The Night Everything Changed
On July 21st, 2025, at 9:47pm, something unprecedented happened in Palma’s Passeig del Born. A flash mob of young Mallorcans surrounded the terrace tables at three tourist restaurants, squirting water pistols and chanting “Tourists go home.” The diners – confused, some laughing nervously, others angry – didn’t understand they were witnessing the culmination of decades of frustration.
I was there, not as a protester but as someone who’s lived between two worlds for eight years – foreign resident, local employee, eternal outsider. The German family at the next table asked me what was happening. “They can’t afford to live here anymore,” I said. The father, sipping his €18 cocktail, shrugged. “But we bring money.”
That shrug encapsulates everything.
The Numbers That Broke the Camel’s Back
In 2024, the Balearic Islands received 18.7 million visitors. The permanent population is 1.2 million. That’s not tourism; it’s an invasion that happens every year, peaking between June and September when temperatures soar and patience evaporates.
But the breaking point wasn’t the numbers – it was the displacement. In Palma, 72% of rental properties are now tourist lets. The average monthly rent has hit €1,800. The average local salary? €1,400. Young Mallorcans are living in vans, in their childhood bedrooms at 35, or leaving the island entirely.
Marina, a nurse at Son Espases hospital, shows me her phone: 47 rejected rental applications. “They see my Spanish ID and know I can’t pay what Germans pay for a week,” she says. She’s been sleeping in her car for three weeks.
The Protests: A Timeline of Rage
May 25, 2024: The First Wave
The protests started in the smaller islands. In Menorca, 3,000 people marched through Mahón – impressive for an island of 96,000. Their signs read “SOS Residents” and “Menorca Is Not For Sale.”
In Ibiza, protesters targeted the airport road, creating 4-kilometer tailbacks. The message was clear: if tourism is going to make our lives impossible, we’ll return the favor.
May 26, 2024: Palma Rises
10,000 people filled Palma’s streets on a sweltering Sunday. Organized by “Menys Turisme, Més Vida” (Less Tourism, More Life), the protest drew families, elderly couples, young professionals – not the usual activist crowd.
The most powerful moment: a five-minute silence for “the death of the Mallorca we knew.” Then eruption. Drums, whistles, chants of “Qui estima Mallorca, no la destrueix” (Who loves Mallorca doesn’t destroy it).
July 21, 2025: The Water Pistol War
The second wave came with props and international headlines. Young protesters armed with €2 water guns targeted tourist hotspots. The images went viral – tourists dripping water, looking bewildered, protesters with signs reading “Your luxury, our misery.”
International media painted it as xenophobia. Local media called it desperation. Both missed the point: this wasn’t about hating tourists. It was about survival.
August 2025: The Ongoing Resistance
As I write this, smaller protests continue weekly. Every Sunday at noon, locals gather at different beaches, holding banners underwater for photographers. The message evolves but the demand remains: radical change, not cosmetic fixes.
What Actually Changed: The New Rules
The €6 Tourist Tax Reality
What They Promised Environmental protection funding.
What Happened Tax increased from €4 to €6 per night for 5-star hotels in peak season. Budget accommodations pay €1.50-3. Children under 16 exempt.
Where It Goes
- 50% to “sustainable tourism projects” (undefined)
- 30% to “environmental protection” (beach cleaning)
- 20% to “cultural heritage” (restoring mansions tourists photograph)
Local Verdict “It’s like putting a bandaid on a severed artery,” says Tomeu Deyà, spokesperson for GOB (environmental group).
The Rental Car Regulations
New Fees (as of June 2025):
- Economy car: €30 surcharge for 1-3 days
- Mid-size: €50 surcharge
- Luxury/SUV: €80 surcharge
- Rentals over 7 days: Reduced fees
Residents Exempt With NIE number proof
Result Rental companies report 15% fewer bookings but 40% higher profits. The cars are still everywhere.
The Airbnb Crackdown
May 2025 66,000 illegal listings removed from platforms.
New Requirements
- Tourism license number visible in all listings
- Inspections increased from 200 to 2,000 annually
- Fines raised to €60,000 for illegal rentals
Loophole “Medium-term” rentals (32+ days) exploded, avoiding regulations.
Impact Legal rental prices increased 30%. Illegal rentals went underground to WhatsApp groups and word-of-mouth.
Alcohol Restrictions
The “Magaluf Law” (expanded 2025):
- Alcohol sales banned 9:30pm-8am in designated zones
- Street drinking: €500-1,500 fines
- Balconing (jumping between balconies): €3,000 fine
- Party boat regulations: Maximum 10 people, no music after 8pm
Zones Affected Magaluf, Playa de Palma, San Antoni (Ibiza), parts of Alcúdia
Reality Check Enforcement sporadic. Fines for tourists rarely collected as they leave before court dates.
The Local Perspective: Voices from the Islands
Maria Francisca, 67, Valldemossa
“My grandfather sold oranges to Robert Graves. My father ran a small hotel for artists and writers. Now my village is a 20-minute Instagram stop on the way to Deià. The bakery sells €8 coca de patata to tour groups who don’t know it should cost €2. I don’t recognize my home.”
Xavi, 34, Palma
“I have a master’s degree and work in tech. My girlfriend is a doctor. We can’t afford a one-bedroom apartment in the city where we were born. We’re not asking tourists to leave forever. We’re asking for the right to exist in our own home.”
