Over the past several months, there have been numerous reports concerning illegal parties, many of them in rented villas. The nightlife association, Abone, stated earlier this week that its members were “sick and tired” of seeing adverts for these parties and demanded that the Balearic government does something about them.
The association has every right to be annoyed, given that clubs are closed because of Covid restrictions. Some will argue that a solution would be to allow nightlife to reopen. There then wouldn’t be these illegal parties. The connection is a legitimate one, but I’m not convinced that the parties would stop. The same argument about reopening nightlife is made regarding the street “botellón”, and I’m likewise not convinced by this either.
That’s because the botellón and parties in villas occurred without Covid restrictions. The botellón in particular has been around for years, regardless of clubs being open.
Nevertheless, the restrictions will have increased the temptation for villa parties and for a further ratcheting-up of “illegality”, as the Abone association has said. The illegality lies with Covid measures regarding limits on social gatherings after 1am, but there is additional illegality in respect of, say, licensing. If people pay to go to these parties, then there is a clear breach.
At the end of June, the Federation of Tourist Holiday Stays, whose registered properties have an ETV plaque, urged the government to withdraw the rental licences from any owner who directly organise parties. That’s an approach, and it would apply with or without Covid measures.
The federation has also pointed out that there are parties when the owner has no idea that they’re taking place. The police can’t do anything about them, says its president Jordí Cerdó. But with Covid, the police can act if measures are being contravened, and this action is against anyone attending these parties as well as organisers.
And so it was the other day when Pollensa police were notified of a “crowded” party that was taking place at a rented villa on the Camí Llenaire (also known as Cal Xino). It was three in the morning. The police went and were met with a refusal to leave the premises - a refusal from all those attending (around forty). The Guardia Civil were called and they and the local police waited for people to eventually leave. All of them will be fined.
There was a similar situation at a property in Alcudia some months back. The police and Guardia simply waited at the gates. On that occasion, it seems as if those attending were local. This wasn’t the case with the party in Pollensa.
They were from the mainland, and this particular party wasn’t an isolated case; there have been others, and the partygoers have been “national holidaymakers”. Cue, it has to be said, for a good deal of indignation in Pollensa.
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There are so many indications that tell me that the days of Mallorca as a decent family holiday destination are over. The yobs in Magaluf, the sewage on the beaches, the illegal parties are just a few of the symptoms of decline. So much could have been done over the past 10 years to take it up a level. What a missed opportunity. Under investment and grabbing money today is about to bite the backside very hard. Goodbye Mallorca, hello hell.