There hasn't in fact been a site that truly merited a description 'camping' for some 25 years. But an association of caravaners and campers, AMMICCA, is now determined to press for a regulatory framework that permits and protects this activity and that will create sites in Mallorca. In support of its demands, the association says it represents "new responsible tourism" that distributes wealth among small businesses.
In 2020 there were around 350 campsites in Spain. By 2023 there were some 800. Catalonia is the market leader. The Balearics sit at the bottom of the regional ranking. There are five sites. They are in Ibiza and Menorca and not all of these operate in the low season. In Mallorca there isn't a single one, although there is a place for a limited number of caravans and motorhomes to park in Son Serra de Marina.
Along the Bay of Alcudia from Son Serra is what is now known as the Valentin Playa de Muro Hotel. For a time it was called Blue Bay Resort. But even under that name, it was locally remembered as 'Camping'. Bus schedules continued to refer to Camping years after it had ceased to be. The change was brought about as the result of a sanctioning procedure by the ministry of tourism. This was soon after the first PSOE-led coalition took power in 1999. The site had a permit as a campsite but the ministry considered that it was operating a hotel regime. It had caravans and some bungalows. To cut a long story short, there was a change to the licence, the camping disappeared and the number of bungalows increased. It became a hotel.
One has to go back further, though, to understand why camping is so limited in the Balearics. Following the establishment of regional autonomous government in 1983, the first tourism ministry was created. The minister was Jaume Cladera. With hotel interests, he had been a leading figure at the Fomento del Turismo, the private Mallorca Tourist Board which until 1983 had been central to much tourism organisation and promotion.
Cladera set about introducing a host of decrees to regulate tourism. One of them, passed in 1986, specifically dealt with camping. The requirements of this decree didn't make camping impossible but they did make it very difficult. That decree is the single most important reason why there are nowadays just the five sites. On the mainland, by contrast, camping was to flourish. Today there are some quite grand sites, such as one in Benidorm.
The current tourism ministry is working on new regulations. These are said to be at an "embryonic" stage. In January 2024, the Council of Mallorca agreed to consult with town halls on finding suitable spaces for parking and overnight stays for motorhomes, caravans and camper vans. There has been no major progress since then; quite the opposite. More and more municipalities are restricting the parking of these vehicles. Muro has agreed to create a space next to the Escola Graduada in the town. This is a preliminary measure to banning parking on the coast.
AMMICCA is determined to bring about regulatory change, but the chances of anything significant are limited. Spaces with services for parking may be created. As for large campsites, it can be concluded that there will never be any.
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Les ChaseProbably a good idea but £10 -20 per week sounds to me too cheap if you going to dump wastewater and chemicals including and electrical hookups.
Les, driving through France is a nightmare with all the dutch camper vans and caravans. Does every dutch person own one? Anyway my French friends say the Dutch are known as scabs by the French because they spend no money, eat packed lunches but use all the roads and facilities. We don't want loads of these people coming to Mallorca, they add zero value.
Zoltan TeglasI believe that you are totally correct regarding this !
It is a real Pity but for there to be properly organised campsites around Mallorca it would require investment and cooperation from Politicians both of which in Mallorca are and have been in very short supply the anti foreigner group is not dead and it will take year´s before we see any change so the camper´s many of them Spanish some Mallorcan have to drive around in smaller towns trying to find place´s where they can park for a bit there is and will continue to be no clear legislation regarding campers only Bad talk and negative comments about them .
Good, Mallorca doesn't want or need this type of down market tourism aimed at low rent people.
I don't understand the problem Mallorca's politicians have with campsites. No doubt the hotel lobby are against them so that would explain it.
It is such a shame there are no official campsites for tourists in Mallorca. I have been visiting Cala Millor since 1989, and had an apartment in the resort for a number of years, but as I was unable to make good use of it for various reasons, I decided to sell up and buy a small 6 meter motorhome for myself and my small dog to travel in. Yes last year 2024, I drove to Mallorca through France, and had a wonderful drive down and back, seeing more than I ever have seen at 35000 over France. It would be fantastic to have Mallorca, and Cala Millor as part of a European holiday in the future, should I wish to do so. There is space at the back of the resort for a nice purpose built campsite for tourists, which could have say a maximum stay of 14 nights in any one place. One could also allow tents for people wishing to have that style of camping. Just make the campsites enclosed, and entry and exit barriers to prevent outsiders entering the sites. If there was a shower block, and toilets, possibly but not a necessity for motorhomes, but somewhere where waste water, both chemical and grey can be emptied, plus electric hook up is all one would need. It would also bring extra business for local shops, bars and restaurants. Not everyone would be driving clogging the roads up as most would park up and use local facilities. Also perhaps have a maximum stay of 28 days on the island per motorhome, and a visiting charge of say €10 to €20 per week on entry or exit.