would have a museum, and it’s located just outside the city of Manacor, where he grew up. As a top-level athlete, Nadal encourages everyone to engage in sport, so the museum is not solely tennis-focussed. Inside, you will see highlights from his extensive career, the trophies and medals he has won from his many competition wins, as well as lots of sports equipment. And if that isn’t enough, it also has a super-modern experience room filled with simulators for tennis, cycling, rowing and F1 racing. For sports aficionados, and to familiarise yourself fully with the details of Nadal’s brilliant career, this is a great place to visit.

This gallery-slash-museum is focussed on exhibiting modern and contemporary art and artists who are linked to the Balearic Islands, from the 20th century up until today. It has exhibited everything from drawing and sculpture, to painting, photography, video and installations from a wide range of artists including Picasso, Marina Abramovic, Magritte, Mirósp and Wilfredo Lam, to name very few. Its sleek contemporary architecture is fused into into the old city walls and is in one of the finest spots in Palma, overlooking the marina. Make the most of the restaurant and the outdoor bar – having a drink while the sun sets behind the mountains is a must.