'New dimension' in battle for sunbeds in Majorca resorts as tourists drape towels over beach umbrellas for best shoreline spots
9 July 2024, 18:09
Tourists in Spain have started reserving the best beach spots by hanging their towels on parasols as local residents have described the latest development of “towel wars” that occur at resorts.
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Battles between holidaymakers for the best poolside sun loungers have often been a theme at Spanish hotels but the locals of Majorca say this has now expanded to the beaches with a new tactic.
The residents claimed tourists have added a “new dimension” to the battle by getting up at the crack of dawn to reserve their spot on the first row of the beaches by hanging their towels on their chosen umbrella.
"While half of Majorca is still asleep, the towel war is already beginning in Playa de Palma," says the Spanish press.
"Not only have German holidaymakers 'reserved' their sun loungers at the hotel pools at dawn but have now also moved this habit to the beach.
"With towels hanging on the parasols in the early morning, the tourists secure the best spots right by the sea."
Images from local media over the weekend showed over a dozen parasols were occupied by the early morning at a leading Playa de Palma hotel popular among German tourists.
Towels could be seen hanging from almost all the umbrellas, many of them belonging to nearby hotels.
"The holidaymakers' strategy is probably to 'reserve' the best spots and then go to have a leisurely breakfast," Ultimahora.es reported.
Sun loungers on this beach are rented out by Palma city council through a separate company between 10am and 7pm.
Employees generally arrive at the beaches from 8:30am to open the loungers before they are stacked and closed in the evening.
A resident of Playa de Palma said: “You don’t just see this here. You can even find it all over Playa de Palma.”
Responding to the report by Inselradio, one resident said they would "throw these towels into the sea" while another said they were "embarrassed by something like this".
A third said it was a "totally bad habit," adding: "Securing sun loungers with a towel in the early morning is absolutely inconsiderate and absolutely not acceptable.
"If no one blocks sun loungers with towels in the morning, everyone can have one. After all, we all want the same thing: a relaxing holiday.”
Another angered local said: "This has been happening all my life in Benidorm. What surprises me is that it has taken so long to reach Palma."
