Local council backs government shutdown of Magaluf party strip

Businesses selling booze Magaluf

CLOSURE ORDER: The Balearic government first ordered businesses on the notorious strip to shut in mid-July due to concerns over drunken behaviour and a lack of social distancing CREDIT: Magaluf 20/21 Facebook Sam Edwards

CALVIA Council says it backs the Balearic government’s shutdown of the notorious Punta Ballena party strip in Mallorca resort Magaluf.
The drastic move of closing all commercial establishments, bars and restaurants on the strip, as well as so-called ‘ham’ and ‘beer’ streets in s’Arenal on July 15, came in the wake of scenes of throngs of revellers the previous weekend, many of them British and German, and most ignoring Covid-19 rules like wearing a face mask or social distancing.
In comments the day after the shutdown, Calvia mayor Alfonso Rodriguez admitted it had been a “tough and difficult decision,” and he understood “the worry or even anger of the affected businesses,” but added, “when you govern you have to think in the general and global interest.”
Rodriguez also said while a police presence in the area is important, so too is responsible behaviour on the part of businesses and tourists.
The mayor pointed out that over the last five years the local authority had “worked a lot to eradicate excesses,” aiming instead for “quality tourism.”
Referring to the decree approved by the Balearic administration in January to more effectively curb excessive behaviour in locations like Magaluf and the Playa del Palma, Rodriguez said while many businesses were getting the message to aim for a quality leisure offer instead, there remained others which weren’t and which “were damaging the destination.”

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Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

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