Leading French newspaper Le Figaro has published a travel article written by Mélanie Mendelewitsch which points out areas to avoid in Mallorca. She highlights the tension being caused by mass tourism and how it is making life uncomfortable for local residents. however, she does claim that there are too many French in Deya!
According to Le Figaro, Magalluf “is the stronghold of the English. A concrete haven for young revellers from across the Channel, this district of the municipality of Calvia is packed with pubs and cheap boutiques. While the beach is pleasant out of season, the noisy streets should be avoided at all costs in summer, especially at night.
“Arenal, downmarket Run-down and not exactly reassuring, the Arenal district on the outskirts of Palma should be off your itinerary. Overrun by German tourists in the morning, its narrow beach is noisy, and its seafront, with its dilapidated buildings, is limited to a string of low-end souvenir shops.
The best thing to do in summer in Palma: for a stroll at the end of the day or an artisanal ice cream on a pretty paseo, head for Puerto Pollença in the north of the island, Puerto Andratx or Soller.
“Santanyí, home of the Germans. A change of scenery: located in the south-east of the island, Santanyí is a picturesque village, fully representative of Mallorcan DNA at first glance. The only problem? The town has been taken over by the German community and has lost its Catalan identity. Goethe’s language is spoken almost exclusively here, to the extent that restaurant menus and the stalls at its famous market are displayed in German only.
The alternative: Pollença, Arta or Santa Maria del Cami, authentic Mallorcan villages where locals mingle with tourists from all over the world.
“Deia, too Parisian. Since there’s nothing more irritating than running into French tourists abroad, we couldn’t finish without telling you about Deia, a pocket village in the north-west of the island. Although this artists’ haven of 15 square kilometres and less than 700 inhabitants is pleasant - albeit quick - to visit, it is (over)populated by Parisian tourists from the fashion and communications industries who flock there purely out of gregarious instinct.
We prefer: Valdemossa, Puigpunyent or Banyalbufar, enclaved villages in the Serra de Tramuntana that are just as photogenic, but without the snobbery.”