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Son Vida

PalmaWestern PalmaAbout 15–20 min to the old town

La Lonja & BornLa Bonanova & Gènova Son Vida

Estate agents in Son Vida

223 agencies, listed in two groups: offices nearby first, then others. How we list agents

Palma · Western Palma · 15–20 min to the old town

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1

Offices nearby that cover Son Vida

Based elsewhere in Palma, working in Son Vida. Nearest first.

186 agencies
2

Other agents covering Son Vida

Island-wide agencies and agencies based elsewhere. Nearest first.

37 agencies

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Living here

Son Vida is an exclusive villa estate on wooded hills at the north-western edge of Palma, about 15 to 20 minutes from the cathedral. It grew up from the 1960s around a neo-Gothic castle and the island’s oldest golf course still in use. The appeal is space, privacy and security close to the city and the airport, for buyers happy to drive everywhere.

Son Vida is an official neighbourhood (barri) of Palma, in the western Ponent district, at the eastern end of the Serra de na Burguesa hills above Son Rapinya and Gènova. For centuries it was one of the largest country estates around Palma. The Vida family, who held it for generations, gave it its name; later it passed to the Marquises de la Torre. The land was farmed for olives, carob and almonds below wooded slopes. In 1964 the rest of the estate was divided into building plots, and the first detached villas went up in the 1960s and 70s.

The landmark is the Castell de Son Vida, a neo-Gothic castle built between 1900 and 1905 on the site of the old farmhouse and inspired by the castle of Peralada in Catalonia. It opened as a luxury hotel in June 1961, and Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco stayed there a week later. Golf Son Vida, laid out beside it and opened in 1964, is the oldest course still in play on the island. Two newer 18-hole courses, Son Muntaner and Son Quint, lie alongside, and a second five-star hotel stands by the golf course.

Everyday life is quiet and private, and it depends on a car. Apart from the hotels and golf clubhouses, there are no shops, cafés, schools or health centre inside Son Vida. Roads wind up the hillside, and large plots sit behind high walls and long drives. Supermarkets, pharmacies and other everyday shops are a few minutes down the hill in Son Rapinya and La Vileta. Santa Catalina’s market and the Paseo Marítimo are about 15 minutes away, and Son Espases, the island’s main public hospital, is 10 to 15 minutes. City bus line 7 runs some trips up into Son Vida, but they are infrequent.

There is no beach and no tourist strip, so Son Vida does not get the summer crowds of the coast. Visitors come for the hotels and the golf. Many owners spend only part of the year here, so a lot of houses stand empty for long stretches and the streets are often very quiet. The pine woods that keep the area green have their downsides too. Wild goats come down into gardens, and in dry summers fire is a real risk: four fires were started deliberately here within a month in 2012.

Who buys here

Son Vida has been one of Palma’s most exclusive addresses since it was developed in the 1960s. Owners are a mix of Spanish families and international buyers, and many foreign owners use their houses for only part of the year. Typical buyers want a large house and garden, privacy and a security presence, within easy reach of the city, the airport and western Palma’s international schools. Golfers have three courses close at hand.

Property

Most of the housing is detached villas on large plots. When the estate was laid out in 1964, most plots were around 2,000 square metres, and houses have gone up gradually ever since. The oldest date from the 1960s and 70s, and individually designed architect houses are a big part of the stock. There has been a lot of building in recent years, so ask what is planned on neighbouring plots. Higher plots look out over Palma and the bay; others sit beside the fairways.

Getting around

Approximate times by car, outside rush hour.

  • 15–20min

    Palma old town (Cathedral)Down through Son Rapinya and across the city

  • 20–25min

    Palma airportVia the Ma-20 ring road and the Ma-19

  • 10–15min

    Son Espases hospitalPalma’s main public hospital

  • 10–15min

    Cala Major beachThe nearest beach

  • 15–20min

    Puerto PortalsVia the Ma-20 and the Ma-1

Pros and cons

For

  • Quiet, green and private, with big plots and long views
  • Three 18-hole golf courses around the estate
  • Green Valley School and Queen’s College within 10 minutes
  • Private security on the main entrance, around the clock

Against

  • No shops or schools inside Son Vida, so you need a car
  • Few buses: only some line 7 trips come up the hill
  • Pine woods all around bring a real summer wildfire risk
  • Many houses stand empty for months, so street life is minimal

Questions buyers ask

Is Son Vida a gated community?

Partly. It is an official Palma neighbourhood and a city bus route runs into it, but private security watches the main access road day and night. Burglaries have still been reported over the years, so good alarms and insurance matter.

Can I rent out a house in Son Vida to holidaymakers?

Not with a new licence. Palma already bans holiday lets in flats, and a council vote in May 2026 gave final approval to stopping new ones in houses and villas as well. Licences already legally in place can continue, so have a lawyer check a villa’s licence before you count on rental income.

Where do Son Vida residents go to the beach?

There is no beach in Son Vida. Cala Major is the nearest, about 10 to 15 minutes by car, and the small beaches at Illetes are about 15 to 20 minutes away.

Are there international schools near Son Vida?

None inside the estate, but several are close. Green Valley School on the Camí de la Vileta, which follows the British curriculum and also offers the IB Diploma, is about 5 to 10 minutes away. Queen’s College, a British school above Cala Major, is about 10 minutes.

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