What’s it like Living in Mallorca?
Fieke and her husband Guy live in a small town on the beautiful island of Mallorca.
In this interview Fieke tells us everything she loves about Mallorca but also covers some of the Cons of living on the island. She also gives a lot of practical information for anyone thinking of making Mallorca home.
Name: Fieke Stolk-Aarden
Age: 44
Country of origin: The Netherlands
Number of years in Spain: 1
Hi Fieke! Please tell me about yourself and how you ended up coming to Spain
Hi there, nice to meet you, or encantada, as they say here in Spain. My name is Fieke, I was born and raised in the Netherlands and have lived there most of my life. After my studies in Hotel Management, I have worked for international hotel chains, mostly in commercial professions, for 20 years. That is also where I’ve met my husband, Guy, we used to work for the same company. Both in our personal and work life, we have travelled a lot and since we were both working for an international company there always was the possibility that one of us would get offered a position abroad. The year we decided that we were open to moving abroad, several opportunities presented themselves. When my husband’s current job came along everything fell into place and we decided to go for it. We have always loved Spain as a country to travel to and we actually got married on the neighbouring island of Ibiza, so when we got the opportunity to live on Mallorca, we grabbed it.
Why Mallorca? Have you explored other parts of Spain? What makes this part of Spain special to you?
My husband and I had actually explored quite a large part of Spain before moving here. It is an amazingly beautiful and versatile country. Not only the beaches and the coast, but also the interior of the country. Spain has lively, bustling cities, gorgeous wine regions and stunning nature, but the Balearic Islands are special to us. We’ve visited Ibiza, Formentera and Mallorca several times and although they’re all different, we love the laid-back island life. So much that we decided to get married on Ibiza in 2018. It was magical. Mallorca is the biggest island of the Balearic group and it’s the island which has the most residents and the seat of government. This also means that it is an island which year-round is an attractive place to live, since there are always things to do and people around. The attraction of Mallorca not only lies in the beaches, but also in the mountains and the charming little villages more inland. And of course, the sun is shining here most days of the year.
Where do most people live in Mallorca? What areas do you recommend for people thinking of living there?
The biggest city, where the most people live here on Mallorca, is Palma de Mallorca. It is a nice city to live in, since it is also located by the sea and it has very beautiful areas, but it also it very busy in the summer and quite expensive in terms of renting or buying a place to live. It’s popular for mainly young people to live there, who either come here by themselves, or as a couple and looking to meet new people. There are also a lot of larger companies based in and around Palma de Mallorca, so that also attracts people to live around the city. But there are also other, smaller towns, where lots of expats live, like in the Southwestern part of the island, around Palmanova, Portals Nous, Santa Ponca and Andratx. Or the Western part, more towards the mountains, like Alaro and Soller. And also, in the north around Alcudia. Having said that, we actually live in the middle of the island in a town called Sineu, which we enjoy very much. It is mainly locals living here, but also some expats. It has the biggest weekly market on the island year-round and it’s very centrally located; the beaches in the north are 20 minutes aways and Palma is a 30-minute drive. So, I guess, it is very personal where you feel at home and want to live.
In your view, what are the pros and cons of living in Mallorca?
The pros are definitely the climate, the beauty of the island in terms of nature and villages, the liveliness all year round, the ability to live a quiet life, but at the same time having an exciting city like Palma around the corner. The island is small enough to be able to visit a different beach or town every weekend, but big enough not to get island fever. If there are any cons to be mentioned I would probably say that the cost of living here is more expensive compared to the mainland of Spain. Affordable housing can be difficult to find. And it gets very crowded in Palma and on the popular beaches in the summertime.
I’ve heard that the cost of living on Mallorca is higher than other parts of Spain. Any thoughts on that?
Yes, it is. Especially if you compare it to the mainland. Mallorca, like the other Balearic Islands, are popular holiday destinations and that makes affordable housing challenging. There are a lot of people that come to work on the island for just the season – let’s say from May to October – and only need accommodation in those months. Which means a lot of property owners have to earn their income in these 6 months and increase the rent accordingly. People who live here all year round are sort of the victim of that and are struggling to find an affordable place to live. Same with purchasing a house, since a lot of houses are sold to foreigners as a holiday home for high prices, the prices in general go up. And local salaries do not tend to be higher than anywhere else in Spain. Also, Mallorca being an island, the cost of transportation on anything not produced on the island drives the prices up. It is something you need to consider before moving here. It might also impact your decision where you want to live on the island. For instance, going out for a drink or dinner in the area where we live is much more affordable than in Palma, or in Santa Ponca. But if you compare it to the Netherlands, the cost of living here is still lower.
What do you do to keep busy Fieke? Do you and your husband work on Mallorca?
