Palma 07011 Welcome to the island of calm · Santiago Rusiñol’s Castell del Rei (1902-03)...

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Palma 07011LONDON FAIR SPECIAL

Welcome to the island of calm

Majorca: the ideal place for your holiday throughout the year

Spotlight on Calvia and all it has to offer

JET2 JUST LOVES MAJORCA : SEE INSIDE

Full interview with Chief Executive

LONDON FAIR2 MAJORCA DAILY BULLETIN SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

The beauty of Majorca through the eyes of artists, writers and historical figuresby Andrew Ede

THE ISLAND OF CALMPosters and postcards, commissioned works: these showed an island in an era when there was a yearning for calm.

J osé de Vargas Ponce was a senior of-ficer in the Spanish Navy. He was important enough to have had his portrait painted by Francisco de

Goya in 1805. Vargas was more than just a navy man. Politician, historian and writer, he visited Majorca in 1784 when he was 24. He established local contacts, one of these having been Antoni Despuig, later Cardinal Despuig, who in 1785 was responsible for a map of Majorca, the most accurate that had been made.

With the help of these contacts, Vargas was to publish a work in 1787. Its title was “Descriptions of the Pityusic and Balearic Is-lands”. Students of Majorca’s history point to this work having been the first to supply a real insight into the islands. At the time, foreigners - including the main-land Spanish - knew relatively little about the Balearics. Vargas has thus been attrib-uted with having originated the islands’ tourism.

This claim may come as a surprise. Dis-cussions of tourism typically ignore the eighteenth century. As for the nineteenth century, they usually extend no further than citing the names of Frédéric Chopin, George Sand and the Austrian Archduke Louis Salvador, all three of them associ-ated with the Tramuntana Mountains of

Santiago Rusiñol’s Castell del Rei (1902-03) painting.

Majorca and with renowned buildings such as the Charterhouse and Miramar monastery in Valldemossa. Important

though they were, there were others who started to introduce Majorca and the Bale-arics to a European and global public.

Formentor. PHOTO: MDB FILES

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LONDON FAIR 3SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTMAJORCA DAILY BULLETINSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018


THE INTRODUCTION OF MAJORCA

Vargas had been the initiator. He was swiftly followed by the French illustrator André Grasset de Saint Sauveur and the Spanish writer and politician Gaspar Mel-chor de Jovellanos, who was imprisoned at the Charterhouse and at Bellver Castle in Palma but was able to draw on this ex-perience in writing about both of them. Later, there were to be English writers - Charles Toll Bidwell and Charles William Wood - but the real breakthrough for Ma-jorca can arguably be dated to 1893. In that year a painter from Barcelona by the name of Santiago Rusiñol first visited Ma-jorca. His influence was to be profound.

Rusiñol spent two months in Majorca in 1893. As well as painting, he wrote a series of articles, “Desde una Isla” (From an Is-land), that appeared in one of Spain’s lead-ing newspapers, “La Vanguardia”. These

articles were almost poetic in their de-scriptions, and they were to inspire a book that was published in 1912 and repub-lished ten years later - “La Isla de la Calma”.

The island of calm was a place of peace, tranquility and serenity; a place of stun-ning natural beauty; a place of light. These attributes were to attract painters who followed Rusiñol’s lead. It was the work of these painters, principally from Catalonia and Central and South America, which was to truly open up Majorca to a world audience. Posters and postcards, commis-sioned works: these showed an island in an era when there was a yearning for calm. Majorca had been a place for escape from war. In the aftermath of war, it was to be the place to which, for example, the poet and writer Robert Graves escaped.

The island of calm has of course under-gone fundamental change over the 106

years since Rusiñol’s book first appeared. But alongside the bustle of resorts, the elevation of Palma into a major league of European cities and the inevitable and necessary infrastructure for services and transport, the calmness, the peace, the tranquility, the natural beauty and the light remain.

This is why so many choose Majorca as a place for escape - to live, to work, to take holidays.

The island of calm holds true, even more so because of a reclaiming that has oc-curred and is occurring of the virtues that Rusiñol had recognised and which, while not totally forgotten during the years of intensive tourism development, had nev-ertheless appeared to have been relegated to the background.

And this revindication of calmness ex-tends beyond the landscapes and sea-scapes of Majorca to the island’s culture and traditions and even to cities ...

Left: The stairs of Raixa, above: Puerto Soller and below: Bunyola painted by Rusiñol.

b And this revindication of calmness extends beyond the landscapes and seascapes of Majorca to the island’s culture and traditions and even to cities ...

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Santiago Rusiñol.

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La Cartuja in Valldemossa. Above: Portrait of Ruben Darío. PHOTO: BULLETIN FILES

The Gold of Majorca ● As well as the painters - Rusiñol, Her-

men Anglada Camarasa, Francisco Ber-nareggi, Tito Cittadini, Joaquim Mir, Rob-erto Montenegro, Joaquín Sorolla and others - there were the writers and poets. The Nicaraguan Rubén Darío was one of these. He came to Majorca on three occa-sions, always during the winter months. Like others before him, the Charterhouse in Valldemossa was to be inspiring. “La Cartuja” (“La Cartoixa” in Catalan) was one of the most representative symbols of Majorca; it still is. Set in the dramatic landscape of what is now a World Heri-tage Site (the Tramuntana range), the Charterhouse rivalled Palma Cathedral as the magnet for Majorca’s first tourists.

Darío found Majorca to be a paradise. His stays in 1906 and 1907 were apparently ones when he felt his greatest happiness. He returned in 1913 and wrote his poem “La Cartuja”, which ends with the line “and the silence and the peace of La Car-tuja”. Darío also wrote a novel - “El Oro de Mallorca” (“The Gold of Majorca”). Semi-autobiographical, and partly written while he was staying at the Charterhouse, it is replete with references to the para-dise island he had discovered. He wrote of Palma: “The miracle bay of sweet Palma, whose cathedral, amidst the twilight, over this violet city and as on an altar, burns like a flaming sun.”

In this one sentence, Darío alluded to magical elements of Majorca that had drawn the painters to the island and which were beginning to entice tourists. The light, the colours, the sun: the quali-ties that were to be captured on canvas and with oils. The colour gold,

more than any other, defined

Majorca. Others characterised the island as golden. Miquel dels Sants Oliver, a jour-nalist who was as instrumental as anyone in fostering tourism, entitled a 1906 arti-cle “Golden Island”. The Basque writer Miguel de Unamuno published “En la Isla

Dorada” (”On the Golden Is-

He returned in 1913 and wrote his poem “La Cartuja”, which ends with the line “and the silence and the peace of La Cartuja”. Darío also wrote a novel - “El Oro de Mallorca” (“The Gold of Majorca”).

land”) in 1922. Four years later, the Minorcan Mario Verdaguer penned “The Is-land of Gold”. In 1928, Palma’s Gabriel Alomar used the same title, and in 1933 Josep Maria Tous, also from Palma, produced “A Guide to the Island of Gold”.

Around the time that Tous was compiling his work, an Ibizan caricatur-ist, painter and writer was

taking an interest in a part of Majorca that had not been

on the itineraries of tourists be-

tween the world wars.

Those tour-ists had

taken ex-cur-

sions to Vall-

demossa, to Soller, to Formentor, to the Caves of Drach. The southeastern corner of the island had nothing to particularly commend it, other than strikingly simple natural wonder.

Josep Costa Ferrer, also Picarol and later Don Pep, had produced a publication in 1929 that was called “Guía Gráfica de Mal-lorca: Sus Bellazas Naturales” (A Graphical Guide to Majorca: Its Natural Beauties). It contained some 400 photographs. Costa Ferrer was enchanted by Majorca, and he had got to know an Argentine poet, Adan Diehl, who had founded the Hotel For-mentor. Diehl’s vision of a sort of literary and artistic haven (which was to ulti-mately prove to be a financial disaster where he was concerned) captured Costa Ferrer’s imagination. He envisaged some-thing similar, but rather than choose For-mentor, which had been his original in-tention, he discovered somewhere on the other side of the island. When he stum-bled across it, he realised he had found his own paradise, and the cost to buy land was around 2.5% of the vast price Diehl had shelled out for Formentor.

Platja de Ses Dones (Ladies’ Beach), Cala d’Hort (Orchard Cove) was what Costa Ferrer had found. He was to re-name it Cala d’Or - the Gold Cove.

b Platja de Ses Dones (Ladies’ Beach), Cala d’Hort (Orchard Cove) was what Costa Ferrer had found. He was to rename it Cala d’Or - the Gold Cove.

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Around the same time as Costa Ferrer was founding his Gold Cove and Ber-nareggi was capturing the coves of San-tanyi, another Austrian was making his mark. Erwin Hubert had been the Arch-duke Louis Salvador’s secretary, but it was as a painter that he was to become re-nowned.

on and off until his death in 1959. Ini-tially, Bernareggi had trod a similar path to other painters, to Soller and to Sa Calo-bra with its stunning portal of cliffs re-vealing the cove and the Torrent de Pareis. In Santanyi he was in Majorcan land that was to boast Costa Ferrer’s Gold Cove ha-ven.

Along the coast from Cala d’Or is Cala Figuera. It was here that Bernareggi was to capture the essence of the tranquil Ma-jorcan coast. A painting called “Cala Figuera” sparkled with the colours of the island - blues, greens, violets, yellows and golds. He has been acknowledged with having opened the door to other artists who went to this corner of Majorca and with making Santanyi an artistic centre to complement those that had been de-veloped on the other side of the island in Deya and Pollensa. He was to speak of finding “harmonies in the water” at Cala Figuera. Harmonious, peaceful and calm.

