“Magaluf needs to focus on quality at all levels”

What works are currently being carried out on the Passeig Marítim de Magaluf?

Phase 1 has just been completed, with phase 2 scheduled to begin in November. The works consist of the total remodelling of the current promenade and the streets leading to it. This includes improvements to paving, the perimeter wall, lighting, the low-voltage network, the supply of drinking water and recycled water, the fire prevention network, and the rainwater and wastewater drainage system. There’ll also be new street furniture and plants, and better landscaping. Video surveillance will also be installed for user control.

What needs led to this remodelling?

The remodelling responds to several needs: outdated materials on the current promenade, which is more than twenty-five years old; the desire to create a fresher, more modern and welcoming design; and the need to widen the narrow promenade, something that has not been physically authorised. The goal is also to renaturalise the beach through landscaping, using plant species typically found on the Mediterranean shore, as well as the creation of two artificial dunes.

The first phase has already been completed, what’s your assessment so far?

Users are happy with the final result. After seven months of construction work, and all the inconveniences it brought, business owners have finally been able to open their doors to the public. Bars, restaurants, hotels, as well as residents and tourists in general, have congratulated us for a job well done and for having met the deadlines. The assessment is therefore very positive.

One of the major aspects of the project is landscape integration. How has the promenade been designed to blend in with the natural environment?

The integration strategy is based on six points. Natural materials have been used including stone paving, and the boundary wall has been made as low as possible, with a fretwork base and a light, curved crown, creating a warm design that blends in with the sand. Vegetation includes palm trees and shrubs that grow along the Mediterranean shore, watered with rainwater collected on the promenade or recycled water. Under the promenade, a system has been built to collect, store and treat runoff water, which is discharged to the sea via two natural streams and an artificial pipeline. Also, foot showers have been installed that use groundwater, thus reducing the consumption of drinking water and the loss of sand. Finally, two artificial dunes have been created to restore the natural formation of the beach.

There’s talk of ‘renaturalising the coastline’. What type of vegetation has been planted and why have native species been chosen?

New palm trees (Washingtonia robusta) have been planted and some existing ones (Phoenix dactylifera) have been moved. We’ve sought to vary the species because Washingtonia palms don’t suffer from weevil attacks. Ammophila arenaria, Asteriscus maritimus and Juniperus phoenicea turbinata have been planted on the dunes, and Tamarix ramosissima and Elymus farctus in the shrub areas. Native species have been chosen, as they’re adapted to the coastal environment and don’t require much water.

The project includes new developments such as the use of recycled water for irrigation and groundwater showers. What role does sustainable water have on the promenade?

The need to save drinking water, which is becoming increasingly scarce, was taken into account from the outset. For this reason, foot showers have been installed which are fed with saline groundwater from under the sand, extracted using pumps. Moreover, the promenade collects surface water (from rainfall, street cleaning and occasional irrigation) and sends it to two large reservoirs located along the first phase. From there, they pass through decanters that apply a first treatment before discharging them, once clean, into the two existing streams, which directly benefits the water at Magaluf beach. If this collected water is not available, the plant watering system uses recycled water.

It has been said that the transformation seeks ‘a Magaluf for all’. How do you balance use by tourists with that of local citizens?

A balance between tourism and local life can only be achieved by fully committing to quality at all levels. Quality in the urban design of this project in turn leads to an improvement to the tourist attractions, restaurants and small businesses available. One leads to the other; they can’t be seen as separate. By improving the urban setting, we also get a better tourist profile, thereby raising the standard of living for residents and encouraging them to return to enjoy the beach, the promenade and everything it has to offer.

The project is co-financed by Next Generation EU funds and sustainable tourism tax. How has this injection of funds made it happen?

Funding from Next Generation EU funds and sustainable tourism tax has been crucial to making the project a reality. Calvià Town Council has provided the momentum, executive capacity, its engineers and staff, but without this outside help it wouldn’t be possible to undertake such a large scale of public works. Bear in mind that the municipality is very large, with more than eighteen town centres and over 54 km of coastline.

What is the expected timeframe for implementing the second phase and what measures will be taken to minimise the impact on businesses and tourism?

The works are set to be completed by 30 May, with the aim of minimising disruption during the peak tourist season. To reduce the impact on businesses and tourism, measures similar to those of the first phase will be put in place. This includes opening and closing hours for the affected businesses, ongoing communication about the impact of the work, maintenance—where possible—of access to fords and pedestrian crossings, temporary safety lighting, installation of concealment screens and irrigation systems to control dust, storage of materials in external locations, daily cleaning of pedestrian walkways and coordination with transport lines to report possible changes.

How do you think this will impact future harmony between residents and the tourism model in Magaluf?

I think the impact will be positive, as long as quality is maintained in all aspects. From an urban design point of view, it’s essential to keep investing in the restoration of public spaces and the improvement of service networks. It’s important to extend these actions to areas that have not yet been properly restored, and to upgrade those that have already been improved but which, over time, will require updating and adapting to new standards of urban and environmental quality.