Beneath the Ses Veles industrial estate in Bunyola lies an extensive underground network few people know exists. The sprawling concrete tunnels, originally built to house water, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, could also serve as a shelter if ever needed. Access is via a discreet spiral staircase that descends to multiple tunnel levels, which are closed to the public and monitored daily by private security funded by the estate’s owners.
Built in 2006 purely for technical purposes, the network was designed to streamline maintenance of essential services without disrupting surface-level operations. Carrying out repairs underground helps avoid interruptions to the industrial estate and the surrounding area.
Sources familiar with the project say the tunnels are significantly larger than those typically found in similar estates, making them more expensive to build at the time. Today, however, the scale allows for more efficient management of the networks. The complex consists of spacious, enclosed concrete corridors lined with pipes, creating an environment entirely isolated from the outside world. While not officially designated as a refuge, the network could accommodate sizeable numbers of people in a protective setting if required.
In the context of current international tensions, such infrastructure has taken on new significance. Though not intended as a shelter, the tunnels offer conditions comparable to those found in underground protection facilities.
The existence of the galleries only recently came to wider attention following complaints about illegal waste dumping around the Ses Veles estate. An otherwise overlooked space was brought into the spotlight, amid ongoing challenges for the industrial estate. Together with Bunyola Town Hall, landowners and businesses have appealed to the Balearic Government and Provincial Council for support, highlighting issues such as uncontrolled rubbish, abandoned vehicles and containers, and poor upkeep of landscaping, signage and lighting.