Above: Paintings by Erwin Hubert - Palma from Santa Catalina and below: Sa Fora-dada.

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The Harmonies of Water

● Rusiñol’s island of calm took him to

the Castell del Rei in Pollensa, to the small fishing port of Soller, to the Mira-mar monastery, to the Charterhouse, to the Raixa finca in Bunyola. He and the other painters focused mainly on the mountains and on Palma, but not exclu-sively so. One who bucked the trend was the Argentine Francisco Bernareggi.

He had first arrived in Majorca in 1903. His parents had a villa in what was then a suburb of Palma - El Terreno. In 1919, he moved to Santanyi. He was to live there

Above: View of the port of Cala Figuera. Inset: Painting by Bernareggi of Cala Figuera.

b He has been acknowledged with having opened the door to other artists who went to this corner of Majorca and with making Santanyi an artistic centre to complement those that had been developed on the other side of the island in Deya and Pollensa.

Hubert’s images were drenched in the same colours of blues, violets, greens, yellows and golds.

Francisco Bernareggi.



He had come to Majorca in 1904. Following the death of the Archduke in 1915, he was to return to the island, settling permanently in 1920. It was then that he truly dedicated himself to a passion for painting and a passion for Majorca. In the years immediately prior to the Civil War, there was a frenzy of tourism promotion. Hubert was to be central to this, and he argua-bly became the most important of all the painters. The Majorca Tourist Board published books about the is-land, and it was Hubert who supplied much of the imagery - Sa Foradada, the outcrop that can be seen from the Son Marroig estate in Deya that the Archduke had acquired; the port in Soller; Cala Mayor when it was still an unspoiled and rocky cove; Palma and the Cathedral. Hubert’s images were drenched in the same colours of blues, violets, greens, yellows and golds.

The Sun of Majorca

● This capturing of Majorca’s im-

agery was by no means the sole pre-serve of foreign-ers. Joan O’Neille has been de-scribed as the “impulsor”, the driving force be-hind what was to come when Ru-siñol and others arrived. In 1858 he had been ap-pointed the sec-retary general of the Provincial Academy of Fine Arts. He was to later be the vice-president of the Provincial Com-mission for Balearic Monu-ments.

O’Neille’s sub-jects were varied. They included pastoral land-scapes, romantic interpretations of Majorca’s inte-rior. One exam-ple is a country-side scene in Si-neu. Another, he simply called “Landscape”. There was Anto-nio Ribas with, for instance, “Tornada de la Pe-sca”, the catch be-ing brought onto land, a represen-tation of a simple fishermen’s past; and there was Ri-card Anckermann with a nine-teenth-century beach scene at El Molinar in Palma.

Almost a hundred years after O’Neille’s appointment as secretary general, an artist from Barcelona took up permanent residence in Palma. He had been to Majorca as a child and had in fact married in the city in 1929 be-fore moving to Paris. He was Joan Miró. His wife was Pilar Juncosa. Miró

in effect became an adopted son of Palma and of Majorca.

His associations with cultural and business life were to lead to his in-volvement with the Majorca Tourist

Board. In 1973, to tie in with the Abta conference in Palma, a work was unveiled. The announcement went: “On the oc-casion of the Abta conference, aware of the im-portance it has for our island, the celebrated artist Joan Miró is dem-onstrating once again his love for Majorca. He has made this ges-ture, for which we cannot thank him enough, in gifting to us one of his paintings named ‘Sol de Mal-lorca’.”

Within months, the painting was being reproduced and used as post-ers. Stylistically it was greatly re-moved from the impressionism of Rusiñol and the earlier painters, but in its essence it drew on the same virtues. Miró had drawn inspiration from the same light of the island that had attracted those painters. The light, the sun and innate calm-ness.

Miró in effect became an adopted son of Palma and of Majorca. His associations with cultural and business life were to lead to his involvement with the Majorca Tourist Board.


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b Joan O’Neille has been described as the “impulsor”, the driving force behind what was to come when Rusiñol and others arrived.

Above: Painting by Antonio Ribas. Below: Richard Anckermann “El Molinar.”

Above: Landscape painting by Joan O’Neille.

Above: painter Joan Miro. Below. his painting named Sol de Mallorca.



● ADDRESS Carretera Deya-Soller s/n ● OPENING HOURS November-March: Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm (last visit 3.20pm); Saturday 9am to 2pm (last visit 1.20pm). During December and early January owing to vacations, Monday to Friday 10.30am to 1.30pm; closed at week-ends and on public holidays. (Please check nearer the time.) April-October: Monday to Friday 10am-5pm (last visit 4.20pm); Saturday 10am-3pm (last visit 2.20pm). ● WEBSITE www.lacasaderobertgraves.org

Casa Robert Graves, Deya

b Just a few of Majorca’s attractions related to artists, writers and historical figures...

● OPENING HOURS November (and February): 9.30am to 5.30pm; Sunday 10am to 1pm. December-January: 9.30am to 3.30pm; Sunday closed. March (and October): 9.30am to 6pm; Sunday 10am to 1pm. April-September: 9.30am to 7pm; Sunday 10am to 1pm. Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. ● WEBSITE www.visitvalldemossa.com

Charterhouse, Valldemossa● ADDRESS C. Joan de Saridakis 29 ● OPENING HOURS From 16 September to 15 May: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm; Sunday and public holidays, 10am to 3pm; Mon-day closed. From 16 May to 15 September: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 7pm; Sunday and public holidays, 10am to 3pm; Mon-day closed. Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. ● WEBSITE www.miromallorca.com

Fundación Pilar y Joan Miró, Palma

● OPENING HOURS November-March: Monday to Saturday 9am to 4.45pm. April-October: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.45pm. ● WEBSITE www.visitvalldemossa.com.

Miramar Monastery, Valldemossa

● ADDRESS Carretera Palma-Soller km. 12.2. ● OPENING HOURS All year: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-3pm. Telephone: 971 237 636.

Raixa Finca, Bunyola

● OPENING HOURS Tourist visits - November to March: Monday to Friday 10am to 3.15pm. Saturday and public holidays 10am to 2.15pm. April to May / October: Monday to Friday 10am to 5.15pm. Saturday and public holidays 10am to 2.15pm. June to September: Monday to Friday 10am to 6.15pm. Saturday and public holidays 10am to 2.15pm. ● WEBSITE www.catedraldemallorca.org

Palma Cathedral

● OPENING HOURS November-March: Monday to Saturday 9.30am-6pm. April-October: Monday to Saturday 9.30am-7.30pm. ● WEBSITE www.sonmarroig.com.

Son Marroig Estate, Deya


SPOTLIGHT On Calvia, the municipalityof tourism

b Our area includes Magalluf, Santa Ponsa , El Toro, Paguera, Illetas, Portals Nous and Palmanova.

b “For a number of years Magalluf has been viewed as a party resort, but over the past two to three years, people have come to see and appreciate Magalluf as an example of how a resort can be transformed into a quality destination....” Mayor Alfonso Rodriguez b The positive performance can be seen in the fact that hotel occupancy

has risen this year by three per cent. Hoteliers have been able to keep establishments open for longer and the prospects for this winter - November to March - are excellent in that there will be

even more beds available. b The transformation of Magalluf that was set in motion by the Meliá Group in 2011 has led to a change in the profile of the resort’s tourists.


CALVIA- INTERVIEW WITH THE MAYOR ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ

CALVIA: the best destination in the Mediterranean

B ULLETIN deputy editor Hum-phrey Carter talks to the mayor of Calvia, Alfonso Rodriguez about the season and their fu-

ture plans.

Question. — There have been some very bold and positive new developments in Calvia’s hotel infrastructure this year, just how important have they been and what effect are they having on the re-sort? Answer. — It is extremely important be-cause improving and upgrading the infra-structure and hotels in the resorts, in par-ticular Magalluf and Palmanova, means that over 60 percent of the hotel beds are four or five star category and that helps to increase the overall quality of the resorts.

Q. — What further developments can we look forward to in Calvia? A. — All of the resorts, not only Magalluf and Palmanova, but Portals, Paguera, Santa Ponsa, Illetas are making a concerted effort to improve the overall quality of their infra-structure, their hotels and the quality of the products and services provided while adapt-ing all these to meet the demand of the cli-ents and the tourist industry in general in the 21st century.

Q. — How does the investment being made by the private sector tie in with Calvia’s overall tourism plan and what is the plan for 2019? A. — The overall plan for Calvia has, and is, to respect the environment and the coun-tryside while also bringing a stop to any fur-ther development along our coastline while improving and upgrading existing build-ings so that all of the people who come and visit the municipality can enjoy Calvia’s magnificent coastline.

Q. — How is Calvia’s image changing, is it being looked at in a more positive light overseas, in particular in the United Kingdom? A. — Without a doubt. For a number of years Magalluf has been viewed as a party resort, but over the past two to three years, people have come to see and appreciate Ma-galluf as an example of how a resort can be transformed into a quality destination. The industry is looking and studying Magalluf to see just how a long standing resort can be transformed into a modern quality destina-tion.

Q. — This year the council has been working closer than ever with the Brit-ish government, what have been the main issues and what are the solutions moving forward? A. — The work which has been carried out with the British Consulate for residents in the municipality and holiday makers has been fundamentally based on communica-tion. This year we have made a great effort

b “It is a municipality which is open for business and offers mountains, a magnificent coastline, winter and summer tourism, sport, well-being, culture, natural heritage and of course, sun and beaches.”

“For a number of years Magalluf has been viewed as a party resort, but over the past two to three years, people have come to see and appreciate Magalluf as an example of how a resort can be transformed into a quality destination.”

