Palma de Mallorca: the cathedral by the sea, the Tramuntana mountains and turquoise coves

Palma Cathedral, known as La Seu, has stood by the sea since the Middle Ages, with enormous buttresses and one of the largest Gothic rose windows in the world. When sunlight comes through it, colours spread across the interior almost theatrically.

In the early twentieth century Antoni Gaudí worked on renovating the interior and left his touch, especially in the canopy suspended over the altar. More recently, Mallorcan artist Miquel Barceló covered a chapel in ceramics, a surprising contemporary work.

Right next door is the Royal Palace of La Almudaina, a former Arab fortress and residence of the kings of Mallorca, still used by the Spanish royal family for ceremonies. In front, the lake of the Parc de la Mar reflects the cathedral, and that's where Palma's most famous photo is taken.

Palma's centre is a maze of narrow streets, palaces with hidden patios, churches and squares. Many courtyards of old mansions can be glimpsed through open gates, and some are open to the public.

The Mercat de l'Olivar is the main market, with fish, meat, fruit and snack stalls. It's the ideal place to taste sobrassada, a soft, spicy pork sausage, and pa amb oli, bread with tomato, olive oil and whatever you like on top.

Mallorca's sweet is the ensaïmada, a spiral of light pastry dusted with icing sugar, plain or filled. It's sold in octagonal boxes that travellers carry onto the plane, and there's no shame in doing so.

On a pine-covered hill a few kilometres from the centre stands Bellver Castle, a fourteenth-century Gothic castle that is rare for being circular. From the terrace, the view over the Bay of Palma, the port and the cathedral is magnificent.

The seafront promenade links the centre to the marina, with yachts of every size, and is great for walking or cycling in the late afternoon. In the other direction you reach city beaches and fishing quarters like Portitxol.

Santa Catalina, a former fishermen's quarter, now has a lively market, restaurants and bars. It's a good area for dinner and a night out.

The Serra de Tramuntana, running along the northwest coast, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011 for its landscape of terraces, olive groves and stone villages shaped over centuries. Its mountain roads, winding above the sea, are among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean.

Valldemossa is a stone village where Chopin and the writer George Sand spent a winter in the old charterhouse. Deià, further on, is a hillside village where poet Robert Graves lived, with stone houses and orange trees.

Sóller is reached on the famous wooden train that has left Palma since the early twentieth century, crossing the mountains through tunnels and valleys. In Sóller, a vintage tram runs to the port. A private tour lets you combine Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller in one day without mountain-road stress.

Mallorca's calas, small coves between rocks and pines, are the island's great postcard. Caló des Moro in the southeast is one of the most photographed, with turquoise water and access on foot. There are dozens of others, more or less hidden, along the coast.

If you prefer big beaches, Es Trenc in the south is long and natural, with Caribbean-coloured water. In the north, Cap de Formentor has spectacular viewpoints over the sea.

In summer the most famous coves fill up early and parking is limited. An excellent option is to see the coast by boat: some trips stop at coves reachable only by sea.