Nightlife

Palma is packed with bars and dance clubs. Sure, there are some fun hangouts along the island's northern tier, but for a rocking, laser- and strobe-lit club, you'll have to boogie in Palma.

Set directly on the beach, close to a dense concentration of hotels, Tito's, Passeig Marítim (tel. 97-173-00-17; www.titosmallorca.com), charges a cover of 15€ to 18€ ($22-$26), including the first drink. A truly international crowd mingles on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. This club is the most popular, panoramic, and appealing disco on Majorca. If you visit only one nightclub during your time on the island, this should be it. Between June and September, it's open every night of the week from 11pm to at least 6am. The rest of the year, it's open Thursday to Sunday 11pm to 6am.

Bar Barcelona, Carrer Apuntadores 5 (tel. 97-171-35-57), a popular jazz club, evokes its namesake city with its spiral staircase and atmospheric, subdued lighting. Despite its location in the heart of Palma's busiest nightlife area, it attracts a predominantly local crowd that comes to enjoy live jazz every night from 11pm to 3am. There is no cover, and drinks are reasonably priced, making this one of Palma's best values for a night out. It's open Sunday to Thursday 8:30pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday 8:30pm to 3am.

ABACO, Carrer Sant Joan 1 (tel. 97-171-49-39), just might be the most opulently decorated nightclub in Spain -- a cross between a harem and a czarist Russian church. The bar is decorated with a trove of European decorative arts. The place is always packed, with many customers congregating in a beautiful courtyard, which contains exotic caged birds, fountains, more sculpture than the eye can absorb, extravagant bouquets, and hundreds of flickering candles. All this exoticism is enhanced by the lushly romantic music (Ravel's Boléro, at our last visit) piped in through the sound system. Whether you view this as a bar, a museum, or a sociological survey, be sure to go. The bar is open Sunday to Thursday 8pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday 8pm to 3am, from February to December only. Wandering around is free; however, drinks cost 6€ to 11€ ($8.70-$16).

Casino de Mallorca lies on the harborfront promenade at Av. Gabriel Roca 4 (tel. 97-113-00-00; www.casinodemallorca.com). It's the place to go in search of Lady Luck. You'll need a passport -- plus a shirt and tie for men -- to enter and must pay a 4.50€ ($6.55) entrance charge. Inside, you can play American or French roulette, blackjack, or dice, or simply pull the lever on one of the many slot machines. The casino is open daily 5pm to 5am.

One of the most fashionable bars is Es Jaç, Carrer Vallseca 13 (no phone), the creation of fashion designer Miguel Adrover, who could also find work as an interior designer to judge by this chic decor. Even the Egyptian-inspired bathrooms are crowned with birdhouses. It makes a good stopover before dinner; locals order Hierbas, an island-made liqueur. By 11pm or an hour or so later, the joint is usually packed and blasting to the sounds of electronic music.

The best beer hall is Lorien, Carrer de les Caputxines 5 (tel. 97-172-32-02), whose bartenders offer you some 100 different types of beer from some two dozen countries, notably Belgium, Germany, Holland, and England. Ever had beer made from bananas?

On the side of a cliff fronting the bay, Abraxas, Passeig Marítim 42 (tel. 97-145-59-08), is a cavelike club with a crowded dance floor. To escape head for the open-air terrace. The disco balls, the go-go dancers, and the strobes will transport you back to the '60s. Cover ranges from 12€ to 21€ ($17-$30) and includes (depending on the night) one or two drinks. It's open daily 10pm to 6am.

Virtually any bar in Palma is gay-friendly, but totally gay ones lie along Avenida Joan Miró near Plaça Gomila. Bar Flesh, Av. Joan Miró 68 (tel. 97-145-51-46), is aptly named, and the videos flashed on the wall are hot, hot. Even hotter is Black Cat, Av. Joan Miró 75 (no phone), across the street. It is notorious for its basement darkroom. If you're still standing at 3:30am, live shows are often presented, and outrageous theme parties are frequently staged.