Tag: spain

Tourism in Mallorca, Let’s Look At The Facts Not The Hype

I don’t want to keep going on about it but as it’s in the news, and it’s part of the industry I work in, the tourism protests are becoming a problem. As always the British press and even some on the island press are hyping it way beyond where it should be and so unfortunately more people are taking notice. Firstly, I have no problem with people’s right to protest, we live in a democracy and that is fine. Where I do have a problem is they and the press are saying that they speak for the whole island. Which is simply not true. Estimations by the police say that there were 20,000 people on the march two weeks ago. If that was the case, that is 1.6% of our overall population. Hardly a groundswell of opposition, is it? 

They are concentrating on the smaller towns, villages and beaches where of course there will be problems because they are the places people would like to visit. Deia, Valldemosa, for example. You won’t see them protesting in Alcudia, Cala Millor, Cala D’or or Magaluf as they are much larger and have the space to cope. Ask any business in those areas if it is busier or quieter this year. You might be surprised by the answer. That maybe because of price, but there is no doubt the protests will put off people from coming. I’ll give you an example of an email we received at Pirates this week.

Dear Sir or Madam,

We had to cancel our flights to Palma, due to the current Anti Tourism riots of 20,000 Anti Tourism protesters.

It is a shame as we really wanted to visit and especially see the Pirates Adventure.

Riots?? Where did they get that information from?

One thing the protesters haven’t mentioned and was reported to me by Brad Robertson of Save The Med, when I interviewed him a few weeks ago. He said, “There’s too many people mate, whether you’re a tourist or someone that doesn’t leave your house, it doesn’t matter, there’s just too many of us”. Maybe we should get our own house in order first? 

Anyway, these are the list of demands the protesters have asked for. 

  1. Housing, a guaranteed right. Implement real measures to take housing off the market so that everyone has access to it. For example, regulate the sale of housing to non-residents by establishing requirements such as a minimum length of time of residence. 

In principle, I don’t have a problem with this. I would add to be bought to live in and not just rented out for an extortionate fee. But I would ask the same question of the Spanish from the mainland and even second homeowners from the island that have two properties. Do the same rules apply? 

2. No investment of public money in infrastructure expansion, no more airports, no more ports, no new roads, no desalination plants… Decrease in the number of flights, ban on private jets and a freeze on the number of recreational boats and a limit on vessels mooring off the coast.               
Can it be done if private money can be found?  But like our public services they still need investment, so I would disagree to some extent. But I’m sure some common ground could be found. Like reviving the rail system around the island and expanding the Metro system in and around Palma. 

3. No to the hyper-commercialisation of the coast, saturated with nautical and beach toys.

    I don’t have a problem with this in the smaller coves. But huge stretches of beaches, like Alcudia or Palma Nova, I don’t see as a problem.

    4. Improving and guaranteeing access to all public services: health, education, public transport, social services, etc. 

      I think this should be a must for any Government.

      5. Freeze on all new tourist places, both in hotels and apartments.

        Agreed, but there should be a proper clampdown on illegal holiday lets. 

        6. Eliminate and/or convert old hotels.

          If there is a distinct lack of affordable housing, I would look at conversion rather than elimination. 

          7. No more promotion of tourism. No more tourist fairs.

            Totally disagree, our number one industry has to be promoted and represented. 

            8. Limit the entry of vehicles and set a maximum number of rental vehicles in circulation.

              I have to be honest and say this needs looking at, as I do not know the laws that surround this.

              9. Increase the rate of the tourist tax.

                I agree. But I would charge the same for all tourists all year round, as winter is currently exempt. Also charge the same for every star rating and cruise ships, rather than different rates and I would charge the under 16’s too. Every single person in my opinion should help with the drive for sustainable tourism. But we should also be made aware of where this money is going and show this in the airport and island wide  for everyone to see. 

                I actually have another take on the protesters and their thoughts that tourism is driving up the sales and rental prices of properties. Driving away tourists isn’t going to make rentals or prices cheaper. In fact, the total opposite. We all think we live in paradise, so if all of a sudden the tourists started leaving, then how much more of a paradise would it become? Rather than drive prices down, it will drive prices up. I agree there needs to be a happy medium. I live in an apartment complex that has Spanish, German and UK owners and nearly every single one is using them as their second home (apart from me, I might add). Whilst I don’t have a problem with this, does  that drive the prices up too?

