History of El Terreno
El Terreno: The first tourist municipality on the island
Wealthy citizens, for whom the old town with its medieval alleyways and gloomy palaces had become too narrow and oppressive, discovered the narrow hill below the Castillo de Bellver with its green pine forests as the ideal location for their summer residence, with a view of the sea and steps that quickly led down to the bathing bay of Can Bàrbara. The new-build villa district with plenty of light, air, sunshine and garden splendor, just a few minutes’ carriage ride from the city center, attracted wealthy residents.2
El Terreno - From an artists' retreat to a Mediterranean place of longing
The first foreigners soon followed, all of them illustrious guests and aesthetes who rented apartments or entire houses there in the summer. Painters and writers such as Santiago Rusiñol, Antoni Ribas, Ruben Darío, Gertrude Stein and Cristòfol Vilella discovered El Terreno for themselves. The neighborhood became a dream come true of life in the Mediterranean south, a longing that still drives millions of holidaymakers to Mallorca and the Mediterranean every year.
Older residents know many anecdotes from back then, such as how King Juan Carlos rode his moped through the narrow alleyways to drive to his love nest with his then mistress. Or how the heels of Gertrude Stein’s black shoes clattered up the stairs to Bellver.
El Terreno in the golden years - from international bohemia to the rise of tourism
In the 1930s, a colorful colony of foreigners settled in El Terreno; British, Germans, French, Hungarians and Americans settled there, smoked, danced, drank in the bars and cafés or bathed in the sea, until the Spanish Civil War brought an abrupt end to the lively dolce vita.
It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that a new kind of tourism tentatively began. At first, it was mainly Scandinavians who discovered El Terreno and Cala Major for themselves. The “Suecos”, as the Swedes were known, brought a lot of foreign currency with them.
Between decay and rebirth - El Terreno's transformation from a villa district to a modern trendy neighborhood
Every year, the number of tourists visiting Mallorca increased, triggering a building boom that changed the appearance of the district forever. Hotel blocks were erected where villas with gardens once resided on the Joan Miró. A new motorway built in the sea – today’s Paseo Marítimo – cut the cliffs off from the sea.
Today, the district is experiencing a major revival. International schools and kindergartens, the idyllic location at the foot of Bellver Park and the proximity to the center are unique.
Further information on the history of the district: https://elterrenopalmademallorca.wordpress.com
