Castell de la Mar

Inside the grounds of Castell de Sant Carles, the 17th-century fortress guarding the harbour mouth at Porto Pi that now houses the Military History Museum, there's a bar-café with tables in the shade of pine trees and the Bay of Palma in front of you; on clear days you can make out Cabrera. Few people know it, and it does exactly what it should: it's the place for a drink before or after touring the castle.

The menu is short and bar-style: bocadillos (filled rolls) — sobrassada is the one to order — calamari and a well-made variat mallorquín with frit, meat in sauce and squid; for groups they make paella to order. Prices are surprising for views like these: a soft drink or a small beer costs what it would in a neighbourhood bar. For breakfast there isn't much beyond the rolls.

The real draw is the calm: a breeze, silence and the open sea, far from the packed terraces of the seafront promenade. It also hosts small celebrations.

Reviewed in November 2026