Seville is Spain’s fourth largest city and, like Palma, is the capital of an autonomous community, in this case Andalusia - it is also a Mecca for tourists from around the world and all year round. It has three UNESCO heritage sites all within easy walking distance, in fact, Seville can quite easily be done on foot, it is the best way to soak up all the architecture, monuments, culture, wonderful sprawling parks, the river and its history. And, there were two key factors which struck me about Seville that are lacking in Palma. The Balearic capital has so much to offer people from all across the globe too but, it has become too cosmopolitan and as a city, it does not work - it’s having an identity crisis. Three days of hiking around Seville, I didn’t see one restaurant which was not Spanish and serving traditional Andalusian food. Vegans are well catered for, but in Spanish style, those who go all the way to Seville to have a burger or a slice of pizza will not go hungry, but it will be a struggle.
No, if you are in Seville, you are in Spain and can enjoy the very best of everything Spanish. Palma, I am afraid, has over done it by instead of promoting all the great things Majorca has to offer, it’s opted for catering for what it thinks people coming here want and that’s the wrong approach. I fear that with so many fingers in the tourism development and promotion pie, the simple things are getting lost. Palma doesn’t click and it’s a shame.