From a trickle to a torrent

Regular visitors to Camp de Mar's beach will know well the trickle of water from the stream to the sea that run across it.

However, the recent heavy storms in the region caused the stream to turn into a torrent that has practically cut the beach in two!

For more details and a recent photo, visit this page on The Majorca Daily Bulletin.

Building works underway... more planned

We're sorry to report that the construction of the new megahotel is well underway, and that large swathes of land behind the golf course - on the popular path to Peguera - have disappeared as the earth movers and diggers go about their business.

Consequently, noise, dust and numerous lorry movements dominate the village.

This video courtesy of Diario de Mallorca shows what's going.

The local council are also continuing plans to build a roundabout on the main road to Andratx to ease the problem of vehicles turning into and out of Camp de Mar across fast moving traffic. Local landowners have been up in arms about the compulsory annexation of their land for the project, which is up for tender soon.

The council are also looking to locate a municipal depot in Camp de Mar, and there is speculation about permission for a boat yard for dry storage of small vessels.

Exciting times ahead.

Massive all-inclusive hotel set to dominate Camp de Mar's hinterland

Zafiro Hotels will be opening their third 'Palace' Hotel - a modern and innovative 5-star hotel providing services designed to allow guests to experience the genuine pleasure of the most unique and privileged holidays - in 2020.

This massive development will feature large gardens and spaces adapted for children of all ages, eleven outdoor swimming pools and two indoor pools and an extensive range of activities both inside and outside the hotel.

The Zafiro Palace Andratx (artist's impression pictured above) is being built beside the Andratx Golf Club.

For more details, visit this dedicated webpage

We're moving!

www.camp-de-mar.info is moving to a new hosting platform and will be off the air for a while...

'Arts & Crafts' market this Saturday evening

A night arts & crafts market will take place in Camp de Mar from 6pm on Saturday, June 23rd in celebration of Sant Joan.

Spanish air traffic controllers threaten strike action

Palma de Mallorca airport could be hit by delays as Spanish air traffic controllers threaten to go on strike later this week.

More on this story here (via Daily Mail).

Palma De Mallorca Airport photo by Karl Baron is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Lost something valuable on the beach?

Tourists around the globe dread the moment their favourite ring disappears from off their finger. It could be in the sand or the sea... where do you start looking?

Thankfully, www.detectorist.eu can help with a worldwide network of metal detecting enthusiasts who try to hunt down the missing heirloom.

The site has many success stories of recoveries in areas with what seems impossible odds. The beaches of Paguera for example!

Now news reaches us of a gold ring found in Alcudia.

Do you know a Victoria who got married on January 12th 2008? If so, has her husband lost his wedding band?

Find out more via this post on Facebook.

The work of Eduardo Blanco Alvarez, artist...

Camp de Mar has been popular with many artists over the years and we often feature their work. So, if anyone is interested in owning an original watercolour of the island restaurant for 200 euros, then pop over to the page of Eduardo Blanco Alvarez on ARTEnet.

For copyright reasons, we cannot actually show you the painting!

Golf club appeals fine for using fresh water

Golf Camp de Mar has applied to appeal the quarter million euro fine it received last year for using water extracted from a well to keep its course lush and green.

The company's lawyer has asked for the judgement to be set aside due to legal obligations the company acquired following its purchase of the course after the previous owner went bankrupt.

According to documents submitted, the company was compelled to honour existing contracts for the supply of water and did not know that one of these suppliers was using a fresh water well.

That contract was terminated as soon as they were informed of the contravention, and new arrangements were made for course irrigation.

Talks continue about improving road access to resort

The journey by road from Palma is fairly uneventful until exiting the Son Vich tunnel. It's then that you get your first glimpse of Camp de Mar in the distance as the Ma-1 snakes its way down to the turn-off.

Unfortunately, this junction is one of the more dangerous ones in Mallorca, being at the lower end of the curved road that descends from Andratx. Consequently left turning traffic, especially the long tourist coaches, have to cross the path of fast moving vehicles coming down the hill.

To alleviate this problem, the authorities have restarted talks in an effort to approve plans for a roundabout. This would improve road safety for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

We look forward to its completion.

Island restaurant under threat of demolition

News reaches us that Camp de Mar's world famous Illetas Bar & Restaurante could be demolished.

A Supreme Court ruling obtained by the authority in Madrid responsible for public beaches throughout Spain affects beachbars - Chiringuitos, especially those of a permanent nature. The new law requires such structures to be removable at the end of the holiday season.

