Attention drivers: Mallorca roads closed for parade and vintage car rally

Temporary closures in Palma and the countryside: What you should know

If you are traveling today or this weekend with a rental car, the first rule is: stay calm and allow extra time. Because of a military parade for Día de la Hispanidad and the vintage car rally "550 Challenge Mallorca", several central streets in Palma and on the island will be temporarily closed.

Palma: City center affected between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

In the island capital, on Friday, October 10, the old town axes are mainly affected. Among others, Carrer Colom, Plaça de Cort, Carrer del Palau Reial, Conquistador, and Plaça de la Reina are affected. Anyone planning to drive into a parking garage during this window should expect accesses to be closed or heavily slowed. The municipal EMT buses will be diverted and serve other stops than usual.

Vintage car rally brings closures on rural roads

In parallel, the vintage car rally on several routes will cause temporary road closures. On Friday routes such as Santa Margarita–Sineu, Pollença–Lluc, and Coll de Sóller–Palma are marked and temporarily not drivable. Also on Saturday restrictions may still apply. If you have the Tramuntana route or the island interior as a day trip destination, check the map in advance or ask at gas stations for alternative routes.

Practical tips for tourists and locals

A few notes that can save the day: Plan for a buffer of at least 30–60 minutes, use park-and-ride options at the outskirts, or switch to biking or walking if you want to reach the old town. Taxis are often busy on holidays—better call ahead. If you bought bus tickets online: watch for half-hour changes; transport operators continuously update their routes.

Yes, such closures are familiar here. In Palma this happens regularly when official events, sports events, or rallies are on. Annoying but usually well organized. Those who leave early and are not reliant on the highway win time—and nerves.

Stay alert, follow the signs on site, and inform your accommodation if you are expecting guests. And if you still find yourself stuck in traffic today: it’s fine, take it as a local layover—there are worse places to wait than a cup of coffee in the old town.