The Disgrace Of Son Real

It may not have escaped your attention that I have written quite frequently about the Son Real finca in Santa Margalida. I suspect that most of you will never have been to the finca and that most of you would not normally have the slightest interest in it. Which does of course tell its own story. But interested in the finca or not, its management, or absence of management, and its recent history are the story of government organisation in a Mallorcan style. Profligate, confused, unfocussed, negligent, political. If you want a metaphor for Mallorcan government, you will find it at Son Real, not that you would find it as you wouldn't be bothered to go there.

Son Real, in terms of its volume of ancient remains, is the most important archaeological site on Mallorca. Period. Yet this most important of sites has been treated in a manner, since its acquisition by the Balearic Government in 2002, which amounts to a total and utter disgrace.

The finca was bought out of funds raised by the old eco-tax. Which is interesting in itself, as much of what should have been handed over from the tax wasn't and still hasn't been handed over because hotels which collected it have refused to. Let's give the government of the time (Francesc Antich's first PSOE-led coalition) the benefit of the doubt and accept that the eco-tax was the source of the funds. The finca cost 17.4 million euros.

It then cost a further three million euros for various works to be performed on the finca, including the old buildings that are there and the visitors' centre, a visitors' centre which has been closed for some months.

The cost, while high, can be justified because of the finca's heritage, assuming of course that its value and the value of the work performed were themselves justified. What cannot be justified is the fact that, since the acquisition, precious little has been done in making Son Real a genuine site to attract visitors. Self-financing via entrance fees, even over a period of several years, has simply not happened. The finca's visitor numbers are low, and its promotion, especially to tourists, is lamentable.

Much of the blame for the recent history can be attached to the decision to create the Fundació Balears Sostenible (sustainable Balearics foundation) in 2003. This foundation was designed to administer the eco-tax and, as a consequence, it ended up with overseeing different sites on Mallorca, of which Son Real was one. It was where the foundation was located that has come to be seen as having been the issue: within the tourism ministry.

It is arguable whether the tourism ministry was the correct one to have ultimate responsibility. But perhaps accepting that it wasn't the right one, the current government is to transfer management to the Espais de Natura Balear, which is an organisation within the environment ministry. Whether tourism or environment ministry just highlights the lack of focus in respect of the finca's management. Is it a tourist attraction or is it a place of environmental protection? The new management will hopefully improve the running of the finca, but whether it makes the slightest bit of difference to the number of visitors it attracts must be open to question.

More than just its place on the government's organisational chart, the foundation, created by the Jaume Matas administration, became embroiled in the corruption scandals at the tourism ministry that erupted three years ago. Unlike other agencies within the ministry that were also caught up in these scandals, it wasn't disbanded, but its future has been uncertain. And with this uncertainty has come a lack of direction and, more recently, a highly political direction that made the finca the focus of all manner of discontent.

The decision by the current government to appoint Jorge Campos as the director of the foundation and therefore the boss of the finca seemed somewhat strange. Though Campos had a background in environmental matters, he was far better known as having founded the right-wing, anti-Catalan Circulo Balear. Once in office, he made some provocative moves, such as insisting that the Spanish flag be flown at the entrance to the finca. Son Real became a political battleground between left and right, while Santa Margalida town hall got highly brassed off by what it saw as negligent administration.

Campos has now resigned his post. It was going to disappear anyway, along with the foundation, but his resignation owes nothing to issues related to the running of Son Real; it stems from his dissatisfaction with the Bauzá administration in not being more aggressive in pushing an anti-Catalan line. The question must be asked. Why was he ever appointed?

The environment ministry now assuming control, one would hope that a new and better era beckons for Son Real. It deserves far better. Whether it gets it, we'll find out.


Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.