LONDON FAIR SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT 15MAJORCA DAILY BULLETINSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018

CALVIA- INTERVIEW WITH THE MAYOR ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ

to explain to visitors to Magalluf and Cal-via in general that it is a destination to have fun, but there are certain rules and regula-tions which have to be respected. It is not a free for all. We want to have control over the parties and the activities of young peo-ple and the police have been working hard on cracking down on anti social behaviour and in getting this message across we have been cooperating closely with the British Consulate.

Q. — Has there been a return of the fam-ily holiday market? A. — Yes, there certainly has. Some five or six years ago , over 30 percent of tourists coming to Magalluf, for example, were young people and according to the latest statistics for this year, that figure has shrunk to 17 percent and that deficit in the market has been filled by an increase in adult and family tourists who appreciate the redevelopment of Magalluf and value it is as a quality resort where young people can still come and have fun but under con-trol and that the resort is safe.

Q. — Magalluf has suffered a problem-atic summer, how can problems such as balcony deaths be tackled? A. — After a number of years of a substan-tial reduction in these kinds of incidents we were extremely surprised and saddened by the sudden increase in the number of these tragic and unfortunate incidents at the start of the season which led to the death of one holiday maker. We have been working closely with the health service, the local po-lice and various authorities and it has been confirmed that in nearly 100 percent of these terrible incidents, excess alcohol is to blame and we don’t want to be a destination which is visited by young people who die in such an absurd manner.

Q. — Calvia continues to be Spain’s sin-gle most popular holiday destination, how does the council intend to main-tain that momentum in the face of com-petition from Greece and Turkey, for ex-ample? A. — Quality, that is our main market strat-egy and Calvia offers excellent value for money. We know that there are other des-tinations which have lots to offer at very competitive prices but we have the advan-tage of offering quality infrastructure and

hotels in a beautiful environment and that is how we must differentiate ourselves from the others.

Q. — What makes Calvia so special and different to other destinations? A. — To start with, Calvia has over 40 years of experience in the tourist industry. But it also has great diversity, the mountains, the beaches, it is close to Palma and the airport and above all, its wonderful natural sur-roundings, its marvelous well cared for beaches. The municipality has some 34 quality beaches with excellent bathing wa-ter and this is what makes Calvia unique.

Q. — Some local resort businesses have complained of a poor season, how would you sum up the summer? A. — This season we have enjoyed an ex-tremely high occupancy level, tourists have continued to confide and believe in Calvia. We do want to see all of the tourist indus-try benefiting from this, be it hotels, restau-rants, bars, retailers and attractions and our objective is to improve the quality of all the various sectors of the tourist industry so that everybody benefits.

Q. — With regards to winter tourism, what is Calvia’s plan and are more ho-tels staying open? A. — This year we are fortunately going to enjoy having many more hotels staying open throughout the winter and others ei-ther closing much later than normal or opening much earlier, in February for ex-ample. We also have a lot of events being held in hotels in Magalluf, Palmanova and Paguera, another important resort for Cal-via, and other activities because Calvia has much more to offer than just sun and beaches. We have a very varied offer of ru-ral tourism, the mountains, sport, we have a lot to offer in mid and low season and year on year, more and more visitors appreciate that.

Q. — Are there concerns about rising ho-tel rates? A. — To be honest, we don’t think so be-cause the upgrading of the hotels, the im-provement of the overall infrastructure in Calvia obviously makes the resorts more profitable. The relationship between qual-ity and cost, the value for money which Cal-via’s tourist industry is unbeatable in the Mediterranean.

Q. — Calvia has become an important and popular sporting destination with international rugby, tennis and football tournaments being held every year. How important is the sport and activity market? A. — It is an important market which en-ables us to decentralise the season and what Calvia has to offer. We are the leading des-tination for sun and beach holidays but sport provides us with a platform to offer visitors an alternative to traditional beach holidays throughout the year, be it football, rugby, tennis, hiking, cycling, golf, all of these activities can be enjoyed in Calvia and we have excellent facilities and specialist hotels which are capable of catering for all the various needs of sportsmen and women who are looking for a destination to enjoy and practice sport in an idyllic environment with an ideal climate.

Q. — With regards to security, would Calvia like to see more support from central government, in particular more police? A. — It is true, a municipality which has to cope with its population multiplying by nearly four during the summer would like to have more support from central govern-ment and state police but citizen security in Calvia is guaranteed, our residents and visitors are extremely safe and that is an-other factor which differentiates us from other destinations in Europe.

Q. — Next year is there going to be a ban on party boats and stricter controls on the availability of alcohol in the all in-clusive resorts? A. — We have already started controlling vessels, in particular off the coast of Magal-luf, as part of a crackdown on party boats be-cause these activities are a throw back to the old type of tourism which is based on

the abuse of free or extremely cheap alcohol which damages our image as a quality des-tination and the relaxed atmosphere of the resort, and this is why we are pushing ahead with measures to control access to alcohol in bars, restaurants and of course in hotels.

Q. — How have tourists reacted to the tourist tax? A. — I think tourists are beginning to un-derstand that it is a tax which benefits the destination and enables us to provide them with the services and quality which they are looking for over the coming years when they come to visit. It is a tax which will en-able us to manage natural resources better such as water, improve waste collection and treatment, enhance the infrastructure and transport and more importantly protect and preserve the environment for future generations and I think that most tourists embrace the fact that they are playing an important role by paying tax in looking af-ter our wonderful and unique landscape.

Q. — How do you envisage Calvia in ten years time? A. — Within the next ten years, Calvia would have completed this second renova-tion we are currently undertaking to ensure maximum quality and maintain our posi-tion as a leading tourist destination in the Mediterranean. But, not only are we con-cerned about maximum quality and value for money but we are transforming our-selves into a smart destination so we can not only provide tourists with more infor-mation but also have a much better dia-logue with them so we can learn more about what they are looking for, what they want, need and expect when they come here so that we can respond and react as quickly as possible.

Q. — What is your message to the global tourist industry at the World Travel Mar-ket? A. — I think the world knows Calvia as a leading tourist destination and appreciates its experience and know how, the quantity and quality of its various resorts and that it is a municipality which is open for business and offers mountains, a magnificent coast-line, winter and summer tourism, sport, well-being, culture, natural heritage and of course, sun and beaches. This is Calvia.

“The municipality has some 34 quality beaches with excellent bathing water and this is what makes Calvia unique.”


MAGALLUF - THE TRANSFORMATION CONTINUES

by Andrew Ede

T he Palmanova-Magalluf ho-teliers association provides ten per cent of hotel bed supply in Majorca. Annual performance in

the resorts is therefore indicative of the general situation on the island and of market trends.

Magalluf in particular has undergone significant change. This was initiated seven years ago through projects that Meliá Hotels International had for its es-tablishments. Other hotel chains fol-lowed, while Calvia town hall has im-proved the general infrastructure and has further plans for a remodelling of the re-sort. It is all about modernisation, in-creasing competitiveness and adapting to new demands and challenges. It has been and still is a considerable undertaking. As with other resorts in Majorca, both Pal-manova and Magalluf are “mature”, the products of development that first started - in the case of Palmanova - be-fore the Second World War but which really commenced in the 1950s.

Against a background in 2018 of revived competition from Mediterranean desti-nations that had suffered from insecu-rity and consequent setbacks to their tourism economies, Magalluf’s perform-ance has been positive. This can be attrib-uted to the efforts made in repositioning

the resort. There had been, it was ac-cepted, a fall in quality and an erosion of image and reputation. The focus was therefore placed on reaffirming a com-mitment to the family and adult markets; on setting in motion a process of tourism diversification, such as conferences and sports; on modernising hotels and the complementary offer of restaurants, shops and nightlife; and on improving se-curity, coexistence between holidaymak-ers and residents, and ultimately the im-age.

As part of the diversification objective and in line with Balearic government

strategy for lengthening the season and easing the strain on the peak summer months, Magalluf is now operating on a nine months a year basis.

Performance in 2018

The positive performance can be seen in the fact that hotel occupancy has risen this year by three per cent. Hoteliers have been able to keep establishments open for longer and the prospects for this win-ter - November to March - are excellent in that there will be ever more beds avail-able. In certain instances there is now 365 days a year opening. This is the case with the Fergus Style Palmanova and Me-liá’s Calvia Beach The Plaza.

In 2019, prices will remain the same or could be lower. For hoteliers this does mean an issue with profits, but this is not only related to price. On the cost side, ho-tel staff salaries will rise a further five per cent.

The collective bargaining agreement for the sector (applicable across Majorca) was for a 17% increase over four years: 2018 was the first of these years, and there has been a five per cent rise this year. Profits may be affected, but the hotelier sector in Majorca was proactive in proposing salary increases that were above what either un-ions or the regional government had ex-pected or called for.

The modernisation of hotels means that 66% are now either four or five star. This compares very favourably with a Major-can average of 27%. From a total of 30,000 hotel places in Palmanova and Magalluf, only 4,000 have yet to be sub-ject to modernisation. Once work is started on these, the four and five star categories will rise above 70% within the next two years, a percentage that out-strips the Spanish average as well as Ma-jorca’s.

Meliá’s Calvia Beach The Plaza. PHOTO: BULLETIN FILES

b Against a background in 2018 of revived competition from Mediterranean destinations that had suffered from insecurity and consequent setbacks to their tourism economies, Magalluf’s performance has been positive.

MAGALLUFTHE CONTINUING TRANSFORMATION OF

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17


past. It was perhaps symbolic that the fi-nal holiday party for Club 18-30 before it ceased operations was in Magalluf at the end of last month.

It was though the curtain was being closed on that part of the resort’s history, and ongoing initiatives will further seek to make young people’s tourism an expe-rience with far greater quality and re-spect. From next summer, “booze cruises” won’t be allowed to dock at the pier in Magalluf.

