Local police getting involved at Cala Varques. | Guillem Mas

TW
0

Try and solve one problem and you simply create another one. In an effort to overcome the "saturation" of vehicles and people, Manacor town hall has banned car parking on the access road to Cala Varques, one of Majorca's principal examples of coastal saturation or "massification". The ban in place, and cars have parked instead on the rural lane of Son Josep de Baix, which leads to Caló des Serral. The town hall has therefore had to put up signs banning parking there as well.

Residents have complained about all this and raised concerns about what might happen in case of emergency (the same point that has been made to support the closure of roads to non-residents going to Cala s'Almonia in Santanyi). The residents are nevertheless grateful that the town hall taken swift action in putting the signs up.

It isn't escaping anyone's attention that the main tourist season is still time away. Where Cala Varques is concerned, the height of summer has meant that cars are parked on the sides of the main road between Porto Cristo and Portocolom (which they shouldn't be) and along the access road. So heavy has been the number of vehicles that some have ended up on private land. Chains have even been broken in order that cars can be parked.

There isn't just an issue with parking for Cala Varques. There are also problems with illegal selling and camping. The town hall last year hired an outside firm to clarify who was responsible for what - town hall, Council of Majorca, government, Guardia Civil. The local security board has looked at measures to deal with parking and the other problems, one of them being the need for heavier policing.

The plan for Cala Varques, about which much was said last year, has yet to be fully agreed. One recommendation was for a car park with a limited number of spaces. However, this is an area of special natural interest, which makes creating a car park somewhat complicated.

It's the start of May and the problems are already arising. Just wait till July and August.