Playa de Palma and Bellver Redevelopment: Shade, Paths — and Many Questions

Major construction sites, major benefits – but at what cost?

In the coming weeks excavators will roll in at two very different places on Mallorca: the Plaça de les Meravelles at Playa de Palma and the forest around Castillo de Bellver. At first glance this sounds like much-needed greenery, shade and better access, as with Parc de la Mar: Renovation from 2026 – Money, Paths and the Question of Added Value. At second glance, however, questions arise that go beyond new paving and pergolas: Who pays, who really benefits, and how will residents and nature be protected during the construction period?

Square in transition: more accessible, greener — and noisy

The Plaça de les Meravelles is set to receive a new surface, continuous accessible paths, more planting, a play area and a shading pergola. The bill: around two million euros. A large part of this money comes from the tourist tax — a levy that visitors automatically pay. A comparable recent project was Palma launches Es Carnatge: €2.2M for first phase – is that enough?.

That is a logical use in itself, but the practice is more complicated. Delivery and construction traffic will cause bottlenecks during the day; residents know the sound of jackhammers that echo through the lanes early in the morning just as well as the smell of fresh bread from the small café on the corner that delivers its baskets at 7 a.m. The city has announced it will plan work preferably between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., but construction sites always bring disturbances: closed paths, improvised accesses for cafés, dust and occasional traffic disruptions.

Who is the square for?

The measures are intended to benefit families, older people and people with reduced mobility. That is important: more benches in the shade, level paths instead of steps and a play area that keeps children around longer could increase quality of life. But success depends on details: Which plants will be used — Mediterranean, drought-tolerant species or exotic, maintenance-heavy plants? Who will take care of long-term watering and pruning? Clear answers are often missing here, and without maintenance further interventions and costs may be necessary later.

Bellver: protecting the forest — and still making it more accessible

At Castillo de Bellver nearly two million euros are also planned; for related reporting see Castell de Bellver: Entrance fee to be doubled — What will we be paying for?. The aim is to improve access for pedestrians and people with reduced mobility, remove barriers, modernize fire protection systems and carry out targeted reforestation. Bellver is not just a castle on a hill; it is a piece of the city's history, a pine forest, a meeting place for walkers, cyclists and dog owners.

Between preservation and intervention

The announced measures sound reasonable — but interventions in a sensitive forest require a delicate touch. Which paths will be widened, how many trees will have to be removed, and how does reforestation fit with the natural conditions? Here too the difficulty lies not only in the construction phase but in long-term maintenance and fire protection: Who monitors the newly installed systems, who ensures regular checks and financing?

Key question: sustainable or just cosmetic?

The central question is: Will we ultimately see a sustainable improvement — or a visual refresh that will require more money and work after a few years? Using the tourist tax as a funding source makes sense in principle; it creates a direct channel to spend money where visitors and locals come together. But transparency is needed: disclosure of costs, annual reports on maintenance expenses and clear responsibilities would be steps that are often missing today.

Concrete opportunities and solutions

To ensure construction work does not only cause short-term disruption but delivers long-term benefits, several measures are recommended: joint information sessions with residents, fixed time windows for particularly noisy work, preferential use of quieter and low-emission machines, and a maintenance plan for plants with clear budget allocation. For Bellver, an environmental audit would also be sensible to weigh tree losses, erosion risks and fire protection plans against each other.

Small, practical ideas help in everyday life: clearly sign temporary detours, allow mobile seating for cafés, stagger delivery times for craftsmen and favor local companies to preserve the local economic base. And very practically: regular noise and dust measurements whose results are publicly accessible — that builds trust.

A realistic outlook

The redevelopments at Playa de Palma and Bellver offer real opportunities: more shade on hot days, better access for many people and more attractive places in the long term. But these opportunities will not be realized automatically. Detailed planning, transparent communication and a view to the years after opening are needed. Otherwise frustration, additional costs and the realization that money was spent but not properly protected threaten.

Start dates have not yet been finally confirmed for all construction phases; residents should be informed in good time. Those who visit often should expect small detours, construction fences and occasional noise — with the hope that in the end there will be a greener square and a safer Castillo.