At the same time as there has been a re-duction in an unwelcome minority, the family, adult couple and senior markets have all grown. These have also been char-acterised by a more dynamic and cosmo-politan mix. Magalluf was always British and will always be British, but a depend-ency on specific markets can bring disad-vantages.

The percentage of British tourism is now around 45%, an improved distribution of nationalities having been aided by more visitors from central Europe and indeed from mainland Spain.

Modernising Magalluf’s services

Over recent years, hoteliers have in-vested some 380 million euros in improv-ing the quality of their establishments. Calvia town hall’s efforts in modernising infrastructure are continuing. New ones will include the athletics track and spe-cific streets, such as Martin Ros Garcia. Coming to the top of the agenda now is the complementary offer, and once more Meliá have been to the fore.

Calvia Beach The Plaza is complemented by the Momentum Plaza, a commercial centre with high-quality restaurants and shops that will be open all year. Local resi-dents as well as visitors have in the past lamented the lack of facilities in the low season. These are now being addressed, and the welcome that has already given to the Momentum Plaza is indicative of how much residents and visitors want Magal-luf to build on recent successes in trans-formation. It is most certainly evidence of a more sustainable model of higher qual-ity for the resort.

The changing profile of tourist

The transformation of Magalluf that was set in motion by Meliá in 2011 has led to a change in the profile of the resort’s tour-ists. The strategy of transformation can therefore be said to be succeeding, as a key aspect of it was this change in profile. No one denies that there are still issues in the resort with youthful drunkenness and bad behaviour, but the incidents are well down, while the local police have been stamping down and pursuing a pol-icy of zero tolerance.

In this year alone, there was a decrease of five per cent (to 16.95% of total tourist numbers) in the youth market. It needs stressing that this market is still very wel-come, but it is one for which there has been a new emphasis on quality that is re-moved from the “booze” tourism of the

Opening day of Momentum Plaza.

b “Magalluf was always British and will always be British, but a dependency on specific markets can bring disadvantages.”

Left: View of Magalluf beach. Right: Official opening of the Fergus Style Palmanova with authority figures including the Major of Calvia, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal (C).

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

MAGALLUF - THE TRANSFORMATION CONTINUES

Fergus Style Palmanova renovated.


CALVIA - SMART TOURISM DESTINATION PROJECT

C alvia is one of 38 places in Spain which form the net-work of smart tourism desti-nations. Under the auspices of the national ministry for eco-nomic affairs and business,

Calvia’s proposal was rated second highest by the evaluation committee. As with other destinations, Calvia will receive state funding for implementing a project that places it at the vanguard in intelligent solutions. The national agency Segittur is responsible for the management of inno-vative tourism technologies, and it will guide the programme and provide a forum for best practice and the sharing of knowl-edge.

Key to the Calvia Smart Tourism Desti-nation project will be an intelligent mu-nicipal and tourism “observatory”. This will provide a platform for the manage-ment of Big Data, the objectives of which will be to improve tourist and resident ex-periences and enhance energy and envi-ronmental sustainability. Decision-mak-ing at municipal level will be greatly as-sisted by the data analysis that will now be available.

Information generated by visitors is core to the feedback required to improve serv-ices, and so an “intelligent tourism office” is being created. This will mean tourist in-formation offices in Calvia having infor-mation screens, videowalls and digital sup-port facilities with sensors to quantify vis-its to the offices. There will otherwise be fourteen specific actions, such as informa-tion “totems” by beaches that will give in-formation about services that are relevant to visitors; smartphone recharging points; and touch screens with information.

For the environment, there are to be in-telligent buoys at the seven beaches which attract the most visitors. These will, for in-stance, give information about water qual-

ity. Video surveillance cameras will moni-tor any illegal spills at twenty strategic points on Calvia’s coast. Sixty acoustic sensors in different parts of the municipal-ity will create an online map of decibel levels and be able to determine if there is noise pollution.

A further aspect of the project will be an app for managing the hiring-out of beach sunloungers and parasols.

In all, 4.07 million euros are being in-vested in the Calvia scheme.

Separate to this, Calvia is one of four European destinations involved in a pilot project for electric mobility. Under the complicated title of Smart-taylored L-cate-gory electric vehicle demonstration in hetherogeneous urban use-cases (STEVE), it is a scheme for electric bicycles that is funded by the European Commission.

This year’s congress with Calvia’s Mayor Alfonso Rodriguez, President of the Balearic Government Francina Armengol and President of the Council of Mallorca Miquel Ensenyat.

Key to the Calvia Smart Tourism Destination project will be an intelligent municipal and tourism “observatory”.

CALVIA SMART TOURISM


page special on the success story of leading British travel firm.

b “Our customers love Majorca and so do we. That is why we have such a huge programme to the island. I could enthuse about Majorca all day long, and so could our customers. Great nightlife, rich culture, stunning countryside, towering mountains, fantastic resorts, gorgeous beaches, incredible cuisine, brilliant activities… I could go on and on.” b “With flights and holidays from all nine

of our UK bases, Majorca is one of our key

destinations as we know how much customers love the island’s natural beauty, beaches, coastline and fantastic resorts. In response to that, we are not just planning to expand; we are expanding - in Summer and in Winter – and by a significant amount too,” Steve Heapy Chief Executive. See full interview on pages 22 and 23

b “Over 3,000 jobs have been up for grabs across the UK and Europe in a variety of positions and the response in Majorca, where 250 new members of staff are being taken on, was overwhelming with hundreds of people attending their recruitment day at the Palma Aquarium.” See pages 24 and 25

BIG RECRUITMENT DRIVE IN MAJORCA

BIG PLANS FOR MAJORCA ALL YEAR ROUND

BIG ON MAJORCA8


JET2 - INTERVIEW

J ET2 is a company which is fly-ing high. Bulletin editor Jason Moore speaks to the Chief Ex-ecutive of the company, Steve

Heapy, about their plans for the future.

Question.— How has the summer season been for Jet2 this year? Answer. — We have enjoyed a very suc-cessful summer this year, with more holidaymakers enjoying our great value package holidays than ever before. One of our standout destinations has un-doubtedly been Majorca, where we op-erated our busiest ever summer pro-gramme with over one million seats on sale and over 100 weekly flights operat-ing during peak periods. Despite that huge capacity, our aircraft have been full of happy holidaymakers right through-out the summer – so much so that we are increasing Majorca capacity by another 11% for Summer 19!

Q.— Is Majorca still one of your top selling destinations? A. — Majorca has always been one of our top selling destinations and that contin-ues to be the case. It is a destination that is in demand with British holidaymak-ers right throughout the year, which is why we operate such a busy schedule from all nine of our UK bases. One of our principles is, and always has been, that we operate to the places where holiday-makers want to be – and there is unfail-ing demand for holidays on the beauti-ful island of Majorca.

Q.— Should Majorca fear the added competition from Turkey and Greece? A. — There has also been a lot said about increased demand to other areas of Europe, in particular the Eastern Medi-terranean, but Jet2.com and Jet2holidays

are totally committed to Majorca and the whole of Spain, and this is demonstrated by the fact that we have more seats, more flights, and more 2-5 star hotels and villas on sale than ever. Our partnership ap-proach to working with hoteliers and tourist boards on the island, cou-pled with our award-winning flights and holidays, means we are looking for-ward to delivering many more years of continued success in Majorca.

Q.— You have worked long and hard to lengthen the holiday season on the island will you be continuing with this big push? A. — Britons will always want to escape the long British winter, and Majorca provides the perfect getaway to do that. The island enjoys a fantastic climate all-year round and when you add the wide variety of activities, places to eat and things to see and do that Majorca offers, it’s not hard to see why it is so popular throughout the year. We have been working hard with our hotel partners and the tourist board to showcase the appeal of Majorca outside of the peak summer season and we are totally com-mitted to continuing that. With capac-ity increased both this winter and in Winter 19/20, we are certainly doing our bit to encourage more holidaymakers to visit Majorca year round, and they are jumping at the chance.

Q.— What has been your feedback

b Interview with Steve Heapy, CEO, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.

Jet2 LOVES Majorca


JET2 - INTERVIEW

from customers about the island in the winter and summer? A. — Our customers love Majorca and so do we. That is why we have such a huge pro-gramme to the island. I could enthuse about Majorca all day long, and so could our cus-tomers. Great nightlife, rich culture, stun-ning countryside, towering mountains, fantastic resorts, gorgeous beaches, incredi-ble cuisine, brilliant activities… I could go on and on.

Q.— You are rapidly becoming a major employer of people on the island. Is it difficult to recruit staff here? A. — Because of the growth we have enjoyed in Majorca, during the peak period in Sum-mer 19 we will employ 500 customer help-ers across a range of roles including Ground Operations, Overseas Operations, Resort Flight Check-in and Contact Centre. To sup-port that we recently announced a massive recruitment drive across Majorca with 250 jobs available. The number of vacancies means that we will be running a bigger re-cruitment campaign than normal, however we have already met many people who pos-sess passion, talent and dedication to deliv-ering a VIP customer service, all of which is required to join our award-winning team. Q.— If you could change something about Majorca what would it be? A. — One thing we wanted to change re-cently was the number of touts in Major-can resorts who were trying to brazenly lure holidaymakers into making false sick-ness claims. We wanted to change that quickly, as we knew it was eroding faith and trust in British holidaymakers, so we did. We didn’t sit and wait, we led the fight and we undertook a number of industry-lead-ing actions, many in partnership with ho-teliers and the local government, to stop this practice and I’m delighted to say we succeeded. This is typical of the Jet2holidays approach, when it comes to working with hotels we believe in honesty and respect, and believe in a straightforward partner-

ship approach that creates win-win rela-tionships. We will never change that ap-proach.

