Is the beach being privatized? €210 sunbeds at Formentor cause controversy

Too expensive, too exclusive: a Formentor morning that raises questions

Last Saturday, shortly after ten, the Mirador de Formentor was already quite busy. Cars creaked in the small car park, seagulls screamed over the sea and the rumble of a tour bus could be heard from the road. And then this scene: staff in spotless shirts standing next to Balinese beach beds with curtains, a champagne-like vibe instead of a swimwear atmosphere. "210 euros for the day," one of the hotel employees said without beating around the bush. Some laughed, others looked embarrassed — and have been asking ever since: who is this beach actually for?

The legal frame: public space vs luxury offers

The coastal administration has clear rules: there are caps for sunbeds and special furniture on public beaches. In practice, however, offers appear that clearly exceed these limits. Two beds with an umbrella, according to reports, were priced here at around €158 – 160 Euros for Two Sunbeds? Dispute Over Beach Access at Formentor – whereas the regulatory maximum for such combinations is well below that. Such price tags act like a stamp saying: admission is allowed, comfort costs extra.

Authorities are involved. The coastal oversight and the municipality are currently checking whether permits were ignored, whether public beach areas have been effectively transformed into private luxury zones, or whether simply incorrect prices were posted (see Who is allowed on Playa de Formentor? Investigations into hotel raise questions about beach access). In the worst case, fines and withdrawal of the offers may follow. But the question is bigger than an administrative act: how do you protect public space against creeping exclusive use?

More than just a price tag: the consequences for locals and visitors

Someone who orders a café con leche at the kiosk in the morning for €2.50 and sees a beach bed next to it for €210 quickly understands that it's not just different budgets colliding. Local residents report that in recent years extras have appeared more and more often – beds with curtains, service islands, private attendants right at the sea. That's a business model that brings in a lot of money in high season. But it also touches the core of what makes a stretch of coast a public good: accessibility, freedom of movement and the possibility to use the beach spontaneously.

Another point that is not discussed enough is the practical enforceability of rules. In Mallorca, enforcement services are stretched during the high season. Coastal oversight, Pollença town hall and police share tasks, but inspections require personnel, time and often legal precision — for example when delineating which areas are actually public and where private rental offers apply.

What is missing in public debate

Discussions often focus on the price as a moral issue. But structural questions are at least as important: who grants the permits? How transparent are they? (for recent reporting, see Four Seasons Formentor removes 'private beach' — cosmetic fix or turning point for free access?) Are rules temporarily relaxed for events? And not least: what economic incentives do we create if private operators can make use of public land?

Another often overlooked aspect is the social impact. Beaches are meeting places: families, older people, young people and island workers. If visible luxury islands dominate the scene, social use shifts. People with smaller budgets withdraw, routes become longer, spontaneous picnics rarer. That changes everyday life on the coast — subtly, quietly and often irreversibly.

Concrete solutions – pragmatic and locally rooted

There are ways to restore balance. Some possible measures:

Transparency and labeling: Clear price signs and a publicly accessible list of all approved operators on the Formentor beach. QR codes at the entrances could instantly provide information about permitted offers.

Better controls: More inspections in the high season, coordinated patrols by coastal oversight and the municipality and a hotline for complaints from locals.

Rules on area limits: Clear markings that separate private rental areas from the public beach; maximum size for private areas and an obligation to keep access paths clear.

Graduated sanctions: Not only fines but also temporary withdrawal of permits for repeated violations — that creates consideration rather than just paper.

Pilot projects: Instead of blanket bans, the municipality and coastal administration could designate areas where paid service zones are allowed — linked to revenue levies or local community contributions.

An appeal to proportionality and community spirit

The current review at Formentor is more than a bureaucratic formality. It is a test: do we want our coasts to soon serve only as a backdrop for exclusive offers — or remain places where even the neighbouring family from Port de Pollença can still spontaneously lie down? A bit of pragmatism helps: business and tourism are important for the island, but not at the price of public space becoming a luxury product.

Anyone heading to Formentor soon should pack two things: sun protection and a healthy scepticism towards offers that seem too good to be true. And the authorities should take the opportunity to set clear signals — for transparent prices, regulated areas and a beach that remains for everyone.