British holidaymakers heading to Majorca are often surprised to find so many German tourists and there is one hotspot on the Spanish island that is likened to a German Magaluf
Tourists at a ‘German Magaluf’ are blasted for being “disrespectful” and “get away with murder” compared to British holidaymakers, say locals.
When people think of Majorca and its tourist hotspots they are drawn to images of Brit youngsters on strips of bars and clubs having had too much to drink. But many holidaymakers are surprised to find that there is an area of the Spanish island full of Germans acting equally the worse for wear. Majorca has long been a favourite holiday destination for Germans and close to the capital Palma is the resort of S’Arenal which is particularly popular. You might think you were in Munich and not Spain with so many German voices filling bars and drinking large quantities of beer.
And so while many Brits head to Majorca, with Magaluf especially popular for its party mood, in fact Germans make up the largest number of tourists, accounting for 40%. As well as S’Arenal, there are other spots on the island which are particularly German such as Peguera and the wealthy head to more exclusive resorts like Port D’Andratx.
And trouble in S’Arenal has even led to German police being drafted in to help the local force in the past.
Spanish locals are said to be angry at the “disrespectful” behaviour of drunk Germans. Drinking in the street is not allowed in parts of Majorca and yet many people can be seen in S’Arenal with bottles and cans in the early hours of the morning.
There is also a feeling that attention is focused on Brits in Magaluf and there is not a similar crackdown in S’Arenal. Although it is also highlighted that fighting is not so common and appears to be a particular British issue.
Gerry Herriot, from Glasgow, has been running Bogart’s, the last remaining British bar on the S’Arenal strip, for the past 42 years and says it used to be a lot more diverse but now it tends to be just Germans who come.
He says the local people are fed up with the way they behave. “There is no respect. The locals have no problem with tourism, but it’s the behaviour. The Germans call it ‘Mali’, short for Majorca. They say ‘we’re in Mali, we’re in Mali’. But they get away with murder here, that’s what the Spanish people have a problem with,” he told the Mail.
“The Spanish say it’s like Disneyland, they treat it like they can do anything. It’s against the law to drink on the streets here since last year but they don’t enforce it. If you walk down you’ll see them with their beer cans. There is no respect. And the police just ignore it.
“A German tourist came in the other day and asked ‘are there any Spanish people living in this area?’ Can you believe that. There are Spanish locals living and working here, and the Germans are all over the streets.” He added about police cracking down on anti-social behaviour. “I think in Magaluf they have been a bit stricter. They need to do the same here,” he said.