As the 54 year old island restaurant is not, it faces demolition.

The regional environment ministry has enquired of Madrid about the legality of Camp de Mar's key tourist feature, and over a dozen others around Mallorca, so keep watching this space.

Latest report from Camp de Mar now online

Our latest report from Camp de Mar is now online.

Resort update

The review team has just returned from Camp de Mar and a full report with photos is currently in preparation but, to keep you up to date, here are some news items...

There is building work going on at one of the older villas on the eastern side of the bay with demolition noises and vehicle movements at odd times during the working week. Thankfully, weekends were quiet.

Most shops, bars and restaurants are now open. The exception being the Accana Summer Club, which is not due to open until June. The old Spar supermarket under the Playa hotel has reopened with a fresh new look and a good range of products, while alongside it a Scuba Academy was being fitted out.

The new Airport Bus Service - A11 - is operating between Peguera and Son Sant Joan Aeroport. Timetable here.

New bus route planned for Camp de Mar

Five new bus routes are being introduced by the Baleares government later this year.

Planned to run from the airport to popular tourist destinations, they will cut the need to travel into Palma on local EMT bus route 1 in order to change onto a TIB bus to continue the journey onward to a resort.

The initial proposal has recently been revised following local protests about the limited number of stops. This has seen the extension of the route to Santa Ponsa onward to Paguera and then terminating at Camp de Mar. The other four routes will end in or near: Alcudia, Cala d'Or, Cala Millor and Magalluf.

The routes will be operated by Transabus and Arriva, although we're not sure which company will run what services just yet.

From tomorrow - March 1st - the Spring timetable for bus L102 comes into operation and we've noticed that a couple of times a day a new Express bus service runs from Andratx to Palma (and vice versa) missing out those stops in between - thus shaving about 25 minutes off the journey time.

It's been snowing in Mallorca today (video)

It's been snowing in Mallorca today as this video uploaded to Facebook shows:

Hiring a car at the airport? Here's a few useful tips

When hiring a car, it is a good idea to check for those any dents or scratches before you drive off. However, the UK's Daily Mail reports on the new tricks of the car hire trade to empty your wallet - and some big names are mentioned. So, we will stick with honest Fernando and his little Autos de la Gala Blas for our motors in Camp de Mar!

The £42,000,000 villa

Just gone on the market is a sprawling villa complex that's perched on the apex of the hills overlooking the bay, on the right, as you look out to sea.

Valued at forty-two million pounds, you get 2 main houses, plus 1 for guests. That's 10 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, if you're interested, and all mod-cons including infinity pool.

Some speculate it belongs to Claudia Schiffer, others to members of the the Spanish Royal Family.

Want to see more... follow this link: https://goo.gl/mReUuf

Golf Camp de Mar caught with their pipes down (the well) it has been alleged

Golf Camp de Mar has been outed by environmental group Terraferida as the culprit in a charge raised by environmental inspectors against an unnamed golf course in Andratx for using drinking water to keep their greens green.

It is alleged that the suspect golf course had an extensive irrigation system fed from an acquifer, and that it was capable of extracting up to 720 cubic metres of  water per day - that's enough drinking water for a small town of 5,000 people according to Vicenç Vidal, Minister of the Environment.

He continued that the seriousness of the offence could lead to a fine of between ten thousand euros and one million euros.

A long way down: A true story

Earlier this year, one of our team was out exploring the remoter parts of Camp de Mar and reported on the construction of a new cliff edge villa. This was being built in front of an existing villa, and adjacent to another that was being extended. Now news reaches us of a spectacular accident in that area of Carrer Gerani.

According to the media, an excavator working on one of the two sites - we're not sure which - fell 50 metres into the sea, with the operator jumping from the digger in time to save himself by landing in some pine trees on the way down. A feat not unknown to many a Hollywood action star!

You can read more here and here with photos.

A long way down is reference to the movie featuring ex-Bond actor Pierce Brosnan - a man used to jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire - that was filmed partly in Camp de Mar.

Claudia Schiffer's gardener, two pine trees, and an unhappy neighbour

Willi Weber complained that the trees disappeared from his garden in 2015

News from Mallorca's leading daily has popped up in our Daily Mail concerning Claudia Schiffer's gardener, two pine trees and a neighbour's home.

Read more here.