10/07/2014 00:00
TW
0


Problems on Magalluf strip
Dear Sir,
I have just returned to England after spending eight weeks at my apartment, which I have owned since 1976 in Punta Ballena. I have seen lots of changes, some for the better but most for the worse. Magalluf has a beautiful beach and I have a wonderful view over it and the sea. It used to have nice restaurants and bars and was a safe place for all ages. Now it is totally out of control. The behaviour of the clientele now is nothing short of an orgy in the street at night. The beach during the day is very much the same.
The beach attendants have to stack and secure the beds in an attempt to deter damage,  broken beds, beds dumped in the sea, parasols set alight during the night. The next morning, they have to clear all the mess left behind, including the drunks who are still sleeping on the beach. The beach being lit up at night does not deter any activity, in fact one morning at 3.30am it could have been mistaken for 3.30pm because there were so many people on the beach shouting, drinking, eating take away food, cavorting naked in the sea and openly having sex in front of anyone who wanted to watch, which they did! Surely this is not the image that you want to portray of the Newly advertised upmarket Magalluf!
It is impossible to sleep at night because of the constant thudding of the music on the beach or in the street. At 11pm every night, the bar crawl is walked along the promenade chanting and shouting. It is impossible to watch your own TV or listen to your own music or even have a quiet evening on your own balcony with friends.
Heather Hodgson


Dear Sir,
My wife and I have recently returned from Santa Ponsa, a resort we have visited twice annually for many years now. We originally came as a couple with children and now we return on our own to a town and an island we are very fond of.
We may not be the desired millionaire end of the market but we pay our airfares, hotel accommodation and eat out every night followed by drinks in a bar. In fact, we have left a serious amount of money in Majorca over the years.
The reason for this letter is that, of late, we feel we, and others like us, are being taken advantage of by the local authority.  We are not ‘pool people’ and go down to the sea every day where we require two beds and a sun umbrella. That amounts to €13.50 a day which is €182.25 for a 14 day visit and a whopping €364.50 over the two trips. That’s before spending a cent on food or drink!
Because we can afford it, we still return, for the time being at least, but it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. But, if we turned the clock back and were visiting with our three children, it would cost us €31.50 a day for five beds and two umbrellas. It is much too much and really just a sneaky way of raising revenue.
I suspect such hidden costs are turning families against Majorca in a serious way and the authorities don’t even know it because the drop is being masked by arrivals from new markets such as Eastern Europe. Incidentally, there is a second downturn to the situation because, this year, we noticed more and more people sitting in between the fixed umbrellas on towels, stools and inflatables making it uncomfortable and over crowded for the people who do pay.
Yours etc
Name withheld by request