Q.— Have you got a bigger programme to the island next summer? A. — Next Summer represents our biggest and most exciting ever programme to Ma-jorca, with over 1.1 million seats on sale. We started operating to Majorca in 2003 with less than 60,000 seats on sale and have ex-panded every summer since then. With well over one million seats, more than 300

2-5 star hotels, and over 200 villas on sale, we are looking forward to a bumper Sum-mer 19!

Q.— What message would you like to give the Majorcan tourist trade at the World Travel Market? A. — British holidaymakers love Majorca, but it is important to keep attracting them to the island by promoting the destination and making sure that holidaymakers feel like they are getting great value. With in-creased demand in other areas of Europe,

our message is simple. We are committed to increasing our presence in the region, and we are here to stay. We will continue to work in partnership with hotels to help sell holidays. By extending special offers, cre-ating new special offers, offering more free child places or room/board upgrades then we can continue to enjoy great success to-gether.

Q.— Any major expansion plans for the future? A. — With flights and holidays from all nine of our UK bases, Majorca is one of our key destinations as we know how much cus-tomers love the island’s natural beauty, beaches, coastline and fantastic resorts. In response to that, we are not just planning to expand; we are expanding - in Summer and in Winter – and by a significant amount too.

“Majorca is one of our key destinations as we know how much customers love the island’s natural beauty, beaches, coastline and fantastic resorts.”


JET2 - RECRUITMENT

J ET2 and Jet2holidays are continu-ing to expand at a rapid rate and not only have they been recruit-ing staff to fill a wide variety of

posts across Europe, they have also been looking to increase the number of per-sonnel in Majorca where it is going to have two planes based next year.

Over 3,000 jobs have been up for grabs across the United Kingdom and Europe in a variety of positions and the re-sponse in Majorca, where 250 new members of staff are being taken on, was overwhelming with hundreds of people attending their recruitment day at the Palma Aquarium last month.

2019, with over 1.1 million seats on sale, an 11 percent capacity increase. Their summer 19 programme will see them launch three brand new destinations (Bourgas in Bulgaria, Izmir in Turkey and Chania in Crete).

To support this growth and to continue their track record of delivering award-winning customer service, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have been looking to recruit passionate and talented individuals to fill 100 Flight Deck, 1,000 Cabin Crew and more than 1,000 Ground Operations positions in the UK alone.

The Flight Deck roles are targeted at experienced pilots with a strong train-ing record and the commitment, energy and flexibility required to deliver the best service to our customers.

The Ground Operations Team will be responsible for ensuring that flights de-part safely and on time. Working as part of a team of Customer Helpers, they work hard to ensure that customers have the perfect start to a lovely holi-day. Aspiring Cabin Crew members will be expected to deliver a consistently high level of safety and a VIP service to customers, working closely with the Flight Deck and the rest of the Crew to make every flight memorable.

CONTINUED ON PAGE25

Overseeing the day were the Director of Human Resources for Jet2.com and Jet2hoilidays, Richard Chambers and Emma Kitwood, Operations Director for Majorca.

More than 2,000 jobs are going to be located across their nine UK bases – in Flight Deck, Cabin Crew and Ground Operations roles – and a nationwide roadshow supported a huge recruitment drive to fill these positions.

The announcement came as they have planned to continue to grow in Summer

JET2.COM AND JET2HOLIDAYS RECRUITMENT DAY IN PALMA

Recruiting staff during the event at Palma Aquarium. PHOTOS: HUMPHREY CARTER


JET2 - RECRUITMENT

On top of these UK roles, there are more than 1,000 positions available across Europe with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays. Of these, 500 positions are in Ground Op-erations roles in Spain and Portugal, with Customer Helpers, Ramp Agents and Dispatchers required to work as part of a team of Customer Helpers in airports such as Palma, Alicante, Malaga and Faro.

They have also been looking to recruit more than 450 colleagues in Customer Helper positions right across Europe. Their customer helpers work in fantastic sun and city destinations and airports across Europe and the Mediterranean, helping and caring for holidaymakers to ensure that they have a problem free and relaxing time on their well-deserved holi-days.

Finally, they have been also recruiting more than 300 people to support their free Resort Flight Check-in service overseas. This is a safe and secure service which allows Jet2holidays customers to drop off their bags at their hotel before going to the airport for their flight home. It means customers have extra time to enjoy themselves at their resort without lug-ging suitcases around, and it also means they enjoy a speedier journey through to airport security. The service has expanded to over 250 hotels in nine des-tinations, so they have been looking for Drivers, Baggage Loaders and Cus-tomer Helpers to help support this growth and continue delivering a great service for customers.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “This is our biggest ever recruitment drive, and once again demonstrates our commitment to invest-ing in our customers and in people’s careers. The suc-cess of our award-winning business is down to the hard work of our fantastic

colleagues, and we are looking forward to meeting passionate people to join our ex-panding team.”

On hand at the Aquarium were a host of senior Jet2 staff to talk applicants through the various positions on offer and explain the philosophy of the company, which is to give customer a holiday to remember.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 “This is our biggest ever recruitment drive, and once again demonstrates our commitment to investing in our customers and in people’s careers.”

Director of Human Resources for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, Richard Chambers and Emma Kit-wood, Operations Director for Majorca.


JET2 - HOTELIERS’ CONFERENCE

J et2.com and Jet2holidays are deeply committed to Majorca and in 2019 will embark on an all year programme offering flights from

the UK and package holidays throughout the year, finally achieving what no tour operators has been able to do for many years, launch a genuine winter tourism programme in Majorca.

While other major tour operators are turning their backs on Spain and the Balearics, Steve Heapy, the CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, told Majorcan hoteliers that both the airline and the tour operators “are deeply committed to the Balearics and Spain”.

Heapy’s message to Majorcan hoteliers what quite simply that Jet2 wants to con-tinue expanding in Majorca with their cooperation and Jet2 is on hand to pro-vide any help the hoteliers may need, be it in sales, marketing and bookings.

“We’ve got the planes and the capacity to help you fill your hotels. We don’t want exclusive contracts like others, we have no problem in sharing hotels with other operators, all we want is to make sure that we are present in your hotels,” Heapy said.

This year, Jet2 added two new UK bases, Birmingham and Stansted and the addi-tions have proved extremely successful.

“We now have a huge catchment area,” Heapy told over 200 hoteliers.

“With the two new bases, which takes our total number to nine in the UK, 41 million people are within just an hour’s

drive of one of our bases and that means we have massive potential to grow.

This year, Jet2 operated 377 routes from its nine UK bases to 70 different destina-tions in 23 countries and that will grow in 2019 with the arrival of new planes and extra flights.

And the fruits of the increased Balearic programme is already being witnessed with bookings for 2019 already strong.

The UK’s second largest tour operators is going to be operating 125 flights per week from the UK to Majorca next sum-mer and, with an increased capacity of 10 percent, will be carrying some 600,000 holiday makers to the island, 400,000 of those on package holidays between Feb-ruary and December.

Another factor which is very important about Jet2, and something the company is extremely proud of, is its branding and the fact that it does everything under its own brand.

Heapy stressed the importance of its own flight training school and said that while it is not only operating 24/7, it is not leased out to other operators “it was a 40 million pound investment in the five flight simulators, we’re not going to start sharing it when we need it for ourselves,”

Heapy said. “If you want something done and want it done right, it’s best to do it yourself,” he added.

Sales and marketing are also extremely important.

“Our call centre is responsible for 45 percent of holiday sales and we believe that the holiday experience begins with that very first call to our centres. One in four are sold by independent travel agents while the rest is on line with over half of our customers using their mobile devices to access our website to either re-search a holiday during their commute back and forth to work or make a book-ing. Our websites have received some 200 million visits this year. But, we still believe that brochures are important, we print three million a year, they are still a large part of the business and all this is helping us to sell more holidays as op-posed to seat only.

“We have developed an online scheme which is called cross sales. When some-one is looking for a seat only, we now of-fer them a choice of hotels and package holidays in their chosen destination be-fore we offer them their flight only choices. We want to direct more clients to our package holidays because we know that once they have been on holiday us, they will holiday with us again. We have a lot of repeat bookings and that is just one of the reasons Trip Advisor named us Best Airline- UK, Best Low Cost Airline – Europe, Best Economy Class – Europe and the seventh Top Airline of the World at the Trio Advisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. At the Which? Awards 2018 we were named Travel Brand of the Year. Our customer satisfaction rate is 94 percent.”

Jet2’s commitment to the Balearics and

Majorca proved vital this year in holding up the market.

While the UK market in the Balearics was down 15 percent overall, Jet2 was up 20 percent year-on-year and with regards to Majorca, the market dipped seven per-cent while Jet2 was up by 18 percent.

“Yes, it has been a tough year with fresh competition from destinations such as Greece, Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt but while we obviously have a presence in those locations meeting mar-ket demand, we are not over committing ourselves and certainly not reducing ca-pacity in Spain and the Balearics. TUI and Thomas Cook have reduced flights and hotel capacity, we have done the oppo-site with regards to the Balearics and Spain. 63 percent of our clients who came to Majorca this year, came on a package holiday while the remaining 37 percent were flight only, but with the help of the local hoteliers we want to in-crease package holiday sales. Come the end of November we expect to have 29 percent of our package holidays sold and come March, 62 percent, with January being the biggest month for sales.”

Heapy told Majorcan hoteliers that 2019 is going to be another tough year and advised them not to leave it too late to react to any changes in the market, he urged them to take action in January, to make sure they are on target.

