Palma’s central district boasts the vast majority of shops that have survived the passage of time. Each contains a piece of the city’s history and many are run by members of their respective third and fourth generations. These are traditional businesses with strong roots in the territory that contribute to the perpetuation of certain lifelong trades and that preserve valuable heritage elements in their interior and/or exterior. Fancy a walk through them? From Nivia Born Boutique Hotel you can easily walk to some of the best known.
In the same street where our exclusive boutique hotel is located (Carrer dels Paraires) you will find the historic Forn del Santo Cristo, a benchmark in confectionery and typical island products since 1910. The weight of tradition can already be seen in its exterior sign and its well-kept counter; it is one of the few ovens that preserves the old recipes in its elaborations. If your appetite is insatiable, a few metres further on, on Carrer Unió, you’ll find Forn Fondo, whose Art Nouveau exterior with its floral motifs is hard to miss. Quartos, freshly baked bread, chocolates, cakes… not forgetting their speciality, ensaïmades. Temptation has been served up in this shop since 1740, as well as in the nearby Bar Bosch (Pl. del Rei Joan Carles I), where the most loyal customers live side by side with curious tourists who come here to taste the famous llagostes (llonguets), a variat or one of the best almond slushies in Palma.
Continuing along Carrer Unió and before reaching the Teatre Principal another food establishment is a must: the Fornet de la Soca, with a fairytale window display that will make your mouth water. Strolling along the Plaça del Mercat, you will come to the legendary bonboneria La Pajarita, with a grocery store right next to the same proprietor (if you are looking to take a delicatessen product home, you can’t afford to miss the Colom and Sant Domingo grocery stores, in the central street of Sant Domingo). Around the corner, in Pas d’en Quint, you will be surprised by the toy shop La Industrial – one of the few traditional toy shops that survive in Ciutat – and by Alejandro Forteza jewellers, dedicated to making and repairing traditional Mallorcan jewellery since 1918. If you are interested in visiting more examples of this style of shop, nearby, in Carrer de Colom and Carrer Jaume II, you will find the respected jewellers Bitla and Piña-Grau.
Do you have even more time to continue exploring Ciutat’s most emblematic businesses? Consult this map and access the complete catalogue.
