Let's Say It Like It Is

As hinted at yesterday, that appraisal of Puerto Pollensa, an appraisal offered through the eyes of visitors, in this case the parents of someone well-known to me who operates in both ports - Alcúdia and Pollensa. It is interesting as it is opinion somewhat removed from the everyday proximity of those who live here and comes from people who are - and I quote - "well-travelled and easily pleased". In a way, this is the latest in a series of instalments about Puerto Pollensa, one of the more recent of which was 17 April ("Wonderland"). That was far from uncritical of the town. Now, it is certainly not my intention to enter into some form of "get Puerto Pollensa" movement. Quite the contrary. But it so happens that the town does seem to be attracting more than its fair share of comment, much of it less than positive. Were I to receive similar for Alcúdia, I would share this as well, but it also so happens that I don't. I stress the on the "contrary", as the negativity disappoints and should inspire a movement of its own - to put one of Mallorca's finest resorts back on the right tracks. Appended to the email I received yesterday was a comment which said that "for a tourist resort that sells itself as family friendly and of a high quality, it better get ready for a big shock ... Pollensa Council needs to get itself sorted out or a lot of people will suffer". And this does rather encapsulate what is being said, and said quite widely, and has been said for a fair while now.

In a nutshell, what this appraisal brought forth were the opinions that there is building work everywhere, that if you stand back and take a good look it (the resort) is not that nice, it is just flats, and that the beach smells of poo. Of these, the whiff of excreta is not unique to Puerto Pollensa beach, but there has been something of an ongoing sewage problem in a part of the beach. But this is not or should not be a major issue. What is, is the transformation of the place. And all that building work is mainly to blame. It is difficult to any longer justify Puerto Pollensa's claim to the word "charming", with the exception of the pinewalk which my correspondents like.

The fact that these same correspondents agree that Alcúdia is a nicer place is not the first such comment along these lines that has come my way. That it is being said should make people take due note. It is not so long ago that such a statement would have been met with a degree of scoffing; not any longer though.

I have a suspicion that there is a malaise of complacency in Puerto Pollensa, both among the authorities and some who live there, but even among the latter there are stirrings, such as those comments aired by Garry Bonsall to "The Bulletin" the other day. But complacency I fancy there is, and it is a complacency founded on a reputation - one of a degree of exclusivity and of prettiness - that started to fade a while ago and continues to do so.

Puerto Pollensa has long judged itself a place of that ghastly term - quality tourism. I hate this description for its elitism and smugness. Moreover, it does not obtain to the extent that may well once have been the case. Stories of families of four who share one pizza are as common there as they are along The Mile in Alcúdia. Nevertheless, one of the the main differences between Puerto Pollensa and Puerto Alcúdia (apart from the obvious absence of a Mile in the former) is the far greater number of hotels in the latter. The proportion of holidaymakers staying in non-hotel accommodation in Puerto Pollensa is significantly higher than Alcúdia, a factor that does - still - lend a sense of exclusivity. My guess is that were one able to conduct a survey of wealth by unit of holidaymaker, Puerto Pollensa would still be - proportionally - a "richer" resort than its neighbour. But this only goes to emphasise the fact that the place no longer lives up to the type of reputation that attracted this category of holidaymaker in the first place. It comes back to complacency and questionable decisions. Many said that the arrival of Burger King a few years back was something of a nail in the coffin. I felt people didst protest too much, but maybe they had a point. Since then, there has been the Dakota-isation of the front line, and all that building. And let's not even go on again about the roads - it is not just Gotmar that has been neglected, try avoiding the holes along Roger de Flor and Pere Melia, just as starters.

Coming back to the email, the "shock" that might be in store for Puerto Pollensa could come from the "first journo who comes ... and does a write-up for 'The Mail' or some rag like that. Boom - drop in bookings - it's as easy as that." Better stop putting stuff on this blog then.


QUIZ
Yesterday's chain - Paul Simon to Art Garfunkel to "Bright Eyes", "Watership Down" and Richard Adams to Bryan Adams and therefore "Summer of 69". And so how do you get from the Groover from Vancouver to "I Will Always Love You". Yesterday's title - Talking Heads. Today's title - more old favourites; the line that precedes this is "living out in your town".

(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)