Invasion of residents in a cove of Illetes to reclaim it from a luxury hotel that has appropriated it

PalmaThe Less Tourism, More Life movement carried out a protest action this Tuesday at Cova de la Grava, in Illetes (Calvià), to denounce what it considers the "privatization" of this small cove by the Gran Meliá Hotel de Mar. The activists have symbolically occupied the space, both by land and by sea, with banners and kayaks to assert that "the beaches will always be ours" and to demand the recovery of public coastal areas.

The action, disseminated on social networks by the movement itself and by other collectives such as Arran Mallorca, has recreated a "recovery" of the cove symbolically led by "crabs and cormorants". In the images, a group of activists can be seen accessing the cove from the coastal promenade and another arriving by sea with kayaks and floats. Once on the beach, they unfurled banners with messages such as 'we are the island defending itself', 'the beaches will always be ours', and 'we are the sea that revolts', while taking a bath and playing paddleball in front of the surprised hotel guests. Local Police officers from Calvià also arrived during the protest.

In the Instagram post, Menys Turisme, Més Vida accuses Meliá of having turned Cova de la Grava into an almost private space. According to the collective, the establishment controls the only accessible entrance to the cove, has installed sun loungers for clients, and has placed two illuminated advertising signs on the rocks.

The entity frames this situation within a broader criticism of the tourism model in the Balearic Islands. It assures that the hotel chain is one of the "spearheads" of the transformation of the Balearic coastline and accuses it of contributing to gentrification, housing pressure, and the privatization of common goods.

"Faced with impotence and resignation, today we take a step forward to gain ground. We will point out, challenge, and liberate the territory to defend life," states the manifesto read during the action. The collective also denounces that there are increasingly more people "tired of seeing cement advance and nature recede," in addition to the pressure that the tourism model exerts on resources such as water and territory.

The protest comes amid an escalation of mobilizations promoted by Menys Turisme, Més Vida against tourist overcrowding and in defense of the right to housing, following the massive demonstrations of recent months and various protest actions throughout Mallorca.