‘I don’t think we’re in Spain, Hannah. How can I believe it when everything is written in German?’ With this sentence, an American tourist summed up his confusion upon arriving for the first time in the area of El Arenal, in Mallorca, a place where the signs, menus and billboards seem to transport Americans directly to Bavaria.
The video, recorded by his companion and shared on social media, shows the tourist walking among Bavarian flags, restaurants with German names and supermarkets with signs in German. ‘Maybe German is the new Spanish,’ jokes his companion, while he insists: ‘I think we’re in Germany.’ Only at the end, after checking their location, does the tourist exclaim with laughter: ‘My God, we’re in Spain!’
The scene sparked hundreds of comments from users, but it has also reopened the debate about the strong German presence in certain tourist areas of the island. In El Arenal - popularly known as ‘Arenal de los alemanes’ (the Germans’ Arenal) — there is an abundance of establishments run by Germans, menus featuring schnitzel and currywurst, and even venues that broadcast Bundesliga matches.
What is part of everyday life for Mallorcans can be quite a surprise for newcomers. And although the American tourist finally confirmed that yes, he was still in Spain, his reaction humorously sums up what happens on the island season after season. However, not everyone finds it funny. Last month, Raúl Espigares, the vice president of an Arenal neighbourhood association and a reporter for Llucmajor Television, said that this summer has been the worst for insecurity in Arenal and that “things are getting worse”.
There have long been issues with anti-social behaviour and crime, but a spokesperson for another association, Amics del Arenal, claimed that “this year has been the pinnacle”. There have been dozens of muggings and other robberies. The problems have been reported to Llucmajor Town Hall, but the councillor for the area has “downplayed” them.