We do both work here on Mallorca. Guy works as Director of Hotel Chains Europe for a large international travel-tech company here on the island. And I have just set up my own interior design studio, which is quite exciting. It is something completely different from what I used to do before, but it has always been my passion. I do have a degree in interior design and once we were settled in and I had the time to clear my head and think about what I really wanted to do, I decided to make my passion my job and put my degree to work. I have started Studio S.A.C. and focus on online and offline interior design, which means my clients can be anywhere in Europe or the world. Next to residential design I also love to share my extensive expertise in the luxury hotel industry and corporate facility management…I design inviting hospitality concepts and inspiring office spaces 😊
Editor’s note: Have a look at Fieke’s business website and Instagram page. I love her style and she can design my place anytime she likes…
What kind of people do you meet? Is there a high percentage of expats on Mallorca? Do you participate in Expat clubs or have any expat resources you can recommend to others?
I have already met a lot of people, especially expats. There are a lot of expats on Mallorca from several countries. Most of them I met through joining Mallorca Facebook groups. There are some really active ones, that also regularly organise different types of events; like ‘GGI’ (Girls gone international), ‘La isla bonita social club’ and ‘Mallorca entrepreneurs’. And then there are groups specifically if you’re looking to meet expats with the same nationality; like ‘Nederlanders op Mallorca’ and ‘Americans on Mallorca’. Or more general ones; like ‘Mallorca Expats’ and ‘Mallorca Residents’. Furthermore, I think it’s also nice to meet people by going out and just talking to people. We have a very nice, new bar in our town, that is run by expats and have actually met some fun people there as well.
You’ve been there a year now. What’s you adaptation been to everything?
My experience so far has been that we actually needed at least a year to settle in completely. When you move abroad there’s a lot that need to be arranged and in Mallorca, like in the rest of Spain, there is quite some bureaucracy and things don’t necessarily move along quickly. You need to adapt to this and accept that that is the way it is. Coming from a fast-paced country as the Netherlands, for me, it took me some time. And next to that you have to build your life here all over again; meet new friends, get used to a new routine and new surroundings and speaking another language. All while you have a lot of family and friends coming over. But after this year, it is safe to say that we have found our way and we really like it here.
How about language? I’ve read that the official language is Catalan. How do you get by?
The language is something else. We actually expected Mallorca to be a bit more international and thought more people would speak English. That is actually not the case, especially not while arranging things with the local municipality or government. You really need to speak Spanish, at least. And yes, preferably Catalan, or actual the local dialect of Catalan, which is Mallorquin. Unless you are fluent in Spanish and have lived here for several years, it is not worth it learning Mallorquin, other than ‘hello’, ‘how are you’ and ‘goodbye’ in order to be able to greet your elderly neighbour. But Spanish is a must. I did speak and understood some Spanish when we arrived here and luckily that has improved a lot in the meantime that we have been living here. I use Duolingo on my phone on a daily basis and actually speaking it every day helps a lot.
What are your favorite activities to do on a day off? Any favorite places on the island?
In the summertime, when the weather is nice, I do enjoy going to the beach and swimming in the sea. Not only on a day off, but also after work, even if it’s just to have a drink in a beach club or restaurant in one of the nearby coastal towns. An absolute favourite is Port de Pollensa, which is not too far from where we live. Favourite beach clubs are ‘Numa Beach Club’ in Muro Beach, ‘Moomba’ in Son Serra and ‘La Santa’ in Can Picafort for the best paella. Not by the beach, but one of the best restaurants on Mallorca is ‘Ca Na To Ne Ta’ in Caimari. In wintertime I love to explore the island, go for a hike in the mountains and visit villages like Soller, Deia, Fornalutx and Valdemossa. Or walk along the beaches, which are too crowded in the summer, like Cala Agulla, Cala Mondrago and s’Amarador, which are both located in a stunning natural park.
Do you have any special tips or advice for anyone thinking of moving to Mallorca Fieke?
If you love the island, can work remotely or found a job here and a place to live, I would go for it. Just make sure you come well prepared and have sorted things out beforehand, e.g., appointments for a visa or residency. And if you need help with administrative things, find a good ‘gestoria’, which is a local administrative office, who can help you sorting out your taxes, importing your car, social security number, etc. Even the locals use these services, since things can be quite complicated. And if you want to buy a house, make sure you get a local lawyer involved to make sure there are no surprises afterwards. Don’t let it hold you back, it’s definitely worth your while.
What are your plans for the future Fieke? Do you think you’ll still be in Mallorca 10 years from now?
No specific plans for now yet. Guy and I really enjoy it here, so we are not thinking of leaving. We are looking to buy a house in the near future. So, probably you can find us here in 10 years’ time, which doesn’t mean that we haven’t been living in another country in the meantime. We are still open for new adventures in a few years, but Mallorca is definitely a place we would love to return to live for many years to come.
Thanks for doing this interview Fieke!
Fieke has her interior design business, Studio S.A.C. She and Guy also have a personal Instagram page where they share their photos and stories of Mallorca.
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