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Palma is dated back to the initial Roman settlement that inhabited the present day city of Palma, although the region primarily belonged to the Bronze Age settlements that inhabited the same site. After the initial settlements the region was invaded by Arabs, who kept Madina Mayurqa as its name. King Jaime I who ruled the regions of Aragon and Valencia conquered it in 1229. At this time Palma had become significant for trade but ongoing raids by the Turkish pirates during the 17th century robbed the city of its trade centre. The settlement regained its balance only when Charles III revived the trade with the Indies.

Today Palma consists of several churches, castles, ports known for fishing and other water sports and several other great places to visit during your vacation. You can reach Palma by air as there are daily flights to Palma from several European cities. If you want to truly explore the influence the Arabs had on the culture you should visit the Arab Baths.

The Arab Baths are one of those very few remains of the Arab inhabitation. It is located inside the gardens of Can Fontirroig, further to the Number 7 of the Can Serra. It is an excellent example of the fine architecture displayed by Moslems that the island has been able to preserve. The Arab Bath is a square room that consists of 12 columns to extend support to the copula with the help of several circular apertures. The room is said to have been utilized for hot baths. It consists of two floors along with alcoves from where the hot water or even steam can travel.

The room was constructed in the 11th century and only a part of the construction has been preserved as the cold baths are seen nowhere around this room. The hot and cold baths are believed to be a part of residence of Moslems belonging to a higher class who stayed in Palma at the time.

Madina Mayurqa is the modern day Palma that was founded again on the Roman remains. The Arabs had transformed the entire city starting in the 10th century. Their effort is still seen from the complex hydraulic system that was used in the urban part of the city. Moreover, there was an arable and fertile land which received water from this system. sAlmudaina is known to be a palace built by them and was converted into a place of residence in the 13th century by the Catalan invaders. It can be visited from 9.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. These timings are from April to November, while from December to March the timings are 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entry fee is 2 Euros.