                There are plenty of experienced business people on the island who would be willing to help this situation and find solutions to the current so-called problems. I, for one, would be one of those people, and I’ve had messages and spoken to others who would be too. We only have to be asked, but in the meantime can we let people enjoy their well-earned holidays in peace. 

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com

                How Does Portugal Compare To Mallorca?

                Whenever I visit another country, I always find myself comparing it to Mallorca. At the end of last year, my youngest son Jude had been invited by the Llevante Academy in Mallorca, to play in a tournament called the IberCup in Estoril, Portugal. Llevante Academy is made up of players from around the island who are invited to play in tournaments in different age groups. The IberCup is one of the largest and most International Youth Football Tournaments, teams get a chance to play against the best Football Academies in different locations around the world. Since he was called up, he had training sessions in different parts of the island, once or twice a month. As the tournament was in July, I thought that it might be a struggle to go and watch him, as July is high season for pirates. But my boss Cathy encouraged me to go, for which I was very grateful. My Wife and I decided it would be a good time to getaway for a little rest and relaxation after what has been a fairly stressful year. Both of us had worked in Portugal before, I was a holiday Rep in the Algarve, and she had worked as a dancer in Oporto. 

                We based ourselves in Estoril, which is just outside the capital city of Lisbon. Most of the games were scheduled to be played in and around that area. 

                The boys flew to Sevilla and then had a 5-hour coach journey from there to Estoril. We took the slightly easier route of flying with Vueling direct to Lisbon. The hotel was called Evolution Calais and Estoril and is situated on the seafront just outside the town of Estoril and the city of Lisbon. A very modern hotel with views out to sea from the higher floor rooms and a rooftop swimming pool. The staff were very attentive and spoke fluent English, and I would definitely recommend to others. 

                The games were close to the hotel but not close enough to walk, so with the help of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who had come across from a holiday in Madeira, we discovered Uber. There is no shortage of them in Portugal, unlike Mallorca, and very cheap too. Our journey from the airport to the hotel by taxi cost us €48 and our journey back from the hotel to the airport with Uber was €23.50. I look forward to Mallorca either putting out more taxis or extending the Uber offering. We also used the local bus and train service a couple of times, which were frequent and cheap. That’s slightly different for us as residents in Mallorca, as we get free travel. We took a trip up to a beautiful place called Sintra, but I have to be honest and say there were just too many people to enjoy it, so we cut short our visit. We weren’t made aware of any tourism overcrowding protests, but I could understand in that part if there were some. 

                We found eating out a lot cheaper than Mallorca. An average cost of a meal with starters, main course and drinks was around €25pp. On our last night, we ate in the marina and discovered the old town, which was a shame as we would have liked to explore that. 

                The football went very well. Jude’s team were in a group with 3 Portuguese teams and a team from Canada. They drew their first game 0-0 and then won 6-0, 3-1 and 12-0. In the last 16 they played a team from Beirut in Lebanon. A tough game which they eventually won by 1-0. We had planned our stay to leave on the Saturday evening, and we now had the prospect of playing a quarter-final and a possible semi-final on the Saturday afternoon and the final on Sunday morning. Should I change our flights was the conundrum I was dealing with, but that wasn’t easy, so I decided to wait and see what happened first? The quarter-final was against another Spanish team, from Cataluña. Who were a very tough opponent. They were playing a little higher in the mountains and the wind proved to be the deciding factor. They disappointingly lost 1-0 and so were out of the competition. Nevertheless, they’d had a great time and were much the better for the experience. We would have rather seen them qualify, but this did mean that we could catch our original flight. 

                I thoroughly recommend Portugal as a country, Estoril and its surrounding areas, and we will definitely go back to the Old Town and visit Lisbon next time. 

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com

                It’s Coming Home….

                Dare I say it? The original song said 30 years of hurt and, believe it or not, that today stands at 58 years of hurt! So is it finally coming home? Who would have thought, the final of the 2024 European Championships would be between my country of birth and the country I’ve lived in for 34 years. So where do my allegiances lie, I hear you ask.

