Es Princep, between Es Portixol and La Calatrava.
For some years now, the city of Palma de Mallorca has become a top tourist destination. Until then, Palma was simply the capital of Mallorca, the Mediterranean destination par excellence.
The growing influx of tourists to Palma has led to a significant increase in the number of hotels in the city centre. Several boutique hotels and some high-end hotels have opened in historic stately palaces or emblematic buildings.
Of all of them, only Hotel Es Princep has the privilege of being located directly by the sea, in the old part of the city, in the La Calatrava neighbourhood, very close to one of the city's most stylish neighbourhoods, Es Portixol.
Origin and history of Palma's oldest and most stately neighbourhoods
La Calatrava: This is Palma's oldest quarter. The imposing Gothic cathedral La Seu and the Almudaina Palace are proof of this. This district grew up around the Almudaina fortress, on the left bank of the Torrent de Sa Riera, which ran through Passeig d'Es Born until the 17th century. For centuries, it was and still is the city's stately neighbourhood. Strolling through its alleys, visiting its patios and admiring its monuments such as La Seu, Els Banys Àrabs or S'Ajuntament is still a treat for the senses.
Es Portixol: This neighbourhood represents the sea and life. If Sa Calatrava represents the oldest and most splendid side of the city, the Es Portixol neighbourhood is probably synonymous with bustle and sea. Es Portixol is the part of Palma most closely linked to the sea. It used to be a small fishing village far from the city centre. The growth of Palma outside its medieval walls brought the city to Es Portixol and integrated the neighbourhood into the city.
Es Molinar: It is a beautiful neighbourhood with low houses built around the harbours of Es Portitxol and Es Molinar. Its origins date back to the end of the 18th century, when the chapel of San Onofre was built. Already in the middle of the 19th century, the first settlements were built here next to the flour mills (hence the name Es Molinar, "molí" is the Mallorcan term for mill). Among the first buildings we find the fishermen's houses in Portitxol and Primer Molinar and also several estates, including Davall Terra and Can Pere Antoni.
The small harbours of Es Portixol and Es Molinar are the classic old fishing ports that over time have become home to private pleasure boats. Both places are the social centres of the neighbourhood and invite you to linger at any time of the day.
Mediterranean gastronomy with sea views
Es Molinar and Es Portixol are Palma's gastronomic destinations par excellence, as they are home to a variety of bars and restaurants. The gastronomic offer, which takes advantage of the neighbourhood's proximity to the sea, counts fish and seafood among its star products. This district's wide range also includes vermuterías, tapas restaurants and international cuisine.
It is also one of the best places in Palma to eat the typical "pa amb oli" or a "llonguet". A breakfast or a llonguet in Es Vaixell, right by the sea, is a real luxury. Enjoy the sun rising over the small houses before the embat (thermal wind typical of many areas of the island of Mallorca) begins to blow from 12 or 1 noon.
When dusk falls, especially in the months with fine weather, the neighbourhood and especially the seafront promenade are at their liveliest. Residents of the neighbourhood and Palma city centre go out for a walk to enjoy the now fading embat and a beer or something to eat for dinner in one of the neighbourhood's many restaurants.
What is there to see in Es Portixol and Es Molinar?
Once you have crossed the port of Es Portixol, follow the seafront promenade and you will soon reach Es Portixol beach. In a few minutes you arrive at Es Born d'Es Molinar, a tree-lined promenade from which it is worth taking a walk through the alleys of the old fishing quarter and enjoying its quiet streets and small squares. In one of them stands the majestic parish church of Nostra Senyora del Remei, built in 1928 on the site of the former Capella del Remei, itself built in 1850.
From the church square we can walk back towards the sea and in front of us is the Club Marítimo de Es Molinar. A small marina which, as mentioned above, is nowadays the mooring place for a large number of leisure boats. After a walk along Es Molinar's harbour piers, it is worth continuing the walk along the sea to Ciutat Jardí beach. As night falls, you can enjoy one of the most pleasant moments of the day. Returning to the hotel along the promenade in front of the sea with views of the city and its illuminated cathedral is a unique moment.
Es Portixol is, in short, one of those jewels enjoyed by the town's inhabitants that are usually not mentioned in the guidebooks. Hotel Es Princep is the perfect place to experience it because of its proximity to the neighbourhood.