Mallorca to cut back on sun beds as rising sea levels eat up beach space

The Balearic island of Mallorca is more crowded than ever, with population and tourism records every year contributing extra cars to the roads and more buildings to its already overdeveloped landscape.

And now there's another reason why beaches in Palma de Mallorca are going to feel more cramped - they're getting smaller.

This has pushed local authorities to decide to reduce the number of sun beds on the sand, so that all types of beachgoers can fit on the beaches.

In total, there will be 1,664 fewer sun loungers in 2026 than this year due to the fact that sea levels have been rising for the past 20 years, which is taking away space on the beach.

Platja de Palma will go from 6,000 sun beds down to 4,436, while Cala Major will go from 300 to 250. Cala Estància will also have 18 less sun beds next year.

In Can Pare Antoni they will also reduce the number of sun loungers, even though this isn’t under the jurisdiction of Palma City Council.

As well as a reduction in sun beds, the number of parasols will also be decreased. Now there will be one parasol for every two loungers instead of each having its own.

The council are also responding to complaints from residents because of overcrowding of sun beds and umbrellas, which leaves them with no free space to put down their towels.

Companies interested renting out sun beds must accept the new rules, as well as pay a fee to the City Council for cleaning and maintaining the beach.

'Up to 10 metres a year': How towns across Spain are losing their beaches

According to the Department of Home Affairs of the Balearic Islands and the Department of the Sea and Water Cycle, which reports to the Balearic Government, "There has been a loss of sand on the beaches, and we couldn't maintain the same number of sun beds and umbrellas. And this has coincided with complaints from residents who feel they have less space.

"The mayor [Jaime Martínez] is aware that the majority of residents don't use the sun bed service, so we decided to implement this redistribution," explains Mercedes Celeste, Councillor for Home Affairs and spokesperson for the Balearic Islands.

Another change at Cala Major beach to add more space will be the dismantling of one of its two beach bars.

"The idea is the same: to rationalise the space and avoid conflicts so that we can all enjoy the beach," Celeste says.

One of the ideas floated to help companies regain some of their lost income due to fewer beds includes offering premium sun loungers that offer more space, luxury and comfort - and of course cost more.

READ ALSO: Why are Barcelona's beaches disappearing?

The council will also allow operating periods to be more flexible. The summer season typically ends at the end of October, but they will allow concession stands to extend the season by two or three weeks in November on the condition that they themselves contract lifeguard services.

The council is keen to extend the season so that more people will be encouraged to travel during shoulder times in spring and autumn and help reduce over tourism in summer.

More changes will be introduced in the summer of 2027, which includes an app where can reserve sunbeds in advance. This will also help provide an estimate of the capacity of a given beach.

READ ALSO: The Spanish cities that will be most affected by rising sea levels

Mallorca is not the only place in Spain that is suffering from loss of sand on its beaches.

Rising sea levels, storms and coastal construction are all, causing more and more sand to be lost to the sea each year.

According to a Greenpeace report, by 2030 this will have a very serious impact on many Spanish cities, the worst affected cities being Barcelona, ​​Vigo, Málaga and Santander.

A study conducted by the Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) confirmed this by showing that since 2017, the city’s beaches have been losing between six and 10 metres of width per year.

Both Cádiz and Bilbao, are also expected to lose up to 40 metres of sand by the end of the century.

To try and solve the issue, many councils have brought in action plans, slightly different to those in Mallorca. Barcelona is spending millions on pouring deposits of sand onto the beach to try and balance out the current losses and divide the beaches up with breakwaters, while other cities are also adding barriers.

Experts believe that these solutions won’t be enough, however, and the only way to really stop the beaches eroding is to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions to slow down rising sea levels.