                England’s head-to-head record against Spain is played 27, won 14, lost 10 and drew 3. Probably the most memorable was in 1996, in the quarter-finals of the Euros. It was a 0-0 draw and it went to penalties. There was the iconic Stuart Pearce penalty and the David Seaman save from Miguel Angel Nadal, the uncle of Mallorca’s favourite son, Rafa Nadal, meaning England won. In fact, the last time they played together was in 2018 in the UEFA Nations League, and I was there. England won 3-2 in a game played at the Real Betis stadium in Seville. 

                These are two teams that have made it to the final in totally different ways. Spain have sailed through all of their games, never really looking in trouble, whereas as England have stuttered their way through. Remember England were literally 30 seconds away from going out to Slovakia in the last 16 and along came Jude Bellingham who of course is well known to all the Spanish, playing for Real Madrid. 

                Spain’s 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, who plays for Barcelona, scored possibly the goal of the tournament so far against France. But what I love about him is he said before the tournament began, “I’ve brought my homework because I’m in 4th grade. I have classes on the web and I hope my teacher doesn’t fail me!”

                A great example to all youngsters that your education comes before anything. 

                So who am I supporting? In the words of John Barnes……

                “Catch me if you can

                ‘Cause I’m the England man
                And what you’re looking at
                Is the master plan. 

                We ain’t no hooligans, 
                This ain’t a football song, 
                Three lions on my chest
                I know we can’t go wrong.”

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com

                The Young Ones

                I’m passionate about my football, especially when it comes to Real Mallorca and football in general here on the island. I believe it’s a help not only to tourism to have a team in La Liga but to the development of youth football on the island too. However, although the island does produce some great footballers, there haven’t been that many who’ve come through the ranks and made it to the Real Mallorca first team. The most notable is Marco Asensio, of course, who started at Platges de Calvia before moving to Real Mallorca, then to Real Madrid, and he’s currently playing for Paris St Germain. The former coach of Mallorca, Javier Aguirre, wasn’t an advocate of bringing youth footballers through, but the new coach Jagoba Arrasate is apparently a fan of promoting them through from the academy. At his old club Osasuna at least six of the first team squad have come through the ranks. Pablo Ortells the director of football at Real Mallorca said this week, “We can win titles in grassroots football, but if we don’t develop players to move up to move up to the first team, our work is incomplete.” Music to the ears of all youth footballers here on the island. It comes after Mallorca’s division honor team (under 19’s) won their league and the Copa del Rey. Also, Mallorca B have just been promoted to the fourth tier of Spanish football and this team is made up of players between 18–24 years of age. 

                If these youngsters are given a chance, then there are many benefits for everyone. The club doesn’t need to spend money to bring players in, an exceptional player will no doubt get transferred for a fee to help pay for other transfers or to invest in the academy. Every supporter around the World loves a “home-grown” player. Most importantly, if there are those opportunities, you won’t see as many of our talented footballers leaving the island looking to play first team football. Case in point this week, Marc Domenec is a 17-year-old forward who played for San Francisco division honor team this year. The club where my two boys play. He was the top goalscorer in the league with 21 goals. He has a contract with Real Mallorca until 2027 and this week a bid of €300,000 was made by Barcelona. This was firmly rejected by the club, who see him as the next “Marco Asensio”. He will probably play with Mallorca B next year and also train with the first team. Apparently his buy out clause is 1 million euros and I think Barcelona will be reluctant to pay that. All in all, it’s a good time for Mallorca football, and hopefully we’ll be hearing that song “he’s one of our own” many more times. Well, the Mallorquín equivalent of course! 

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com

                10 Ways To Save Money in Mallorca

                Everyone is saying how expensive Mallorca has become, so I’ve come up with 10 ways to save money here on the island. 

