Away from the frontline in Cala Figuera, Santanyi town hall has been grappling for years with a deterioration, which includes the old Apartamentos Siesta having been fenced off.
A solution is now finally at hand. A company called Mallorca Heritage has a project to build nine upmarket homes on the land currently occupied by the old apartments and the Hostal Mar i Cel. Going back almost twenty years, these were popular with young visitors, but they closed and have been abandoned.
Demolition is due to start later this month. The nine houses will have between 400 and 500 square metres of surface. The development, the town hall hopes, will act as an incentive to improve other buildings that are in a poor condition.
The mayor of Santanyí, Maria Pons, says that the work will put an end to the poor image. "We have had a challenge of improvement and now, finally, it will be a reality." She adds that there has been regular public investment but that this hasn't been matched by private investment. "This is a very important project that will boost the revival of Cala Figuera."