Mallorca, also known as “The Isle of Dreams”, is the largest of the Balearic Islands which lie off Spain’s eastern coast. Mallorca’s climate is typically Mediterranean with average temperatures of 17ºC and light seasonal rainfall which varies across the Island from the coastal regions to the high areas of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. Winter is mild and Summer gloriously warm. Mallorca’s physical geography is shaped by the sea which is, deep, calm and relatively warm with surface temperatures that reach 26ºC in August and stay above 14ºC in winter (Mallorca is the only place in the World where the seabed temperature never drops below 13ºC) The sea regulates the Island’s climate and means that seasonal temperature variations are not as marked as elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
Whilst the main geographical feature is the significant Tramuntana
mountain range, the Island is covered with pine forests and with olive and almond
trees which blanket the countryside with blossom in springtime. With its widely
varied landscape of mountains and valleys, rocky coves, splendid sandy beaches,
small agricultural villages and market towns, the Isle of Dreams has everything
the visitor, or resident, could ask for.
The capital, Palma de Mallorca, has a population of only 300,000 and retains
the architectural, social and cultural traditions of its long and proud history
of independence.
The local language, Mallorquin, a dialect of Catalan, is nurtured and encouraged
throughout the Island’s governance and educational institutions and can
be heard on every corner and in every local bar or café.
Mallorca’s culture is essentially Spanish but is coloured
by the inevitable local traditions and history that arise from its offshore
Island location. There is much to discover in its local cuisine, vineyards,
literature, music and dance, architecture and social attitudes.
Chopin spent time on the Island and the Spanish surrealist painter, Joan Miro,
a resident for some years, has his work magnificently displayed in what were
his Palma studios. Many International celebrities and artists (Claudia Schiffer,
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, Boris Becker, Annie Lennox et al)
have homes on the Island. The Spanish Royal Family have, for many years, seen
Mallorca as their first choice holiday destination.
The Island’s main industry is, of course, tourism with
millions choosing to visit every year.
With flight times of little more than two hours from every major European airport,
journeys are frequent, convenient and good value for money.
Tourism development is limited to designated parts of the coastal fringe and
strictly controlled to ensure that the landscape and ecology are not deteriorated.
Mallorca has established an enviable reputation for effective tourism management
and, as a result, the islanders enjoy the highest standard of living in Spain.
Thus, Mallorca is now a genuinely sophisticated environment. It enjoys a cosmopolitan
atmosphere and offers the highest standards for housing, education, healthcare,
transport, culture, sport, recreation and entertainment.
The Island’s unique situation creates a genuine Mediterranean paradise for property owners at all levels of income and capital resources. There are numerous, diverse locations all across the Island offering prospective property owners a wide choice of options and alternatives. Against a background of effective environmental protection legislation and limited land availability, property prices have been in strong growth for some years, but have tended to stabilise recently. Medium and long-term forecasts, however, predict significant added value for properties in premium locations around the Island and there remains very high interest in all market segments on the basis of both lifestyle and investment measures.
C/Paris 80 . Local 5 . Palmanova . E – 07180
Tel: 971 68 35 36 . Fax: 971 68 30 61
www.palmhomesmallorca.com