                1. The Spanish government subsidises 75% of the fares of scheduled air or sea transport for all EU citizens who are residents of the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta or Melilla. For us Brits living in Mallorca it means to qualify for the discount, you must be a permanent resident, either with the green NIE stating ‘permanente’ or with the TIE card. You also need to get a resident certificate from the municipal council where you are registered. I got ours from one of the tourist information offices. 
                2. All public transport will continue to be free in 2024. This will be for interurban buses, trains and Metro in Mallorca. Palma buses are treated separately, and the town hall has said these are also free. To get your card, you’ll need to take your NIE and ‘empadronamiento’ – proof of residence in your local municipality – to one of the travel information offices. Palma’s intermodal station is just one of the locations where you can obtain your card. Note that the Soller train is not included in the above. 
                3. In the municipality where I live in Calvia, parking is free in the blue zones in the winter, which is normally November to the end of March. In those blue zones in the summer months, you have to pay on Mondays to Fridays 09.30 to 13.30 and 16.00 to 20.00. Saturdays, 09:30 to 13.30, Sundays and bank holidays are free. It’s always best to check the machine before paying. It can be different in other municipalities, so it’s good to check first. There is a parking app called Elparking.com which I haven’t used yet but looks useful, particularly in the summer months. 
                4. Hotel treats is a website that offers vouchers to luxury hotels, spas and beach clubs not just to tourists but to residents too. My Wife made me aware of this when she booked a day at Puro Beach in Illetas last summer. We got a Bali bed for two, drinks and fruit on arrival and a three-course meal with wine in their restaurant, all for just €100. 
                5. Menú del día, or “menu of the day”, is a set menu or served by Spanish restaurants during weekday lunch, one of the largest meals of the day in Spain. It is known for being economical, and normally you’ll have a choice of 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts plus a bottle of house wine and water. Lots of restaurants are offering this now, not just your traditional Spanish restaurants. 
                6. Most of the supermarkets have loyalty cards. We shop in Lidl, who have an app that you can download. You tend to find that they will offer you discount on the things you buy regularly, which is useful. Aldi offer something similar, Eroski and Carrefour have a club card system and as far as I am aware Mercadona do not have anything. Although they do have that annoying jingle which now I’ve said it will be going on in your heads all day! 
                7. “Too Good To Go” is the free food recovery app that makes it easy to make a positive impact on the planet while saving money on your favourite foods. The #1 app for reducing food waste, you can save tasty unsold snacks, takeaway meals, and ingredients straight from shops, cafés, supermarkets and restaurants in your area – all at an unbeatable price. Most of the offers range from €2 to €5 and are normally available in the afternoon/evening. 
                8. Mallorca Fashion Outlet is situated just outside Marratxi on the outskirts of Palma. It has a full array of shops offering factory prices plus a cinema, karting and many different food outlets. Every last Thursday of the month they offer “Super Thursdays” where they offer even bigger discounts. I went to one last year when they were offering all goods without paying IVA(VAT to you and I).
                9. Most excursions on the island offer a resident’s discount. It’s best to check with each one what they offer. At Pirates, you can get 20% off of Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos, by using the code RESW20. But keep a lookout in the winter months, as sometimes we’ll offer a bigger discount for a limited period only. 
                10. Most of the above are for residents here on the island, but a few of them can be used if you’re visiting us from somewhere else. I would encourage more of you to come in the low season and in the winter. Mallorca and Palma in particular have a great deal to offer than just sun, sea and sand. Gastronomy, culture, bars, boutique hotels, history and lots of shopping opportunities are just a few of the highlights. 

                This list has been made up of things I already knew and some from friends that I didn’t know about. I’m sure there are many more, so please feel free to send them to me or add them into the comments below. 

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com

                Welcome To Mallorca

                So Mallorca is back in the headlines again. After the so-called “booze ban”, now we apparently don’t want any tourists. Give the British press a bone, and you can be sure as (can’t say it), that they’ll not only be chewing on it, they’ll be making up their own stuff too. Why let a good headline get in the way of the truth? TOURIST GO HOME is the message and let’s be honest, it’s not a very welcoming one, is it? Grammatically incorrect, of course, but why let that get in the way of what you’re trying to achieve. And to be honest, that is what is puzzling me, just exactly what are you trying to achieve? I highlighted a few weeks ago that a vote for Brexit in the UK was a vote from the older community, which has ultimately made freedom of movement for our younger people that much more difficult. So, whilst trying to deny an immigrant entrance into the UK, you’ve denied our younger people the opportunity to do the same in another country. 

                With their message, they are trying to drive people away from the tourist industry that is fundamental to the islands’ GDP. Someone tried to tell me the other week that tourism is only 11% of Spain’s GDP. That may well be true, but on our island it’s 45% and would hazard a guess that it is a lot higher than that when you take into account the third party businesses that support tourism. 