“We want to fill our aircraft so you can fill your hotels and with regards to in-vestment in Majorca, it makes more sense to work with a tour operator like us rather than a bed bank, bed banks don’t have airlines, they don’t employ people on the ground and invest in destinations, we do and heavily,” Heapy stressed.

JET2 CRACK THE WINTER TOURISM MARKET IN MAJORCA

b “We want to fill our aircraft so you can fill your hotels...”


MAJORCA HOTEL FEDERATION - INTERVIEW

P RESIDENT María Frontera of the Majorca Hotel Federation talks to Bulletin managing editor Jason Moore about Majorca, its

tourists and its future.

Question.— What message would you like to give British tourists who have visited Majorca this year? Answer. — What would most please me is to know that they have enjoyed our mag-nificent island. The British market is fun-damental for us and we are delighted that they choose us for their holidays. For this reason, where the tourism sector in general and the hoteliers in particular are con-cerned, we are making every effort to in-crease quality and to have first-class facili-ties. The customer is king for us, and so we are able to provide a unique experience dur-ing the vacation and to make the customer feel at home.

Q.— Why do you think Majorca is such a popular destination with the British? A. — British tourists love the sun and beach and it is clear that in Majorca they can find a great deal of both, while they also know they are welcome and are safe. Our facili-ties, the professionalism within the tour-ism sector and the hospitality; these create confidence in knowing that wherever they go in Majorca, they will have a great time and will forget all their problems. I believe that we have everything to satisfy the ex-pectations of all tourists. The first-class ho-tels with their standards of quality can be matched by only a few other destinations.

Q.—Many British tourists would like to come to Majorca in winter. Do you be-lieve that the season can be length-ened? A. — It has in fact already been lengthened. In recent years the season has lasted until November, and many hotels open in Feb-ruary. The low-season months have gath-ered strength and there will be more ex-pansion, especially for open-air sporting ac-tivities, thanks to the exceptional climate we enjoy. Cycling, hiking, birdwatching are all enormously popular during the low sea-son, while air connections play a crucial role. The emergence of low-cost airlines has benefited out-of-season travel a great deal, and this is at an advantageous price.

Q.—Is Majorca more than sun and beach? A. — Very much so. Tourists can combine the enjoyment of the beaches with mag-nificent historical heritage and protected natural areas, such as one of our greatest treasures - the Tramuntana Mountains, a World Heritage Site. Sport, gastronomy, health tourism ... Majorca is fortunately very diverse. The island is known and ap-preciated by visitors with varied tastes and interests. Majorca has much to offer and can therefore satisfy people with varied in-terests. I would invite readers to come at any time of the year in order to discover the island.

Q.—What are the forecasts for 2019? A. — It is rather too soon to be making pre-dictions as the current season has only just drawn to a close and has been similar to last year. Through our contacts at the World Travel Market we will be able to get an idea how the market is going over the next

months. From data that we have, we be-lieve that, at a minimum, this winter will see levels of visitors from previous years be-ing maintained.

Q.—Are there worries about Brexit? A. — This is obviously an issue we have to take account of. At present the effects have been minimal, and we are confident that the negotiators will arrive at agreements. Given recent news and statements it is not perhaps too absurd to think that there might be a second referendum with a dif-ferent result to the one that was held.

Q.—Many Britons have gone to Turkey this year. What message would you give them? A. — That in Majorca they can enjoy hotels with enormous quality with a great supply of rec-reational activities and experi-ences and to which are added very important issues to bear in mind before travelling: security, a health system which is consid-ered to be one of the best in the world, excellent infrastructure. When it comes to choosing a destination,

these are not minor matters.

Q.—The tourism market is more competitive than ever. A. — Yes, it is clear that each sea-son is a challenge and that we must work on continuous im-provement and on pleasing each and every customer. We cannot lower our guard. The fact that there is such supply and that there

are so many destinations to choose from

drives us towards ever greater efforts in in-creasing quality standards and providing differentiated customer experiences.

Q.—What message are you bringing to the World Travel Market? A. — That Majorca is a destination capable of offering everything that a British tourist could wish for. That we are constantly working by being customer-oriented; that our aim is continuous improvement; and that the sustainability of our island and quality are our great commitments. Our re-lationship with the UK is very close. The British are very loyal to Majorca, and we hope that this will continue.

Q.—If you could choose, where would you go on holiday? A. — Given that I live in Majorca, I like to visit other countries and cities, and I espe-cially like Spain as it is a country with much diversity. I love to go with the family as there are experiences and things to satisfy everyone. Sometimes I like to go further and discover other cultures, but most of the time I prefer to go just a short distance and be able to take greater advantage of my days off.

María Frontera, President of the Majorca Hotel Federation.

b “Majorca has much to offer and can therefore satisfy people with varied interests. I would invite readers to come at any time of the year in order to discover the island.”

“Majorca is a destination capable of offering everything that a British tourist could wish for”


H IDDEN behind the Roman walls on the old historic town of Alcudia

are two real gems which sit side by side and are the only four star rated boutique ho-tels in the old town.

Mostatxins Boutique Ho-tels Group opened Hotel Can Mostatxins® Quinze in June 2015, followed with Frare in 2018 and have enjoyed excel-lent global reviews on online ratings. Hotel Can Mostatx-ins is rated as the number one guest rated hotel in Ma-jorca on TripAdvisor out of 1,077 hotels and it is also rated as the third best Bou-tique Hotel in Spain in 2018 by TripAdvisor.

The hotel is operated as one across the two unique prop-erties. Mostatxins Quinze and Mostatxins Frare boast a total of 19 bedrooms offering

a mixture of suits, executive rooms and standard rooms. Mark Worthington, CEO of Mostatxins Boutique Hotels Group explained that the group is named after the owner of the original prop-erty at number 15 who, ac-cording to folklore, sported a rather large moustache and the property became known as the ‘house of the mous-tache’, hence the branding Mostatxins, Mallorquin for moustache and the theme is represented throughout the hotel.

Hotel Quinze, that is its ac-tual address, comprises a 15th Century tower and eight bedrooms and a plunge pool and sunken terrace which are set in the hole which was dug to excavate the stone used to build the property.

It also offers a lift, a lounge,

the reception and a spa/mas-sage room. Hotel Frare, named so as it was the home of the local friar, offers 11 bedrooms, a plunge pool and sun terrace a fully fitted pro-fessional kitchen and the Restaurant Apolonia offering 28 covers which serves breakfast and lunch for cli-ents only. The hotel owners’ idea is to encourage guests to go out and explore Alcudia, in particular the old town, and enjoy the fine local res-taurants. Mark said that the concept works extremely well, everyone is a winner.

“The boutique hotel mar-ket is very diverse and ranges from updated b&b accommo-dation with a bath in the bed-room and a purple wall, right through to global chains like Malmaison and Hotel Indeg selling a boutique experience to business guests without individuality. We have posi-tioned Hotel Can Mostatxins at the high end within the confines of what can be achieved with the building we have. Our service is aim-ing for 5 star plus to over-come the limitations of room size and public areas on our site,” Mark explained.

“We want to serve nice people. Our experience since the opening has shown us that most people are kind, generous, caring and really just want to be given what was promised and in most cases genuinely listened to.

“It is for anyone who likes to be looked after in an envi-ronment which is more home than hotel. People of this age, regardless of their age. People who are looking for an experience which is outside of the norm, who generally have three or four holidays a year, rather than one big summer break. They care about being different and we appear to have hit the market in the way we in-tended to.

“This year there have been a few markets which have not performed as well as usual but we have enjoyed a surge in bookings from the United States, one in five of our guests this year have been from the States so we are focusing on expanding the U.S. and Canadian mar-kets while also looking to open new hotels in London and New York and perhaps a franchise in Cape Town.”

A unique historic and luxury hotel to peacefully relax and unwind in

HOTEL SPOTLIGHT - MOSTATXINS BOUTIQUE HOTEL

“We want our guests to see and appreciate that we care.”


HOTEL SPOTLIGHT - HOTEL SIS PINS

T HERE are very few hotels blessed with such a wonderful

local in the Mediterranean, but the three star Hotel Sis Pins at the foot of the mountains and right on the seafront in Puerto Pol-lensa is one of them.

Taken over by business partners Geoff Hopkins and Peter Buckley in 2010 as a going concern, the ho-tel, which offers 51 rooms all with balconies and the comforts of home, has gone from strength to strength.

The hotel is a charming and traditional property located on the famous the Pine Walk. The tree-fringed walkway is flanked by an array of bars, restaurants and cafés and is the perfect setting for sunset walks.

Back at the hotel, guests can sample local speciali-ties at the café or lounge in the sun at the private sea-front terrace.

After a day of relaxing on

the beach or exploring the local area, your comfort-able and well-furnished guest room will be a wel-come retreat. The ever-popular Hotel Sis Pins boasts a TripAdvisor Cer-tificate of Excellence and is a favourite spot for couples and friends who holiday here year-after-year.

The hotel also has its own exclusive sun lounging area right by the edge of the sea just metres away and prides itself on first class care and attention to its customers.

Geoff Hopkins said that four years ago they decided to take a gamble on open-ing all year and it has paid off.

“Obviously it is a differ-ent market, we have pro-fessional cycling teams come and train from all over Europe and even as far as the United States - we’ve recently built a secure cy-cle lock up for the bicycles which can cost a small for-tune - lots of hiker and re-

peat clients who just love Puerto Pollensa in the win-ter. It’s just as attractive in winter as in the summer. There is no better place in the Mediterranean to en-joy a refreshing gin and tonic by the sea,” he said.

“Traditionally, out clien-tele has been Scottish or from Northern England, but since more and more airlines have started oper-ating from the south and London, our market has ex-panded radically and we are attracting customers from all over the UK and gradu-ally, Europe, and many are repeat guests.

