Castell de Bellver

Set atop a pleasant park, the Castell de Bellver is a 14th-century circular castle (with a unique round tower), the only one of its kind in Spain. Jaume II ordered the castle built atop a hill known as Puig de Sa Mesquida in 1300 and it was largely complete 10 years later. The views from here of Palma and the Badia de Palma are spectacular.

The castle was conceived above all as a royal residence but seems to have been a white elephant, as only King Sanç (in 1314) and Aragón’s Joan I (in 1395) moved in for any amount of time. In 1717 it became a prison. The best part of a visit is to mosey around the castle and enjoy the views over the surrounding woods to Palma and out to sea. Climb to the roof and check out the prisoners’ graffiti etched into the stonework.

The ground-floor Museu d’Història de la Ciutat (City History Museum) consists of some explanatory panels and a modest collection of pottery. Upstairs you can visit a series of largely empty chambers, including the one-time kitchen. These are kept closed (no great loss) on Sundays, when admission is free.

About the nearest you can get to the castle by bus (3, 46 or 50) is Plaça de Gomila, from where you’ll have to hoof it about 15 minutes (1km) up a steep hill. Instead, combine it with the Palma City Sightseeing open-top bus, which climbs to the castle as part of its circuit of the city.