                Mallorca isn’t the only destination with this problem. Barcelona, the Canary Islands, Amsterdam, Venice, Japan and Hawaii are other examples. My family were in Croatia in the past couple of weeks and the same message was seen there too.

                So what’s the beef amongst these protesters here in Mallorca? Too many tourists, lack of affordable housing, high cost of living, traffic congestion, impact on the environment and natural resources are the main factors, I am led to believe. 

                In my opinion, there’s a total lack of organisation and management here.  Political parties with their own views are getting in the way of the problem. So, rather and sitting down like adults and discussing properly, they argue against each other. The “left” were in Government for 8 years and did absolutely nothing, and now they’re in opposition they’re voting against anything that the “right” proposes. As the right are a minority Government, depending on VOX to help them, nothing gets done or if it does, it’s painfully slow.

                So let’s discuss each of their points.

                Too many tourists…. You may remember I interviewed Brad Robertson from Save The Med a couple of weeks ago. He said, “there’s too many of us, that’s not just tourists, that’s people living here too.” Mallorca isn’t like the Canaries, who have a whole year – round problem, the season is six months at best, and I’d say the true busy part is June to September. Tour operators aren’t the major problem as if you go back to years gone by, there were a lot more and that just isn’t the case now. It is the growth of the low-cost airlines, the car rentals, the Airbnb market and the illegal lets that are now the problem. 

                A lot of this can’t be blamed on foreign investment as Mallorca’s biggest Hotel chains, Melia, Fergus, Iberostar, Riu and Barcelo are all Spanish owned and run. The airport is run by the Spanish state owned company AENA. Mallorca’s Son Sant Joan airport is the third largest in Spain, with only Madrid and Barcelona having greater numbers. Despite that, the airport is expanding the terminal buildings and more car parking space which is not for cars parking, it’s for rental cars to have more space. When I checked into the car park last weekend, half of the second floor was dedicated to the car hire firm, OK Cars.

                Lack of affordable housing….
                It is true that foreign investors have driven up the prices of property, but there are also many Spanish people that have second holiday homes that they use in the holidays or rent out. My neighbours where I live are from Madrid, and we only see them during the holidays. Rental prices are too high but with a lack of properties and demand so high, there doesn’t seem to be an answer. Rent caps have been put forward by the opposition PSOE but considering they were in power for eight years and did nothing, it’s laughable really. You have to ask who owns these properties, and I think you’ll find the majority are Spanish owned. So would any property owner be happy if their incomes were capped? This is not just a Mallorca problem, my Sister in the UK has her eldest Son currently living at home with his girlfriend as they can’t afford to rent or buy there either.

                Promoters, in order to get their building licence, should be forced to build a percentage of affordable housing and make those properties unsellable for a long time period. Like they did on the properties in Son Caliu behind Mercadona. 

                There are plenty of Old military plots in and around Palma that could be turned into affordable housing, and any old hotels or apartment blocks should be converted too.

                High cost of living…..

                We are an island and therefore the majority of our goods must be imported, making them immediately more expensive. There was an increase when the pandemic hit and as yet as far as I can see there hasn’t been any reductions since we have got back to normal. If the demand is there, companies are less likely to reduce their prices. 

                Traffic congestion….

                If, like me, you’ve driven the Via Cintura in the winter, there is still traffic congestion and it can still be a nightmare. Of course, that traffic increases in the summer with the car hire and coaches. The bus services I think are pretty good, but the Palma Metro and the rail links, particularly to the south of the island, need to be looked at. There have been calls for car hire limits, but apart from Formentera as far as I am aware, there doesn’t seem to be one in place. A park and ride service into the centre of Palma wouldn’t be a bad idea. What about utilising the huge car park at Mallorca Outlets, for instance? It would drive traffic there to shop, and then you could hop on a bus for more central Palma shopping if you wished. Real Mallorca has a huge car park that gets used 19 days a year for their home games and mostly in the off season. That would be another perfect park and ride stop. 

                Impact on the island and its natural resources….

                I have two words to say about this….Tourist Tax. The tax was introduced to help inject funds into conserving the environment and to make tourism more sustainable for the island’s ever-increasing population in the high-season. Data provided by the authorities show that around €12 million will be raised each year as a result of the tourist tax.

