Starring in our ‘Top 10 Cruisey Skate Towns’ in the next issue of the mag (out next month, subscribe here!), Magaluf is known to be the land of binge drinking and all-night partying, where the summer never ends but Hannah Bailey decided to head to get active in the sandy town that never sleeps. Swapping cocktails for cruisers, beers for boards and shots for surf, she was intrigued to find out what the infamous area had to offer without beer goggles on (though swim goggles were allowed)
Words and photos by Hannah Bailey
Magaluf is buzzing with party spirit from May to the end of September, but I’ve not been put off by its reputation. I had been tempted over to stay at the digital-friendly hotel, The Sol Wave House. It’s the world’s first twitter hotel, your hotel experience enhanced by the fact you can #tellthemwhatyouwant at all times. IRL the hotel is as friendly in person as it is over social media. It couldn’t be closer to the beach, with the promenade being the only thing keeping the sand back. With an endless array of seating and chill-out options to lie down on around three glossy blue pools. There are beanbags, grass matted loungers, bali beds and surfboard chairs, it really is a lazy holiday maker’s dream. But I’m not necessarily here to chill, well not all the time anyway, the hotel has something else to offer…
The Sol Wavehouse, as the name suggests is ‘a surfers’ paradise’ or as close as it can be. Magaluf does not provide waves in the sea, but the Sol provides artificial waves to play on. It houses not only a conventional FlowRider but Europes only FlowBarrel too! Every morning the free taster session brings all the newbies to the try it out (me included), get a feel for it and more than likely just get flung all over the place. It’s a good time to start, before the spectators are out. But when they do turn up, they tend to head to check out the pro’s hit the barrel. Aeriels, twists and turns as the fake wave barrels over their heads. The first of its kind in Europe, the barrel waverider is a must try, if you can get the knack on the conventional flow. The FlowRider is like no other boardsport, so experience of skating, snowboarding or surfing are not necessarily handy, in fact they could give you a false sense of balance!
A great active start to a morning in Magaluf. But are you still put off by the reputation of Brits abroad? As Fidel Alonso, pro-snowboarder and marketing manager of the Wavehouse explains to us: “More and more people are visiting the area to enjoy everything else it has to offer. Magaluf has an abundance of water sports to offer including scuba-diving, jet-skiing, parascending, snorkelling, windsurfing and kite surfing. There are numerous activities to choose from including cycling and skateparks.” Plenty to do before happy hour starts…
I get the impression that mornings here in Magaluf are the perfect time to enjoy the area, it has an air of calm as party revellers lay in bed. The perfect time to go running through the silent strip and along the beach. The mile stretch of sand, trodden on by revelers all summer long is still looking golden and healthy. But if that sand could speak… I wouldn’t want to hear! In the morning, it’s at peace, ready to host those who are opting for the quiet calm.
The Balearics enjoy a Mediterranean climate with a year-round average temperature of 21°C in Mallorca on the coast and 20°C in Menorca, and an average of more than 300 days of sunshine throughout the year. So it shouldn’t be all go go go holiday here. In fact in summer it can be a bit hot to get active. Fidel suggests spring time: “If you are looking for an active holiday break the best time to visit the islands is in the spring, when the blossom and wild flowers are out, the sun is not too fierce and the fiesta season is just beginning.” The beach is too nice to resist lying on for hours, but you can easily swap your sun deck for a skate deck when the time comes to head for a cruise. Hitting the promenade barefoot straight off the sand, there’s no need for shoes as your grip tape offers a foot exfoliation of 5* spa level. If you’re up for a real skate, it’s all about a trip to Palma for the day. We hired a moped and hit the road, with skateboards on our back and the wind in our visor, heading for the skatepark by the stadium. Palma is well worth a stop-over after the skate, a nice little town with cobbled streets, some great shops, restaurants and perfectly put together parks with fountains and classical music playing.
In a 5 day break here I managed to go skating, flowriding, stand up paddle boarding, running, and cruising, with plenty of lying in the sun too. But I’d be tempted back to see more of the overall area, Calvià, with its 54km of beautiful coastline and 36 beaches with an average sea temperature of 25˚C in the summer. Plus I pretty am sure there are more promenades to cruise and skateparks to find on a moped…
Find out more about the Sol Wave House.
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