Reigning pretty as one of the island’s most popular beaches, Es Trenc in Mallorca suffers greatly from overcrowding – especially during summer months – but now stringent plan has been put in place to combat the issue

In recent years, overtourism in Mallorca has become a major cause for concern. The beaches are often overrun with tourists, especially during European Summer, and it is rustic beaches away from any urban areas that are the hardest hit.

Es Trenc Beach in Campos is a perfect example. Reigning pretty as one of the island’s most popular beaches, Es Trenc lies in a protected area as part of the Es Trenc-Salobrar de Campos Nature Park. But overcrowding has been a massive issue and back in 2024 a pilot test was launched to track the number of people visiting the beach.

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Full-scale monitoring is set to begin at the end of May, coinciding with the Balearic Government’s plan to share findings from the pilot project. This information will highlight how well the different techniques performed and provide data on the beach’s visitor capacity. A plan has also been developed to control overtourism and stabilise tourist pressure on the Spanish beach, which involves:

• Wi-Fi sensor count to be increased from five to eight, as there are parts of the beach that don’t have adequate surveillance and fall outside the coverage area.
• Sensors to be installed on lifeguard towers.
• Real-time information regarding the number of people on the beach to be provided by phone data.
• Sensors to be placed at three of the beach’s main access points in order to get a clear picture of the visitor count, as well as entry and exit times.

This monitoring will ultimately establish the beach’s carrying capacity and the level of human impact on both the beach and the surrounding protected natural area. Based on the findings, suitable measures will be implemented – though what those actions will involve is yet to be determined.

As a direct result of tourist overcrowding at Mallorcan hotspots, it’s been found that local residents have started avoiding certain areas during the summer. A survey comprising a random sample of 404 residents produced some eye-opening results.

Research conducted exploring mobility issues caused due to overcrowding by Sergio Obrador of the Demographic and Tourism Studies Group at the University of the Balearic Islands revealed 85 per cent of those surveyed were avoiding areas such as beaches and coves in the summer months.

Four places in particular were ranked at the top of the list of spots Mallorca residents avoid due to overcrowding in summer months, namely Es Trenc at number one, Sa Calobra at number two, Caló des Moro in Santanyi, and Magaluf.

Although spanning only 3km in length, Es Trenc suffers from a major overcrowding problem, with road access to the beach emerging as a top issue.

Both Caló des Moro and Sa Calobra also face similar access issues, with the former becoming a symbol of protest against overtourism last summer. In June, the Mallorca Platja Tour group organized a demonstration protesting the issue. The group was formed in response to a statement by a Vox politician, who claimed that Mallorcans can no longer expect to enjoy beaches in July and August as they once did.

Caló des Moro on the other hand has emerged as a hotspot for Instagrammers and influencers who are heavily contributing to the issue of overcrowding.

Not only is Magaluf avoided by residents due to overcrowding, but also because locals feel it doesn’t have much to offer, even though there has been a slow emergence of upmarket beach clubs and a transformation of the resort in recent years.

In the summer of 2023, overcrowding did not seem to be an issue for Mallorca. Back then, Calvia’s tourism delegate, Elisa Monserrat, had informed businesses that measures would be introduced to draw more local residents to the area. Businesses had been voicing concerns about the absence of both tourists and locals on the beach.