                Mallorca is a beautiful island of contrast. From the beautiful beaches in the North, to the mountains of the West, the caves and coves of the East and the bustling busy nightlife of the South. There is something for absolutely everyone. 

                If ever there was a destination built for tourism, it is our island. It hasn’t been one of the most popular destinations in the World for the last 50 years for nothing. It is, in my opinion, still one of the best holiday destinations, an island with turquoise blue waters, secret coves, soft golden sands, lush green foliage, rugged mountains, picturesque villages, amazing cuisine, an up-and-coming wine industry, bustling nightlife and a vibrant capital city. 

                But we must keep it that way, and therefore, as I said above, it must be managed in a right and proper manner.

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

                Mallorca Leading The Way In Women’s Football

                Something that isn’t talked about enough here on the island is women’s football. I have highlighted it in the past, and it is definitely time to talk about it again. 

                I was watching my youngest Jude training in CD San Francisco in Palma this past week, and I met up with some friends who were bringing their daughter to do some training with the girls team there. It’s so good to see girls and women’s football thriving on the island. In fact, our other professional team on the island, Atlético Baleares are the ones leading the way. 

                Despite only being formed in 2018, they have made their way from local leagues to the “Primera Federación de Fútbol Femenino”, which in women’s football is equivalent to the second division. It’s an amazing achievement, and they are now only one promotion from the highest women’s league in Spain. This week, the Government held a reception for the whole team in Palma to celebrate their promotion. The women’s football pyramid in Spain is set up like this;

                Primera División de fútbol femenino 

                Primera Federación de Fútbol Femenino

                Segunda Federación de Fútbol Femenino

                Tercera Federación de Fútbol Femenino

                Conectabalear Femenina autonómica 

                Femenina Regional Mallorca 

                Fútbol 7 Alevin/Infantil Groups A and B 

                The top division contains the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. In the Primera Federación next season, Baleares will play the likes of the B teams of the big clubs. Mallorca’s next representatives are in the Tercera FDFF, UD Collerense, AD Son Sardina and the Baleares B team, who all finished in the top ten this season. The local leagues contain teams from all over the island, so there are plenty of opportunities. These are divided into women’s and girls teams. The Alevin and infantil teams can take girls up to the age of 14, and then they must take the step to the amateur women’s teams. That has been a problem as it’s quite a big step, but apparently, this coming season the Federation will add a “F7 Cadete” category for girls aged 14–16 years that are not quite ready or comfortable competing with amateurs. No matter where you are on the island, I’m sure there will be a club near you that will be looking for players. Where I live in Calvia there are two clubs with girls/women’s teams. Platges de Calvia have 1 team in Autonomica and one in Regional, as well as 2 teams in Alevin/Infantil. Sporting Son Ferrer has 1 team in Regional and 2 teams in Alevin/Infantil. 

                Both clubs are looking for experienced or entrance level players for the coming season for all those teams.

                Now the elephant in the room here is, where is Real Mallorca in all of this? The biggest club on the island doesn’t have a female team? That’s not good enough, really, particularly when you see the success of Atletico Baleares. I would have thought that a female team would be an obligation for a team in La Liga. What I’m hearing from people in the game that may well be coming in. They have dipped their toes in a few years ago, but apparently it didn’t work due to a lack of quality and interest. That has all changed now when Spain won the World Cup last year. 

                As you may remember, they beat England in the Women’s World Cup Final last year. More interesting for me is that three of their players come from Mallorca. The goalkeeper Cata Coll was born in Portol. She played previously for Sant Marcel, Cide, Marratxí and Collerense here on the island and was bought by Barcelona and sent out on loan to Sevilla. She’s now back in Barcelona and, after a bad injury, is now Spain’s first choice. Whilst here on the island, she was training at the Pablo Roca goalkeeping school, where my youngest son Jude goes. She has also trained with Jude a few times too. 

                Forward Mariona Caldenty was born in Felanitx where she began her career. That was followed by Cide, Collerense and in 2014 she joined Barcelona. 

                Another player from Mallorca, Patri Guijarro, was one of the players who boycotted the Spanish squad before the last World Cup tournament. She was born in Palma where she played for UD Collerense and at the age of 17 she joined Barcelona and has been there ever since. 

