Tourists planning a relaxing holiday on Alcudia beach in Mallorca, Spain, this summer may find themselves greeted by an unexpected sight – the seafront covered in tarpaulin. The promised renovation of six new beach bars, known as balnearios, is facing delays, and the construction work is now expected to continue during the upcoming tourism season.
Mayor Fina Linares revealed that the construction work will be shielded from beachgoers’ view by tarpaulins featuring “beautiful images”. This announcement has raised concerns among tourists and locals alike, with potential impacts on the overall beach experience and TripAdvisor ratings.
The delay in the project has been attributed to a lack of budgetary forecasts, as pointed out by the opposition party Podemos.
Mayor Linares acknowledged that the contract for the new balnearios will be signed before the 2023 budget is approved. Opposition parties have suggested delaying the work until the end of the high season, but an extension granted by the Costas Authority requires completion by November 30.
The first step involves demolishing existing bars, and Mayor Linares hopes the replacements will be finished before the Costas deadline. However, if the deadline isn’t met, she suggested that bar concessionaires could continue service until November, citing warm weather during that period.
Residents and tourists have expressed dissatisfaction with the delays and the proposed tarpaulin solution. One resident, Lisa Julia, criticised the local council, telling Majorca Daily Bulletin: “This is woeful! It appears that the richer the council, the less they do.”
The sentiment was echoed by resident Charles Dalrymple-Chumley, who called for decisive action, saying: “Excuses, excuses, excuses. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
The opposition parties, including PSOE, have been implicated in the blame for the delay, emphasising the importance of proper planning and execution in major projects.
The situation adds to existing concerns about the town, including ongoing repairs, lack of new town bins, graffiti on world heritage town walls, and the looming threat of a giant electricity cable impacting the environment.
