Dream Cala Under Construction Noise: How s'Estany d'en Mas Is Losing Its Peace

When the Bay Looks Beautiful — But Drilling Is Happening Next Door

Who, a few years ago, drove to Cala Romàntica, stopped at the small parking lot, breathed in the salty air and pine scent, and thought: This is a place to stay. Today the scene is divided. Between turquoise waters and pines, concrete mixers roar, delivery trucks navigate the narrow MA-4020 up and down, and construction fences block the view of the bay.

I was there on a sunny Tuesday around 9:15 a.m.; the loungers were full, the beach bar had already sunk into the noonday heat, and from the slopes construction noise echoed. An older resident, whom everyone calls Toni, said laconic: "Earlier you only heard seagulls. Now you hear the roller."

New Projects, Old Wounds

In the hills around s’Estany d’en Mas, investors from Madrid have unveiled plans that would change the face of the area: One project plans 77 single-family houses on generous plots, another wants to complete 159 semi-detached houses that have been unfinished for years — under a new label and with new money. For residents, that sounds like years of more noise, dust and additional heavy traffic.

The problem: Much of this is aimed at holiday property owners with deep pockets, not at the people who live here and rely on affordable rents. The environmental group GOB calls it an "outrage" — and you hear that on the street more often.

Maria, who works in a small bakery on the main road, rolls her eyes: "The trucks often arrive as early as 6:30. The beachgoers don’t notice it; they’re only there for a short while."

What Remains of the Idyl?

Between well-kept holiday complexes, some renovated houses and ruins, the question now is: Will the island learn from its past? Many tell of the burst real estate bubble and of projects that started with promises and were never finished. Now it seems the game is starting over — but with different investors.

There is no easy answer. Authorities emphasize permits and rules; investors talk about jobs and completion by 2026. Locally, that often sounds hollow: Manolo, the owner of a bar, says dryly: "Jobs are good. But not if the beaches disappear under concrete."

Between pines and concrete, decisions are being made now that you will see — and hear — for decades to come.