Palma is a city built around a cathedral that looks like a stone cliff. La Seu, as everyone calls it, rises directly above the seafront, a Gothic mass of pale limestone begun in the early fourteenth century by King James II of Mallorca, with a huge rose window and buttresses that seem to leap toward the sea. It took centuries to build, and in the twentieth century the architect Antoni Gaudí was called in to rework the interior, hanging a great canopy above the altar. The reflection of the building in the long pond in front, at dawn, is one of the great sights of the Mediterranean.
Mallorca's capital has been a trading city since Roman times, and the old town is a maze of narrow streets, courtyards and palaces that reward aimless walking. The Castell de Bellver, a round Gothic castle on a pine-covered hill west of the city, gives a fine view of the bay. For breakfast, locals favour the ensaimada, a spiral-shaped pastry dusted with sugar, and the island is also known for sobrasada, a spreadable cured sausage, and for its almond blossom in late winter.
The great attraction for a rider is the Serra de Tramuntana, the mountain range that runs along the north-west coast and was listed by UNESCO in 2011 as a cultural landscape of terraced hillsides, ancient olive trees and stone villages. The road along it, with its endless curves, cliffs and sea views, is among the best motorcycle roads in Europe, though it can be thronged with cyclists, coaches and tourists in spring and summer. The famous road to Sa Calobra, with its hairpin turns, is a favourite, and so are the quieter roads around Valldemossa and Deià. Surface and signs are good. In the high season, the main roads can be slow, so go early, midweek, or in the shoulder months.
Palma has plenty of fuel stations, and the island's size means you are never far from one, though in the mountains they thin out. Es Molinar and the other suburbs on the east side have small harbours with seafood restaurants. In July and August, the heat and crowds are heavy, and spring and autumn are lovely. The air near the seafront smells of salt and diesel, and in the evening the cathedral glows gold. It is a fine place to begin or end a long day.