“We offer excellent facili-ties and comfort looking out across the Bay of Pol-lensa and we only provide breakfast because we have found that the vast major-ity of our guests want to go out and about exploring the island, the local cul-ture, environment and of course the wonderful res-taurants we are surrounded by.”

“Its idyllic location on the seafront in Puerto Pollensa and its excellent friendly staff are what make the Hotel Sis Pins so special. It’s another world.”The classic Hotel Sis Pins has now been open all year round for the past four years and the gamble has paid off with winter being as popular as summer with different markets.


PALMA - SHOPPING

H eritage, culture, gastronomy, na-ture ... . The at-traction of a des-

tination can be measured in terms of different fac-tors, some of them tangi-ble and others intangible. Among these, the tradi-tional shop and business plays a very important role. Shops with decades and even centuries of tra-dition that sell products identifiable with the desti-

nation and located in his-toric buildings confer on the destination a highly individual attraction.

Palma has a large number of emblematic establish-

ments which form part of the essence of the city. For some time now the town hall has been working on protecting these busi-nesses and maintaining their activities. Which means maintaining the authenticity of the Balear-ics capital. With this in mind, a Catalogue of Em-blematic Establishments of Palma has been created. It is an initiative that al-lows these shops and busi-nesses to be identified, protected and to be given added value.

There are currently more than seventy businesses in this directory. Others will be added as they meet the

criteria for inclusion - 75 or more years business, sited in a listed building or with an activity that is particu-larly individual.

Among them are baker-ies, cafeterias, grocery stores, shoe shops, glass-

ware shops, jewellers and wine bodegas. They form part of both the past and the present in Palma, but they are also part of the fu-ture. They are a fundamen-tal aspect of the city and of Palma’s essence.

PALMA VALUES ITS EMBLEMATIC SHOPS AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION

Among them are bakeries, cafeterias, grocery stores, shoe shops, glassware shops, jewellers and wine bodegas.


PALMA - EVENTS

P ALMA offers a wide range of celebrations all year round but during the winter months there are a few that are worth a visit.

Christmas Eve and the Chant of the Sibil·la

On 24 December, nearly all the church on Majorca hold the “Matines”, the Christ-mas Eve service to commemorate the birth of Jesus.

The chant of the Sibil·la, which dates back to the 10th century in Catalonia and was brought over to the islands when they were conquered by Jaume I in 1229, is one

of the most emotional moments of this

celebration. The

chant foretells the end of the world and it is a grand ceremony starring, normally, a young boy with a clear voice, dressed in a

tunic, a robe of embroidered silk, a hat and bearing a large sword.

Festival of the Standard

31 December in Majorca and par-ticularly in Palma, is the day to re-member the anniversary of the triumphant entrance of King Jaume I and his troops into the is-land’s capital city in the winter of

1229, which represented the end of Moorish rule. This festival,

which dates back to the 13th century, is one of the oldest in Europe. Events

are held at the Plaza Cort, with a religous thanksgiving ritual and a civil ceremony at which the royal standard is the focus of attention.

Three Kings Parade

The biggest and best parade will be the Three Kings which is held on 5 January. It kicks off when the Kings arrive in Palma by sea at La Lonja at 18.00 and is fol-lowed by a long parade through the main streets of the city, where they will be accompanied by many floats, pages and musi-cians and will stop and address

the large crowds from the centre of Palma.

Later, before going to bed, chil-dren leave their shoes out in a visible spot in the house or on their balcony, hoping that when they wake up they will find gifts left by Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar.

The Three Kings Day (Epiph-any) (El Día de los Reyes) is on 6 January and is virtually as im-portant as Christmas itself, es-pecially for kids, as this is the day when they get their pre-sents that the Three Kings have the left for them.

Not all the parades are on 5 January. Some are on Three Kings’ Day itself, which typically marks the final day of Palma’s Christ-mas and Three Kings Fair; by then, the fair will have been going on for several weeks. It is also the day when there is a theat-rical performance in Palma’s Ses Voltes park. “L’Adoració dels Tres Reis d’Orient” (the adoration of the

Three Kings) is a farce that is adapted each year from an original work by the Binissa-lem-born writer Llorenç Moya.

It is greatly anticipated because it fea-tures amateurs as well as professional ac-tors: these amateurs are often politicians who have to endure satire that has been added for the occasion.

Sant Antoni and Sant Sebastià

The day of Sant Antoni is 17 January, but it is the eve of Sant Antoni which gener-ates the greatest excitement. Sant Antoni Eve is the clearest expression of ancient fi-esta tradition, of distant rituals of fire for the warding-off of evil and temptation

and of the rebirth of the sun, almost a month after the winter solstice.

Sant Antoni is more at the heart of Majorca’s traditions than Sant Sebastià, though this is also cele-

brated island-wide. Predomi-nantly, however, this is

Palma’s big fiesta night out (or nights out on 19 Janu-

ary). The city’s patron, who got the job on account of the piece of his bone that miraculously lifted the plague of 1523, is celebrated in ways every bit as wild as those of Sa Pobla. Wilder in fact. Big city, and so room for a multitude of demons, for stages in the city’s

squares with their night concerts, more space for fire-breathing dragons to roam.

Together, Anthony and Sebastian are a mid-Janu-

ary festive explosion of Majorca at its craziest. If any-

one suggests that fiestas in Majorca are a summer phe-

nomenon, then they most certainly have never been to Sa Pobla or Palma in January.

PALMA traditionsIn January, Sant Antoni and Sant Sebastià celebrations follow Christmas and The Three Kings’ festivities. Palma honours its patron saint with a varied programme including concerts and a night of fire.


GASTRONOMY - M AJORCAN FOOD

How TAPAS have taken over the

world

by Andrew Valente

places gastrobars and the tapas-like por-tions and the reasonable prices brought back the old customers – and also new ones.

The gastrobars were such a success that new restaurateurs created a bandwagon by using the gastrobar name for any kind of restaurant or place that served food and drink.

But the best gastrobars were always those opened by top chefs as a way of try-ing to cope with the effects of the eco-nomic crisis while keeping open their flagship restaurants.

Fashionable restaurants that specialised in creative cuisine also went over to tapas and other small plates but the inventive cooks wanted to do something more than traditional tapas such as batter-fried squid rings and grilled gambas. But their fancy small plates were nothing like tapas, al-though that’s what everyone called them. They were pretty photogenic little dishes with layers and layers of ingredi-ents piled on top of each other and pre-cariously balanced. And unlike true ta-pas, they can’t be eaten with one hand while the other holds a drink. They have to be tackled on a table or bar counter with a knife and fork. And as soon as they are touched they fall apart like a castle of cards and became a mess of fish, meat and veggies that is far from pretty. But the public likes them and that’s mainly how modern tapas travelled the world and conquered it.

At least until the next food fad comes along...

T APAS are one of Spain’s gifts to world cuisine and they are now being made and eaten on all five continents. But it wasn’t always

like that because in the beginning they were a speciality served only in the bars of Andalusia.

They are such a delicious way of eating – a tapa in one hand, a drink in the other with conversation and laughter all round – that bars all over Spain were eventually making them, sometimes introducing lo-cal variations on the Andalusian theme.

In seaside towns and villages, bars served all kinds of seafood as tapas, quite differ-ent from Andalusian fare and just as good.

In mountain areas, bars added their spe-cialities, usually meats in a sauce, but al-ways something simple that, at most, needed only a spoon to eat it.

It was an essential part of the tapas tradi-tion that everything came in bite-size pieces. If it was kidneys (riñones) in a sherry sauce or tripe (callos) in a piquant sauce, the customer never needed any-thing more than a small spoon – and some bread for mopping up the sauces.

Knives and forks were completely taboo: no one wanted to be standing at a bar and cutting up fish or meat. That is strictly for restaurants, and tapas are essentially fin-ger food for bars.

Visitors to Spain soon discovered tapas – and fell in love with them. Eating a selec-tion of tapas at some stage during the day became an essential part of most people’s annual holiday in Spain.

Tapas were considered to be something very Spanish and although there were English bars with a Spanish theme 55 years ago - mainly decorated with bull-fight posters, with the matador’s cape, sword and traditional hat adding extra folkloric touches - few cooks, if any, tried to reproduce the tapas scene. I suppose it was considered to be just a bit too exotic.

Even in the 1960s, it wasn’t all that easy to find squid in England for doing Spain’s popular calamares a la romana (the batter-fried rings) although when you did come across squid it was cheap because very few people in those days were interested in it.

When the current economic crisis started (it’s still with us and won’t be dis-appearing soon, as any restaurant owner knows only too well) it af-fected all levels of society and even the well-off im-mediately cut down

on non-essential expenses – and right at the top of their list was eating out.

Restaurant takings took an immediate plunge and the first places to close down were at the top end of the market because their profit margins were so tight they were almost instantly in the red.

Although everyone wanted to spend less on restaurants, they were still interested in eating out at the weekends. That was when business at tapas bars started to ex-plode because a tapas meal costs much less than a full-scale lunch or dinner. And that helped everyone to fight against this new wave of economic strife.

But there was another reason why many people were now interested in eating ta-pas – especially for dinner. Spaniards tra-ditionally have big dinners late at night, but in recent years there has been a move away from heavy meals to lighter more healthy ones. That coincided with the eco-nomic crisis, so many couples and whole families had another reason for dining on tapas.

In Palma, a few restaurant owners took note of the meteoric rise in tapas eating – and they quickly jumped on the band-wagon to get their share of the cake.