                All three of the above played for Barcelona last weekend in the final of the Women’s Champions League, beating Lyon 2-0.

                Hopefully all three will inspire more girls on the island to play football and to become World Cup and Champions League winners in the future. 

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

                The Devil is in the Detail!

                I hope the person in charge of PR for the Balearic Islands has been working this weekend. The press and social media has been dominated by headlines such as “Booze You Lose” and “A kick in the Balearics for Boozy Brits”

                It was reported that sales of alcohol would be banned from 9.30pm until 8am, but they didn’t explain where. Prompting the pile-on from the press and the keyboard warriors. All headlines have to be put into context and the devil is in the detail, as most of them are either clickbait, old news or fake news. Any excuse to sell a newspaper or get more likes on social media. But the more serious side of this is the effect it has on the holiday industry and, more importantly, the businesses that rely so much on it. I’ve lost count of the amount of people who’ve been asking me has Magalluf banned alcohol? That’s people looking to come away on holiday and, more importantly, concerned business owners.

                So let’s put this utter rubbish to bed. Remember that this isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s old news rewritten with the authorities looking to put it back into the public eye, with what they say are stricter rules. Which is where the PR comes into it, do these people not talk to each other? Yes, put out the statement, but at least control how it is presented. 

                In January 2020, the Balearic government passed a decree law “against tourism of excesses and for the improvement of quality in tourist zones”. This, however, got lost in the two years of the pandemic. But since the resorts reopened in 2022 and 2023 the rules have been applied. 

                It is important to point out that the decree applies to only four resorts in the Balearics but not to the whole of these resorts – Arenal (Llucmajor), Magalluf, Playa de Palma and Sant Antoni de Portmany. Which, in my opinion, is where this is wrong. I’m all for the measures but for all, not by a map that has been drawn to favour certain businesses. There’s a great saying in Spanish which says ‘todos Moros o todos Cristianos’ which basically means everyone should receive the same or be held by the same. 

                The part of the decree that created all the fuss over the weekend, which for clarity has been part of it since it was created in 2020, was the following. 

                “Displays of alcoholic drinks outside shops or in shop windows are prohibited, and alcohol cannot be sold by shops between 9.30pm and 8am.”

                Meaning this has nothing to do with all the restaurants, cafés, bars and clubs, who have certain other rules they have to apply to, but it’s not a total ban as the headlines appeared to state.

                I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Magaluf has one of the best beaches on the island. All the beach clubs, shows, restaurants, cafés, bars, clubs and hotels have invested huge amounts of money to upgrade their premises and turn the resort around. Having lived and worked here for over 30 years, I think I’m entitled to comment, and I don’t think I’ve seen it looking so good. 

                So let’s be positive,  drive this negativity away and look forward to a busy summer. 

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

                Mallorca Too Expensive?

                I see a lot of comments on social media about how expensive Mallorca has become. Being an island that has to import most of its produce, unfortunately means we are hit harder than most. But most of the complaints seem to be about the cost of holidays, flights and hotels. Once again, being an island doesn’t help, as it limits the ways people can get to us. 

                Possibly we have become victims of our own success and popularity means more, and more people are choosing to come here. If Tour Operators, hoteliers and airlines see that demand and load factors are high, then why would they drop their prices? I’m not saying it’s right, but it makes business sense and let’s face it, they are not in it to lose money. A change I have seen is that the Brits do not seem to dominate the market as much as they used to. In the resort of Magalluf which has been a predominantly British resort for years, we are now seeing Germans, French, Italians, Spanish, Scandinavians and Americans. At Pirates, particularly in our family Adventure show, we have seen a huge shift. Years ago, our market would have been 90% British, but that has now slipped to just over 50% with all the other markets filling the space. 

                Mallorca hoteliers who own Iberostar and Melia hotels International hit the headlines when they were announced on Forbes billionaire list. Then came the usual pile on from the keyboard warriors about reducing their hotel prices in Mallorca. Let’s remember that although these businesses are based here, they have hotels and other businesses all over the World. So their fortune is not just built here. When I was in Seville in February, I booked a room for one night at the Eurostars Torre Sevilla for 3 of us, and it cost me €150. The weekend that Real Mallorca played there in the Copa del Rey final, the same hotel was €599 for one night! It’s a trend copied by tour operators, hoteliers and airlines worldwide and if you want to go somewhere that’s popular, I’m afraid you’re going to have to pay for it. 

