Canyamel: Million-euro plan for 2026 — upgrade raises questions

Canyamel: Million-euro plan for 2026 — upgrade raises questions

Key question: Does the upgrade make the village better or does it only bring new traffic?

Since July, excavators have been working on the outskirts of Canyamel. The new bike path, which is supposed to lead to the village entrance, is the most visible project of a plan for which the municipality of Capdepera is allocating more than two million euros. Completion is scheduled for the end of January — enough time for corrections, if they are wanted. The sober fact: the last major works in Canyamel were carried out around twenty years ago. You can see it in the cracks in the pavement and the potholed parking areas next to the coastal road. Details of the redevelopment are described in Canyamel is being redeveloped: More space for pedestrians and cyclists.

The announcement speaks of better infrastructure, new parking and modern street furniture. That sounds like a cleaner look: benches, lamps, perhaps new bins. A good thing at first glance. But this is precisely where the criticism begins: what exactly is planned remains vague. Will the parking spaces be divided between residents and day-trippers? How many of the measures are durable and how much is merely cosmetic refreshment for the coming season? Capdepera's communication on the scope of the repairs is discussed in Costa de Canyamel: Repairs Begin — and Now?.

The analysis reveals several problem areas. First: mobility. A bike path is welcome, but if it mainly serves tourist feeders and ends directly at a new parking area, it is more likely to increase motorised traffic than reduce it. Second: ecology. Coastal construction needs rainwater and infiltration concepts; without them, heavy rainfall could leave puddles in the square in front of the church and cause problems for the vegetation along the Camí. Third: participation. While the sums involved are communicated, the dialogue with the people who live in Canyamel daily is often missing: fishermen, café owners, families with children.

What is underrepresented in the public debate are the consequences for local everyday life. Will the village pub on the square remain a meeting place if tourist buses park in front of it? Do suppliers and farmers' associations have enough space to keep their usual routines from becoming fragile? Why do planners not speak more clearly about limiting mechanisms for the parking boom — for example, annual permits for residents or quotas during the high season?

A typical Mallorcan everyday scene helps to sharpen the picture: in the morning, when the first ferry from Palma has not yet arrived, the old señora from the bakery sits on the bench under the plane tree, the dog snores, children run past with sand on their shoes. In the afternoon, day-trippers roll in, and suddenly stillness turns into activity. If the upgrade only caters to the afternoon, the place loses its balance.

Concrete solutions can be formulated: priority for a continuous, safe cycling connection for commuters and schoolchildren — not only for sightseers; permeable surfaces and rain retention areas instead of concrete parking fields; a parking management concept with resident allocations, parking areas outside the village centre and electric charging points; as well as an open participation process with evening and weekend appointments so that working people can also have their say.

If the municipality uses the planning now to set longer-term rules — instead of short-term cosmetic repairs — Canyamel has the chance to remain a pleasant place to live. If the project remains superficial, the promised upgrade will become merely a pretty forecourt for more transit traffic. Canyamel does not need new benches alone; it needs decisions that protect everyday life here.

Conclusion: The money is there. The question is whether it will be invested in sustainable everyday quality — or only in new paving for the tourist season.