Restaurants that had never before served a single tapa were soon specialising in them – and the regulars started to

come back, although mainly at the weekend because money was,

and still is, on the tight side. This was going on all over Spain and even places at the very top end of the market run by Michelin-starred cooks in Madrid and Bar-celona were forced to downsize in order to make ends meet.

Their way of handling the situa-tion was to open premises next door or nearby with bar-restau-

rants that had loads of chic and

Frito Mallorquin is a favourite. PHOTO: ANDREW VALENTE

style, serving up-market small plates with relatively modest prices. They called these


S’Albufera Natural Park in the north of the island. PHOTO: BULLETIN FILES

bWhen you have such beauty and colour like this to choose from, no wonder Majorca continues to have that lure.

M ajorca continues to grow from strength to strength espe-cially where the birds and wildlife are concerned. Friends

I speak to who haven’t been to the island for some time have since been inspired to return, and the feedback has been positive. Not only did they recall how beautiful the island is and the spectacular birds on offer, but now they are impressed by the efforts to promote bird watching here. This has been evidenced by a number of strategi-cally placed bird viewing platforms. The new platform for example at the Al-bufereta Marsh stands about forty foot tall and offers commanding views right over the marshes and waterways. There is a new state of the art bird hide there and also two new hides at the Albufera Marsh.

So what makes Majorca an ideal bird des-tination? There are two reasons, the habi-tat and its geographical location. Majorca has around 340 species of bird recorded so far. In terms of size, Majorca is 1,405 square miles and has 3,640 square kilome-tres of land. You could fit Minorca into Ma-jorca five times over for example. The is-land enjoys a warm climate with sunshine

By Neville James-Davies

MAJORCA - BIRDWATCHING

averaging around 300 days per year (with an average of ten hours per day during the summer and five hours during the winter). This equates to around 2,400 hours of sun-shine per year which keeps the sea at a temperature of around 11° during the cooler months with a very welcome 26° during the summer months.

It is the mountains that are particularly impressive here and offer a very important habitat for birds of prey, especially the Black Vulture and other species. In the north, the mighty Serra de Tramuntana mountain range (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) due to its recognition of the ingenious techniques used to grow crops on its stone terraced slopes over the centu-ries) runs for 88 miles from Andratx to Pol-lensa. In the north, Embalse de Cuber (Cu-ber Reservoir) is shadowed by Majorca’s highest peak – Puig Major at 1,477m (4,747ft) which is 19m higher than Ben Nevis. There are a dozen peaks over 1000m above sea level in this mountain range. The range extends down to Puerto Pollensa where the Caval Bernet Ridge is very im-pressive and looks down on the stunning Boquer Valley – home to the endemic and much sought after Balearic Warbler.

Hoope. PHOTOS: ALL BY NEVILLE JAMES DAVIES CONTINUED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE

MORE MAGICAL MAJORCAN MEMORIES



The island boasts in the region of ten million visitors a year many of which are bird watchers and nature lovers, and has around 650,000 inhabitants. Majorca boasts an impressive 208 registered beaches.

Majorca is well placed within the Medi-terranean and is a pathway for many mi-grating birds from Africa and Europe, some of which stay to breed on the island, and include specialities such as Purple Heron, the magnificent Bee Eater,

Tawny Pipit, Short-toed Lark, Rock Thrush, and Spectacled Warbler to

name a few, and then of course there is the Eleanora’s Falcon which arrive from their wintering grounds in Madagascar. Majorca has seen its impres-

sive bird list gathering some ex-citing extras over the past year.

A Red-flanked Bluetail (a Sibe-rian bird) turned up and was the first for the Balearics. Of all things,

an Allen’s Gallinule was found at Palma airport, and a White’s

Thrush turned up last winter in the Tramuntana’s. A colourful Moussier’s Redstart was seen and

photographed by some on a moun-tain walk and a Western Reef Heron was found at the Albufera. This is what makes Majorca very

special bird wise, you just never know what delights await the

visitor. Every corner may re-veal something exciting or

new. For those who have

done their research before visiting

for the

first time, and for those who are repeat visi-tor’s, there are six main sites that they all want to visit as be-tween them they hold all the key species and more. These include the world famous Al-bufera Marsh, the Al-bufereta Marsh, the

Left: Female Sardinian Warbler. Above. The rare Audouin’s Gull. Below: A Bee Eater.

Crossbill which is a sub-species of the race Balearica, and one special autumn visitor which can be seen when you fol-low the ‘blue route’ where there is a bird hide nestled in a woodland overlooking an artificial pool. Here, the shy and largest of the finches comes down to drink and bathe – the Hawfinch. May is a good time to visit not just for the birds but for the Orchids which can be found growing alongside the paths in large groups and consisting of species such as Bug, Py-ramidal, Tongue and Bee Orchids.

If you fancy some stunning archi-tecture and an old-world feel, then the monastery at

Lluc is the place to visit. Secluded in a deep valley flanked by high ridges, the monastery welcomes many visitors. And apart from the buildings themselves and the bar restaurants, there are some good species of bird to be seen on the circular, cobbled walk that leads off behind the monastery. The path is flanked on both sides by mature trees and shrubs, and with the occasional toll of the bells it really is a serene place to look for birds. In the foliage there will be migrating birds such as Pied Flycatcher, Blackcap, Wil-low Warbler, Common Redstart and Bonelli’s Warbler. But this is an excel-lent place for seeing up close and per-sonal, both the resident and tiny Firecrest and the summer breeding Nightingales, whose song echoes across the valley and adds a new dimension to the feel of the landscape.

Scops Owl roost in the many Eucalyp-tus trees around the

car park, where Hoopoes feed on the ground, and in the Poplars at the top end the occasional migrating Golden Oriole may be seen. Above the ridges, the Peregrine Falcon and Kestrel will be patrolling, and drifting effortlessly by on their broad wings will be the Black Vultures, dwarfing the Red Kites and Booted Eagles that share the same ther-mals.

Finally, there is one more magical place I visit, where mountain air, lush vegeta-

Boquer Valley, Cap de Formentor (the twisting mountain road that leads up to the lighthouse), Cuber Reservoir nestled in the mountains and Sallinas de Llevante (the salt pans) in the south. But for me, along with the main sites, I have come to admire some other sites that hold a good variety of species and have some spec-

tacular habitats. Let us start with S’Amarador which is found past the Albufera and along the Muro road. There are Common Waxbills here and the area has a new tall viewing platform where Purple Gallinule, Marsh Harriers, Bittern and other water birds can be seen. However, a visit on a winter’s eve-ning here will re-veal an amazing

spectacle – 2.5 million Starlings coming into roost in the reed beds. The reed beds take on a golden glow as the Sun sets be-hind the mountains too.

“The kingdom of warblers”

Another site close by that is getting a good reputation for birds is Son Real – af-fectionately known as ‘the kingdom of warblers’. Although there are a good variety of warblers and other birds to be found here, there are two species I par-ticularly like to look out for – the Common


The island boasts in the region of ten million visitors a year many of which are bird watchers and nature lovers, and has around 650,000

inhabitants.



tion, a mix of birds, the smell of wood smoke and an excellent local dish all com-bine to make a visit to Alaro an unforget-table experience. A twisting tarmac road leads you up high above the plain below, and there waiting you is the Restaurant Es Verger. Nothing beats an early morning coffee here before taking the path that leads to the ancient castle, nestled on the top of a high flat ridge with commanding views over the plains. In the summer time the woods are alive with the calls of Nightingales, and even in the winter the song continues from the Siskin’s, Com-mon Crossbills, Blackcaps and Robins. Even the Blue Tit can be found here, a species that is uncommon and only found at several sites. A walk here in the snow is magical when the Strawberry Tree is in fruit, and the dark reds of the little ball shaped fruits are the only colour protrud-ing from the snow. Alpine Accentors make a walk to the castle in the winter re-warding as well.

By now it is usually lunch time, with a return to the restaurant for some amazing local dishes cooked by the family mem-bers, and a very large fire roaring away, fu-elled by thick logs from the local Olive and Holm Oaks. Oh I wish I was sat there right now. And outside, Red Kites, Booted Eagles and Black Vultures patrol over the ridge, with Blackcaps in good numbers feeding around the buildings. Even the Blue Rock Thrush makes the occasional appearance.

So there it is, Majorca not only has the main bird watching sites, but a multitude

of other interesting and beautiful places to visit. No matter where visitors base themselves on the island, there are ideal

bird watching destinations close by. No other destination beats lying on a beach with the one of the world’s rarest gulls –

the Audouin’s Gull walking right past, or an Osprey drifting overhead, or sat in the bay at Puerto Pollensa and watching a flock of Greater Flamingo’s fly past in a blaze of pink. Just look at the impressive list of some of the birds to be found to whet your appetite. Why go anywhere else? There is everything here, birds, wild-life, plants, scenery, lovely people, good food and great weather – and all within a few hours flight from the UK.

Little Bittern, Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Greater Fla-mingo, Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Black-winged Stilt, Stone Cur-lew, Collard Pratincole, Kentish Plover, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, Scops Owl, Bee Eater, Hoopoe, Wry-neck, Short-toed Lark, Thekla Lark, Crag Martin, Tawny Pipit, Nightingale, Great Reed Warbler, Balearic Warbler, Firecrest, Golden Oriole, Woodchat Shrike and Serin.

When you have such beauty and colour like this to choose from, no wonder Ma-jorca continues to have that lure.

I am pleased to announce that the most fully comprehensive bird book for Majorca, covering a multitude of sites all over the island and covering every known species recorded will be published soon. The book is due for release before Christmas. For more information or to secure a copy, please email me directly at [email protected]

Greater Flamingos.

b Majorca is well placed within the Mediterranean and is a pathway for many migrating birds from Africa and Europe, some of which stay to breed on the island...

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