The Alcúdia Town Council, with the help of the Government, is drafting a Plan of Uses of its public mountains. These are two of the most visited mountains in Mallorca, La Victòria (the largest public estate on the island) and Sant Martí (a strategic point for paragliding enthusiasts).
The pandemic has increased the human pressure on both spaces and the Council hopes that the new regulation allows to make their public use compatible with the conservation of the environment.
Proof of the pressure suffered by the environment is the death by dog attacks of several Balearic bocs, recently reported by The Majorca Daily Bulletin. Remember dogs must be on the lead at all times.. There are also illegal races and excursions with quads and buggies, the Council is going to prohibit their use imminently.
La Victòria is, with 1,198 hectares, is the largest public estate in Mallorca. It has been declared a Natural Area of Special Interest. It is home to the most popular youth camp and hostel in the Balearic Islands, which are municipally owned but managed by IBJove. The mountain has an important big game hunting reserve (the first authorised in the Islands). It has a hermitage (with a small guesthouse), a restaurant, a beach bar and several recreational areas in the protected area. Part of the land (Cap de Pinar) is owned by the Ministry of Defence despite the historical attempts of the Town Council to recover its ownership.
The Council has launched a recovery plan for the chamomile within the military zone but, like everything else, it is a balancing act. "We are working with two botanists and it is recovering, but it is also a big game reserve and the goats eat the chamomile, so we have to control the culling and also do it in the Cap de Pinar," says Adrover. In 2021 the Council set a new challenge, to recover the old lime kilns. It has inventoried seven that will be part of a route that hikers can follow with a QR code system.
In Sant Martí, the proposed Plan will allow paragliding enthusiasts to continue using the mountain as a starting point their flights.