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

                “I hope that it’s not another 20 years before we do son!”

                You might be surprised when I say that Sevilla didn’t disappoint. Yes, of course it would have been amazing for Real Mallorca to win the Copa Del Rey, but the whole experience was a joy from start to finish. 

                On the Friday, I talked to Hawksbee and Jacob’s on Talksport radio in the UK about how well Real Mallorca had done to actually get to the final. My youngest son Jude and I also visited the club shop at the stadium. Which, as you can imagine, was doing a roaring trade. Credit to the club’s owners, who have built a much larger one when the stadium was being converted. I’m not sure the old one, which was like a broom cupboard, would have coped. I talked about Nike last week, and it’s no surprise that with American owners, Mallorca swapped their shirt sponsor from Umbro to Nike in July 2021. Now they don’t make football shirts like they used to, and the more fashionable tighter fit means a fat git like me struggles to get into one. So I bought a much more flattering and cheaper t-shirt. My son bought the goalkeeper jersey and even though we got a 10% discount as season ticket holders, it was still an eye-watering €76.50.

                Saturday morning we set off for Sevilla. We flew to Valencia and after a short stop we boarded the same plane for the trip to Seville. We arrived at three in the afternoon and asked the taxi driver to take us to as close to the Cathedral he could. As we got out of the taxi, all we could see was red and white Athletic Club shirts. Stories say there were 20,000 with tickets (which we’ll talk about soon) and another 50,000 made the trip without tickets. We found our way to our favourite tapas bar called “Pelayo”. It was a bar recommended to us by a friend, which we visit every time we go to Seville. It is very noticeable that when you’re eating out on the mainland, you can see that Mallorca is much more expensive. On leaving the restaurant, we found the square that quite a few of the Real Mallorca fans were congregating in. There was a great fun atmosphere with lots of singing and drinking. We bumped into quite a few friends, and then we all made our way to the ground. Up to that point, our day had gone really well. The checking of bags by the police just to get into the fan zone outside the ground was to me a bit excessive. But the same bag search happened again as you made your way into the grounds of the stadium. 

                La Cartuja Stadium was built in the mid-nineties, as Sevilla fancied itself as an Olympic host city and set about building a stadium to the exacting standards laid down by the International Olympic Committee. Three years and 120 million euros later, it had a 60,000 capacity stadium, but no Olympic Games as Sevilla didn’t even make the ballot process for the 2004 or the 2008 games. They offered it to both the cities football clubs, but neither Real Betis nor Sevilla wanted an athletics track and to be tenants. So, since then it has hosted some Spain games, the Copa Del Rey, UEFA finals and music concerts. 

                Once inside, it was clear that we were going to be outnumbered by the Athletic fans. They seemed to be everywhere. Each club was supposed to receive 20,000 tickets and the other 20,000 was supposed to go to dignitaries, sponsors and families of the players. But it looked to me that most had been got by the Athletic fans. Some had even got into the Mallorca end, and I think that Mallorca and the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) should look into that. Nevertheless, we out sang their fans, creating an unbelievable atmosphere and most of our fans were in way before the start. Ironic that it’s called the Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) and yet all the Athletic Club fans booed & whistled at the Spanish National Anthem and the King when put onto the big screen!  I’m sure most of you have heard the result by now, so I don’t need to go into any detail. Suffice to say that when we scored it was absolute bedlam, and unfortunately we couldn’t hang on. 

                Grown men, women and children were crying around me, but in truth the best team won. If you could win on heart and passion, the cup would have been ours. Athletic Club’s annual budget is €261.60 compared to Mallorca’s €87.10 and in Nico Williams (man of the match) they have a player arguably worth more than the whole of the Mallorca squad. 

                It is something I will look back on fondly, when 20,000 islanders went to Seville via plane or ferry to the mainland and then car, train, bus, coach, and we showed the World what a passionate football club we are. My Son said “do you think we’ll ever create that atmosphere again Dad?” 

                My reply, “I hope that it’s not another 20 years before we do son!”

                Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

                Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com