Following the Supreme Court ruling which obliged Campos town hall to demolish the chiringuito bars on Es Trenc beach, questions started to be asked about other chiringuitos in Majorca. The regional environment ministry sent a letter to the Costas Authority regarding the legality of fourteen bars. That letter has raised concerns among people who operate the bars.
One example is the S'Illeta bar in Camp de Mar. Gabriel Bisquerra runs it and says that it is part of the landscape. It has been there since 1963. "We are the first to take care of the coast," he adds, also noting that the bar provides work for five families.
In the case of the bar at Playa del Mago (Portals Vells), the family establishment has existed for more than forty years, a similar length of time to the Es Repós restaurants at Portals Vells beach. There is opposition to any idea of these bars being removed and replaced by demountable ones, as is the case at Es Trenc.
In Estellencs, there is a bar at the cove. It's run by Adriano Nicosia. Residents say that since they were small, the chiringuito has always been there.
6 comments
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To the locals,YOU vote for them,get real,oppose or shut up.To silver silver surfer,common sense and politics in Mallorca will never meet!To Mike,to get the government to concentrate on the real illegal issues would require a decision to be made as to who actually now runs/ rule this island!!
Why don't they just give them the keys to the airport and they can shut that as well. Tourism rules and tourism is being cut on this island too much. By means of too many silly new laws. Including music licenses etc etc. too many back handers about
Surely common sense should prevail. Is there no law of "sitting tenants" or something similar which could be applied ? Why not legalise those bars that have been there for 5 years or more, remove the others or put them up for a legal contract. More funds should be used to stop the illegal beach and street traders - and fine anyone caught buying from them ! I suppose one of the problems is that those in power are not exactly squeaky clean themselves.
I totally agree with Steves comment. I also think these bars should be temporary so that anyone can bid for the space each year. So maybe the council should shut up, put one up and rent it out!! I was Es Trenc on the weekend and now we have people up and down every 2 minutes shouting coco melone blah blah serving out of wheel barrows!!!!! This could so easily have been sorted over the winter.. and they say the English are crazy!!
I do not understand all the fuss about the chiringuito's having to be demolished and replaced ( or not ? ) They are all enjoyable places and probably the only still authentic thing on the island. In our part Pto de Soller they have also removed one a few years ago and the restaurant Es Repos we also know well. It would really be sad seeing this changed. They are talking about being there illegally but they have a real added value .The government should concentrate on other illegal "things" such as street vendors, illegal residents ,illegal immigrants barking off the shores and other sores as low-lifes on party boats and in some resorts giving the island a bad name who do more harm then these beach bars/restaurants
Illegal or not these bars clearly provide a much needed resource for the public and employ people who may otherwise struggle for work. Demolition is the easy way out for officialdom but their main objective should be to preserve and legitimise them by somehow bringing them into a regulated system that protects everybody.