Palma de Mallorca with toddlers works better than most city breaks, because the things small children like most (a playground, a beach, a market, a fish tank) are all within a short bus ride of the old town. If you are wondering what to do, the short answer is to plan one main outing a day, build the rest around parks and the seafront, and let the afternoon nap happen in the pushchair along the promenade.
Most guides to Palma with kids are written for school-age children: the cathedral roof, the Arab baths, water parks with big slides. Below are 21 ideas that work with children aged one to four, with notes on pushchairs, shade and timing.
Palma de Mallorca with toddlers, what to do at a glance
| Place | Best for ages | Area | Type | Price guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parc de la Mar | 1 to 6 | Below the cathedral | Playground and lake | Free |
| Parc de Ses Estacions | 1 to 6 | Plaça d'Espanya | Playground | Free |
| Parc de Sa Riera | 1 to 8 | West of the centre | Park and playground | Free |
| Bellver forest playground | 2 to 8 | Bellver hill | Playground in the woods | Free |
| Bellver Castle | 3 and up | Bellver hill | Castle | Free for under-14s |
| Palma Aquarium | 1 and up | Can Pastilla | Aquarium | €€€ (under-4s free) |
| Can Pere Antoni | 1 and up | East of the cathedral | City beach | Free |
| Ciutat Jardí | 1 and up | East Palma | Beach | Free |
| Cala Major | 2 and up | West Palma | Small beach | Free |
| Mercat de l'Olivar | All ages | Old town | Food market | Free entry |
| Natura Parc | 1 and up | Santa Eugènia, 20 minutes by car | Small animal park | €€ |
| Sóller train | 3 and up | Leaves from Plaça d'Espanya | Vintage train | €€€ |
In the old town
Parc de la Mar
Start below the cathedral (La Seu), where Parc de la Mar runs along a large artificial lake. There are play areas, benches, some shade and plenty of space to run, and the cathedral looks enormous from here, which even a two-year-old notices. It's the easiest first stop if you are staying in the centre.
The cathedral from the outside
Inside visits and the roof terraces suit older children (the roof climb is for ages nine and up), so with toddlers walk round the outside instead and pop next door to the walls of the Almudaina palace. The wide terraces in front are good for a pushchair.
Passeig des Born and an ensaimada stop
The Born is a wide, tree-lined, pedestrianised avenue, and a gentle walk from Parc de la Mar. Nearby, Ca'n Joan de S'aigo is one of the city's oldest cafés and a classic for an ensaimada (a light, spiral pastry dusted with icing sugar) with hot chocolate. Go mid-morning on a weekday to avoid the queue.
Mercat de l'Olivar
Palma's main covered market, a few minutes' walk from Plaça d'Espanya, is the toddler version of a museum: fish on ice, mountains of fruit, people shouting orders. It's flat, indoors and easy with a pushchair. Pick up fruit for the rest of the day. Remember that it closes in the afternoon and on Sundays, like most food markets in Spain.
Es Baluard and the walls
The modern art museum sits in a fortress on the old city walls, and the rooftop terraces have wide views over the harbour. Toddlers enjoy the open space more than the art. It runs family activities, so check the website before you go.
Parks and playgrounds
Palma's playgrounds are where you'll meet local parents, especially from about 5pm when Spanish schools finish and children come out with their afternoon snack. Spanish families eat late (lunch around 2pm, dinner after 8.30pm), so playgrounds stay busy well into the evening.
Parc de Ses Estacions
Right by Plaça d'Espanya, the city's main bus and train hub, with a play area that includes a boat and a train. Handy if you are waiting for a bus or the Sóller train.
Parc de Sa Riera
A long, green park west of the centre with paths suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, sports areas and a café near the play area. Good for scooters and balance bikes.
Son Dameto park
A renovated neighbourhood park with slides, swings, a carousel and inclusive play equipment under shade structures. The equipment is mostly aimed at ages three to twelve.
Bellver forest playground and Bellver Castle
On the wooded hill above the city, the playground under the pines has slides, climbing frames and picnic tables, with lots of natural shade. Bellver Castle is unusual because it's round, and children under 14 get in free. The walk up is steep and hot in summer, so take a taxi or the hop-on hop-off bus up and walk down if you like.
Beaches inside the city
Mallorca has better beaches than Palma's city beaches, but with a toddler, being ten minutes from your flat beats a 40-minute drive.
Can Pere Antoni
About a 20-minute walk east of the cathedral along the seafront, with sand, calm water most days and the cycle path behind it. Easy to reach with a pushchair.
Ciutat Jardí
Further east, a quieter neighbourhood beach with shallow water, popular with local families. Get there on a city bus from the centre.
Cala Major
West of the centre, a small sandy cove with shallow, clear water. It's a short bus ride or about 15 minutes by car from the old town. It gets busy in summer, so arrive early.
Bigger outings
Palma Aquarium
The island's biggest family attraction, in Can Pastilla near the airport. Allow half a day. There are indoor tanks with sharks and rays, gardens, and an outdoor play area with a pirate ship. Children under four go free. It's open all year; check winter opening times on the official website.
Natura Parc
A small animal park in Santa Eugènia, about 20 minutes inland by car. Farm animals, birds and enough space for toddlers to wander. It's a good half-day when you want a break from the city. Check opening days before you set off, as they vary by season.
The Sóller train
The vintage wooden train leaves from Plaça d'Espanya and climbs through the Serra de Tramuntana mountains to Sóller. For a toddler the train itself is the attraction. It's busy in summer and expensive for a family, so think about doing it one way and coming back by bus, or saving it for spring and autumn.
Santa Catalina and Es Jonquet
West of the old town, Santa Catalina has a food market (Mercat de Santa Catalina) and lots of cafés, and the old windmills of Es Jonquet are just above it. The streets are narrower and some are cobbled, so a light buggy is easier than a big pushchair.
The seafront promenade
The Passeig Marítim and the cycle path that follows the bay are flat and long. It's ideal for a nap walk with the pushchair or a scooter ride at sunset.
Practical tips for Palma with a toddler
Children travel free on Palma's red EMT city buses (the age limit has changed over the years, so check before you travel), and the buses take pushchairs. Most of the old town is pedestrianised, although some streets are cobbled.
Many small shops close for a few hours after lunch. Plan the busiest part of your day for the morning and leave the afternoon for the park or the beach. From June to September, avoid being out between 1pm and 5pm with a toddler: the heat is serious and shade on the seafront is scarce.
Palma in October and November is often mild enough for the beach on sunny days, and everything feels calmer than in August.
If you'd like to see the city with people who live there, Woltica's travelling families feature lets you get in touch with local families in Palma and arrange a meet-up in a park or on the seafront, never at home. Find out more at Woltica.