Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Change of Image
In recent years, however, Mallorca's tourism weathervane has slowly been changing dir-
ection, with an increasing focus on sustainability, eco-awareness and year-round activit-
ies. The island is waking up to the fact that thoughtless construction and anonymous
package-holiday hotels are the past, not the future. Mallorca is starting to shrug off its
reputation for boozy resorts and cheap-as-chips English breakfasts - and not before time,
some would add.
Agritourism has shown that it is more than just a passing fad, and more and more
fin-
cas
(working farms) are opening their doors to visitors, with charmingly rustic accom-
modation, peaceful locations and meals that make the most of home-grown organic pro-
duce. In towns and cities, manor houses are being sensitively restored as boutique hotels.
All of which is helping to change the image of tourism in Mallorca, by placing the em-
phasis on authentic local experiences and cultural immersion.
Though many resorts still go into winter hibernation, some hotels in towns and vil-
lages are now staying open in the low season, mostly to cater for a growing number of
travellers who come for the island's outdoor activities. Bradley Wiggins regularly trains
for the Tour de France in the Tramuntana, and recent press coverage has helped publicise
just how fantastic Mallorca is for outdoor pursuits. Adventure-sports companies offering
everything from guided hikes and mountain biking to canyoning, caving and coasteering
are rising in number. Their message? Look beyond the beach. The word is spreading that
Mallorca has year-round appeal.
For an island that is banging the drum about its sustainable tourism, unique landscapes
and outdoor activities, the Serra de Tramuntana's inscription on the Unesco World Herit-
age List of Cultural Landscapes in 2011 was the icing on the cake - these wild mountains
are now even more of a draw to tourists and for all the right reasons.
An asteroid discovered by Mallorcan astronomers in 1997 was named 9900 Ramon Llull
after the island's great medieval philosopher, writer and evangelist.
TIMELINE
7200 BC
Archaeologists date the first human settlements in Mallorca to this time, based on carbon-
dated findings in the southwest of the island in Cova de Canet, a cave near Esplores.
