Mallorca's coves too small for a yacht? Locals say true luxury is nature money can't buy

A wealthy Argentine woman's complaint that Mallorca's coves are too small for her 90-foot yacht has ignited a debate about whether natural landscapes should adapt to human desires. The author of this piece laments the idea, contrasting it with the enduring beauty of coves shaped by millions of years of natural forces.

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I had believed my whole life that therein lay its beauty, in those capricious inlets between cliffs, the result of millions of years of wind, rain and the Mediterranean.

"I had believed my whole life that therein lay its beauty, in those capricious inlets between cliffs, the result of millions of years of wind, rain and the Mediterranean," the author writes, reflecting on a perspective now challenged by a desire to reshape nature to fit luxury.

Mallorca is presented as a hub of exclusive experiences, catering to those who can afford private chefs and impossible reservations. Yet, some coves resist this commodification, forcing even superyacht owners to anchor offshore and use dinghies, much like hikers who must walk to reach them. The article critiques the modern impulse to alter the environment – tunneling through mountains, dredging seas, or widening coves – simply because it inconveniences someone.

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The true drama consists of some coves not being the right size for a ninety-foot yacht.

The author finds solace in the thought that these coves, which have ignored empires, aristocrats, pirates, and influencers for centuries, will continue to do so. The piece concludes that the ultimate luxury is not a larger yacht, but preserving a corner of the Mediterranean where money holds no sway – the small coves that locals can enjoy in the quiet of autumn.

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The last luxury we have left is not having an ever-larger yacht, but preserving a corner of the Mediterranean where there is still something that money cannot buy.