Fonts Ufanes: Weekend visitor rush — who manages access and protection?

Fonts Ufanes: Weekend visitor rush — who manages access and protection?

Campanet prepares for the spectacle on Jan 24/25 — but is it enough?

When the underground springs of the Fonts Ufanes run wild after heavy rain, they attract people like a busy market stall on a Sunday morning. The springs have been flowing again for several days; the environmental authority Ibanat and the municipality of Campanet expect many visitors for the weekend of Jan 24/25. Since early morning the soft hiss of tires can be heard around the village: cars along the MA‑13 toward sa Pobla, motorcycles, some cyclists with cameras on their handlebars. Between them the smell of pine and damp earth — nature on display.

The authorities have announced traffic restrictions: the Camí de na Pontons will be passable in one direction only on Saturdays and Sundays, access via the roundabout at sa Pobla on the MA‑13, exit via the Camí Blanc toward Campanet. This regulation makes sense to keep congestion out of the village center and to organise the flow, but similar debates arose after access changes at Formentor, as detailed in More Cars, More Buses: Formentor's Traffic After the Lifting of Access Restrictions.

Key question: Is the temporary one‑way rule sufficient to balance visitor flows, protected nature and residents' interests? Short answer: Not in the long run. For this single weekend the measure may be enough if many people arrive early and leave orderly. But recurring spring events require more structured management.

Critical analysis: First, one‑way traffic alone does not create parking space. Cars will park on side tracks, footpaths will be worn down, and sensitive vegetation at the access points will suffer. Second, clear, easily accessible real‑time information is often missing: who knows whether the springs are still flowing, how full the parking areas are, or whether shuttle buses are running? Third, rules without visible enforcement are quickly ignored — too many vehicles, causing backlogs on the MA‑13 or in the village center, are not only annoying but also create accident risks, an issue highlighted by the Pujada a Lluc in Night Pilgrimage to Lluc: Tradition, Traffic and the Exposed Problems.

What has been underrepresented in the public debate so far is the perspective of local residents. For them a visitor rush often means noise, blocked driveways, litter and the feeling that their living space is being sacrificed for the attraction. Conservation concerns are also insufficiently discussed: the Fonts Ufanes emerge from a complex karst system; sustained heavy visitor pressure can compact soils, pollute watercourses and damage rare plants at the margins.

An everyday scene from Campanet: an elderly couple goes shopping in the morning, finds the small parking bay occupied, gets out and carries the bags two streets further. A father tries to push his child in a stroller over muddy, unpaved paths because official parking spaces are full. These images may be unspectacular, but they show where the measures fall short.

Concrete solutions — short‑ and medium‑term:

Short term (for this and coming weekends): Mobile signage on the MA‑13 with graded information ("Fonts flowing — limited parking"), deployment of marshals or volunteers at entrances, clearly designated emergency parking areas outside the closest zone and a temporary shuttle service from the sa Pobla/Campanet roundabout. A digital status on the municipal website or a simple morning post on Twitter/Instagram would answer many questions in advance, similar to communication used during the Patronal festival in Palma: Streets closed — what does this mean for residents and visitors?.

Medium term: Construction of a small, hardened parking area at a strategic location outside sensitive zones, official footpaths with drainage, a visitor flow guidance system and a coordinated concept between Ibanat, the municipality and the tourism authority. A limit on vehicle numbers with a simple online sign‑up for peak times could be considered — not complicated ticketing, but an opt‑in for busy periods.

Funding proposals: a combination of municipal funds, small parking fees on peak days and support from regional environmental funds. Important: revenues should be earmarked for protection measures and path construction so that residents and nature see a direct benefit.

On visitor behaviour: arrive on foot where possible, by bike or in car pools. Respect closures and signs, take your rubbish with you — and yes, the early bird often gets the best photo.

Pointed conclusion: The short‑term traffic rules are a necessary reaction but not a substitute for a sustainable visitor management concept. The Fonts Ufanes are a natural event that attracts people — and precisely for that reason we now need planning, information and simple enforceable rules. Otherwise all that will remain after the weekend is crowded paths, damaged nature and annoyed locals. If you want to be there on Jan 24/25, plan differently: arrive early, bring patience or choose a quieter walk elsewhere in Mallorca.