British tourists are being directed to “fake beaches” in Spain as the overtourism row rages on. Protesters are fooling holidaymakers in Majorca in a bid to send them away from busy coastal areas.
A Tiktok vlogger has warned that fed-up locals are inventing names of “hidden beaches” that actually don’t exist, with some going to extreme lengths such as labelling them on Google Maps. They are giving them names such as “Cala Son Banya” or “Cala Son Gotleu” before actually sending tourists to Majorca’s worst areas. It comes as residents continue to complain about the impact of overtourism on the island.
A local woman said in an online video: “These are not beaches, they are dangerous places that you should avoid. If you want to avoid getting scammed, look up the location online before you go. If you find a lot of information, it’s a real beach. If not, avoid going.”
Locals have previously called for residents-only beaches in Majorca. Just last week, the platform “Majorca Platja Tour” announced the first “symbolic occupation” of a beach this summer.
The campaigners said: “Prepare your towels, umbrellas and banners because we will be making a new symbolic occupation on a beach in Mallorca.”
Protesters argue that locals avoid going to some beaches in the summer as they are so packed with holidaymarkers. They are calling for tourists to be banned from some beaches.
Social media influencers blamed for overtourism at beaches
The local authorities previously blamed social media influencers for causing beaches to become overrun. Caló des Moro, a tiny cove in the south east of Majorca, attracted around 4,000 visitors last year after influencers started posting videos labelling it the island’s “best kept secret”.
Despite being hard to access and having a maximum capacity of around 100 people, tourists continued to flood the cove rather than the nearby Es Trenc beach which boasts two kilometres of fine sand and plenty of parking. It forced locals to stage a protest which pressured outsiders to leave.
Martí Picornell, head of communications at the local Santanyi Town Council, said: “The Santanyí Tourism Department hasn’t used the image of Caló des Moro for publicity purposes in years. Local residents are exhausted by the situation, which is why the decision was taken.
“This unwanted social media coverage is the worst. People go to the cove just to take selfies and nothing more.”