Admission to Bellver Castle to Double — City Plans Higher Fees

A doubled price for a well-known landmark

Anyone who knows Bellver Castle knows: the view from above does something to you. On the outskirts of Palma, on the round hill, walkers, joggers and tour guides with headphones are already out in the morning. Now the city is causing a stir: the regular admission is to rise from €4 to €8.

What exactly is planned

The responsible city councillor has announced the increase. For residents, nothing apparently changes: they remain at the reduced rate of €2.50. All other visitors are to pay the doubled price in future. In addition, the fees for private events at the castle are to be raised significantly — weddings, corporate parties and similar occasions would become more expensive.

Why the city is doing this

The administration cites the need to increase revenues in order to better maintain the castle and its grounds. Currently, operations bring in around €800,000 a year; with the price increase the town hall expects up to €1.6 million. According to plans, the money is to go into maintenance, security and the organisation of events.

That sounds reasonable at first, but: anyone who has been on the weathered access paths also knows the small construction sites that appear from time to time. Trees, viewpoints, the ticket booth and the signage could use a refresh. Whether the money will be used exactly for that, we will only see when concrete projects are presented.

Reactions on site

At the kiosk next to the car park I heard two pensioners this morning saying, "Four euros is okay, eight is too much for a short walk." A tour guide from Palma replied calmly that visitors still want to see the place — "after all, it's not just a photo spot, but a piece of the city's history." A young father said, "If residents can still enter cheaply, that's a fair compromise."

From the perspective of small businesses in the area, however, the increase could discourage some tourists from making quick stops; that in turn would affect cafés and souvenir stalls that rely on spontaneous visitors.

What happens next

The proposal still has to go through the municipal bodies. Experts expect a vote in the coming months; spring 2026 is being named as a possible start date for the new prices. Until then there will likely be discussions in district assemblies and probably online petitions as well.

Practical tip for visitors: if you plan to go up soon, allow 45 to 90 minutes — including photos, a short break and the stairs. And a small piece of advice to the city: transparent statements about exactly how the additional revenue will be used would significantly ease tensions.

I will continue to follow developments — it is an issue that affects many of us on the island, whether as neighbours, vendors or simply as someone who likes the view from the castle.