“There is a buzz in New York about Mallorca”

Olivia, 26, was born in Germany and first came to Mallorca with her parents as a little girl. However, it was not until June last year that she returned to the island for a family holiday and, having been reintroduced to Mallorca, realised how glorious the island is and how much potential it has as a remote working destination, not to mention for a holiday.

“So this year, I decided to move to Mallorca for a few months.
“I arrived in March and will be heading back in June but looking ahead I plan to return full time next year. Having been born in Germany, I have a German passport, so that is going to make moving here easier, especially with regard to the paperwork,” she said. Olivia has been renting an apartment in Soller but she has so many favourite parts of the island.

“I love Camp de Mar and escaping to and exploring all the little bays and coves in the east of the island but, most off all, it’s so wonderful to be so close to the ocean,” said Olivia, who studied in Seattle and then California before moving to and working in New York.

“Life is obviously by no means as hectic as in New York and everything, while being so diverse, is so close, be it the beaches, the mountains - I love being surrounded by them in Soller - the little villages or Palma. For us Americans, everything is on the doorstep. Plus the flight connections between Mallorca and the States are so much better. Last year we came over with United Airlines, but this time, coming out of season and with my two cats, I had to choose a different route. But it was still relatively quick, easy and far from expensive. There are so many flight connections and they are only increasing, which is great for the US/Mallorca market,” she said.

“Mallorca is an island, rather like Manhattan, and it is so well connected with the rest of Europe, so it’s really easy to nip off the island for a few days and explore other parts of Spain or Europe, which is also proving to be another attractive factor for the North American market. Mallorca is the ideal base for people wishing to explore Europe.

“The lifestyle, weather permitting of course, is rather similar to New York, which has become very European with rows of coffee shops, bars and restaurants with their terraces and everyone sitting outside. So I think that helps to ease people coming from New York in particular into the way of life here in Mallorca.

“The island and Palma are full of surprises, which I don’t think many Americans are aware of.
“I love nothing more than just wandering around Palma, exploring the back streets and the lanes. The shopping is great, although I’m not that convinced by the food, which can be very expensive if you’re not careful. I work on a price-of-beer format. If a beer is over 2.50 euros, then I study the menu prices carefully.

“Nevertheless, the cost of eating in a quality restaurant in Palma is around a quarter of what it would be in New York.

“So yeah, the cost of living and the quality of living is far better here than in New York and on my return to the island taking out a longer rental will be much cheaper than the short one me, my boyfriend, sister and her roommate have taken out.

“The Balearic fashion, the local loose beach and summer designs and fabric are amazing and I’ve found some wonderful little local boutiques in and around Soller.

“The architecture is so varied, never mind centuries old and incredibly beautiful, plus all the art galleries and the culture in general. I’ve found the people very open, friendly and welcoming, although there are a lot of Britons and Germans about,” she said.

“With regard to work, I’ve managed to plan and organise my routine extremely well and it’s working, which bodes well for the future when I return.

“While I’ve been here, I have continued to work my nine-to-five job, but on a three-to-11 schedule. (Mallorca is five hours ahead of the east coast of the United States.) And that has meant that I’ve been able to use the morning to get out and about and film before settling down to work.
“It feels like you have field trip hours in the morning,” she added.

“And filming during the day is so much easier. Being able to get up and not worry about having to get back for something,” as she might have to do if filming content during working hours, “makes it a much more enjoyable experience”.

“What I have been doing is focusing on a variety of themes in Mallorca from the more typical and traditional tourism shoots to providing advice, tips and guides for Americans planning on either visiting or relocating to Mallorca.

“I want to reach out to my followers and inspire them to come here, so I recommend certain restaurants, beaches, attractions, museums, shops, hikes, you name it, while I also explain how the excellent public transport system works. That resonates with so many New Yorkers, who depend on and use public transport on a daily basis albeit for business or pleasure.

“And I have the impression that the community, although it is very cosmopolitan in some areas, is well balanced. And Palma is just so cool.

“I know the Nomad visas for remote digital workers in Spain are proving very popular in the United States, but apart from that, with all the flight connections and more information being out there on the social media platforms about places like Mallorca, more and more people in North America are getting interested in Mallorca. There is definitely a buzz about Mallorca in New York, and I guess across the States.

“In the bars and restaurants, I was hearing more and more people talk about Mallorca before I relocated and no doubt, when I return, there is going to be an even greater interest in Mallorca as a place to holiday or as a place to come and work. The island has so much going for it and I think much of it appeals to Americans; it offers so many things that Americans enjoy.

“For me, it’s definitely somewhere where I intend to make a permanent move to as soon as I can,” Olivia said.