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Magaluf tourists fined 35k each for climbing hotel balconies
The daredevil practice of ‘balconing’ has become a deadly concern in resorts all across Spain
The Mallorca hotspot of Magaluf has been growing in popularity with tourists from all over the world, particularly party-loving youngsters, who flock to it famous nightlife strip every summer. But the so-called ‘Magaluf madness’ has also been making headlines as hardly a day goes by without horror stories of street brawls, balcony falls or accidental drownings.
In a desperate attempt to clean up its image and clamp down on ‘drunken tourism’, the authorities are taking a no-nonsense approach to rule breaking and this past week, five holidaymakers were each fined 35,000 euros when they were caught balconing – climbing between one hotel room and another via the balcony or jumping from the terrace into the pool below.
The tourists were also turfed out of their hotels, according to Calvia council boss Juan Feliu, who hopes that these hefty fines will act as a “powerful deterrent” against such idiotic and dangerous behaviour.
“Balconing is not tolerated in our municipality,” he said. “It is an irresponsible practice that can cause serious, irreversible injuries and even death.”
Just 80 kilometres away in the equally popular Ibiza, a young British man was filmed last month scuttling along a narrow ledge between rooms at his hotel, several metres above the ground. He was eventually pulled to safety by security guards but if he had fallen, he almost certainly would have died.
In a bid to wipe out this deadly behaviour, Mallorca has officially banned the practice of balconing and flouters can be fined up to 60,000 euros. The Balearic Islands government has also implemented some strict regulations in the likes of Magaluf, El Arenal and Playa de Palma, such as bans on alcohol sales between 9.30pm and 8am, outlawing party boats and limiting booze at all-inclusive resorts.
Announcing the new laws back in 2020, a regional government spokesperson said: “Efforts to promote the destination, to provide it with better quality through both public and private sector investments, and position it in an increasingly competitive and global market, have been affected recently by certain uncivic behaviour.
“Most of this type of behaviour is directly related to alcohol abuse in certain tourist areas of Mallorca and Ibiza.”
In other news: Swimmer attacked by blue shark on Spanish beach
Image: Archive
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