Mallorca

Holidays by Destination Europe Spain Mallorca 

Mallorca has been attracting tourists since the middle of the 19th century. Despite its more recent reputation as a cheap and cheerful destination (popular with at least six million arrivals a year), the island can be a real delight. Away from the high rise development which fans out from Palma, there are some long, sandy beaches, charming small towns, an interesting sprinkling of history, and striking hill and mountain scenery (the highest peak 1,445m). Inland are almond, lemon and orange groves, particularly delightful in spring when covered with wild flowers.

Ensuring that the attractive areas remain that way, in 1997 the Balearic government purchased 21 natural parks for recreational purposes, bringing its total to 46.

The government has also grasped that tourists nowadays, even in the resorts, expect more than concrete. An eco-tax across the islands has increased costs for visitors by an average of one euro per person per night. Although tour operators and some hoteliers are grumbling, the islands will almost certainly benefit in the long run as fewer visitors and the investment in improving the quality of the resorts will almost certainly mean a better standard of clientele.

Money is already being spent on making resorts greener, redirecting traffic from the coast, and creating car free areas which are ideal for family strolls. There are also restrictions on new construction. No new hotel rooms can be built unless an equivalent number already in existence are closed.

Outside the resorts there is investment in maintaining traditional skills like ceramics, cloth-making, and the restoration of 120 windmills along with boosting local agriculture. Grants are also available for restoring older buildings - a foreign enthusiasm for this now being adopted by locals.

As a further incentive to visitors, crime rates are reported the lowest in Spain, with levels around half those in the UK.