James, 42, British Expat, Sóller
“I’ve lived here 15 years, speak Catalan, my kids go to local school. But I’m still part of the problem. My purchase of a house meant a local family couldn’t afford it. The protests aren’t comfortable, but they’re necessary. We expats need to listen, not defend.”
Ana, 28, Ibiza
“I work three jobs in summer – hotel reception, beach bar, cleaning villas. I make €3,000 a month for four months. Then nothing. Winter is for recovering, physically and mentally. My dream? To afford a room without sharing with five people. The protesters with water guns? They’re my heroes.”
The Economic Paradox
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Tourism contributes 45% of the Balearics’ GDP and provides 35% of employment. The government’s dilemma: restrict tourism and risk economic collapse, or continue and face social explosion.
2024 Tourism Revenue €19.3 billion Average Spend per Tourist €1,032 But
- 78% goes to international hotel chains
- 12% to transportation (mostly foreign airlines)
- 10% reaches local businesses
The wealth doesn’t trickle down; it floods out.
The Hidden Costs
Water Crisis Tourists use 440 liters per day. Locals restricted to 250 liters.
Energy Hotels consume 60% of summer electricity. Blackouts increasing.
Waste 1.4kg of waste per tourist per day. Landfills at capacity.
Healthcare Emergency rooms see 40% more patients in summer, same staff numbers.
Environment Posidonia seagrass (which keeps beaches pristine) declining 7% annually from yacht anchors.
What This Means for Your 2025 Visit
The Welcome You’ll Receive
Let me be clear: you won’t be attacked. The water pistol incidents involved maybe 50 protesters and a handful of tourists. But the atmosphere has changed.
In tourist zones, you’re a walking wallet – nothing new there. But venture into local neighborhoods, and you might feel the chill. Not hostility exactly, but a weariness, a closing off.
The bartender who doesn’t smile. The shop owner who switches to Catalan when you enter. The locals who move beaches when your tour group arrives.
It’s not personal. It’s exhaustion.
How to Not Be Part of the Problem
Timing Come in November, February, March. The islands breathe again.
Location Stay inland. Alaró, Sineu, Petra in Mallorca. Es Mercadal in Menorca. Santa Gertrudis in Ibiza.
Accommodation Hotels over Airbnb. Family-run over chains. Or better yet, agroturismos – rural hotels that support traditional farming.
Transportation The buses work. The trains exist. Your rental car adds to the 1.2 million vehicles choking the islands.
Spending
- Eat where Spanish is the only menu language
- Buy from markets, not souvenir shops
- Book local guides, not international tour companies
- Pay cash to family businesses
Behavior
- Learn “bon dia” (good morning) and “perdó” (sorry) in Catalan
- Don’t post geotagged photos of “secret” spots
- Respect beach rules about music and space
- Understand that residents have priority at local services
The New Reality Check
Beaches Arriving at 11am means no parking, no space, no peace. Solution: Dawn or dusk.
Restaurants Tourist zones serve tourist food at tourist prices. Walk 10 minutes inland, prices halve, quality doubles.
Attitudes Service with a smile is dead in hotspots. They’re tired. Tip well, be patient, say thank you.
Prices Everything costs 30% more than mainland Spain. Budget accordingly.
Crowds July-August is unbearable unless you enjoy human sardine simulations.
The Future: Three Possible Scenarios
Scenario 1: The Venice Model
Tourist numbers capped, day-tripper taxes, cruise ships banned from ports. Locals get preferential treatment for beaches, restaurants, services. Quality over quantity becomes the mantra.
Probability Rising. Mallorca’s government is studying Venice’s blueprint.
Scenario 2: The Bhutan Model
Extreme high-value, low-volume tourism. €500 daily tourist fee, numbers severely restricted, focus on luxury and sustainability.
Probability Low. The economic shock would be catastrophic.
Scenario 3: The Breaking Point
Continue current trajectory until social unrest makes tourism impossible. Violent protests, international boycotts, economic collapse, gradual recovery with new model.
Probability Medium. Each summer of inaction increases the risk.
The Conversation Nobody Wants to Have
The Balearics are dying from success. The very beauty that attracts millions is being destroyed by those millions. The protests aren’t anti-tourist; they’re pro-survival.
When Maria shows me photos of her grandfather’s Palma – empty beaches, fishing boats, orange groves where hotels now stand – I understand the grief behind the anger. This isn’t just about economics. It’s about identity, culture, home.
The German father from that July night probably went home and told friends about the “crazy locals” who ruined his dinner. He’ll book Greece next year. And that’s fine. That’s the point.
Because here’s the truth the tourism board won’t tell you: the Balearics don’t need more visitors. They need fewer visitors who understand that these aren’t just islands. They’re someone’s home.
The Question That Matters
Not “Should I visit the Balearics?” but “How can I visit without contributing to the destruction?”
If you can’t answer the second question, please choose somewhere else. The islands will still be here when they’ve figured out how to survive tourism. Whether there will be any actual Balearic culture left is another question entirely.
Sources & References
- Platform “Menys Turisme, Més Vida” official statements, May-August 2025
- IBESTAT (Balearic Statistics Institute) Tourism Data 2024-2025
- Interviews with 23 residents conducted July-August 2025
- Government of the Balearic Islands, Decree Law 3/2025
- Local media: Diario de Mallorca, Última Hora, IB3 coverage
