With 20 days to go until the total solar eclipse, several restaurants in the Serra de Tramuntana have cancelled their special events due to uncertainty over the access restrictions announced by the Government.
The countdown to the total solar eclipse on August 12 is already being felt in the Serra de Tramuntana. With twenty days left until the astronomical phenomenon, several restaurants in the area have begun to cancel the special events they had prepared due to the lack of clarity on how the announced access restrictions will be applied by the Government.
The Balearic Government informed six days ago that the Ma-10 road, which runs through the mountains, will be restricted to general traffic between 15:00 and 21:00 on the day of the eclipse. Only residents, people with accredited accommodation, essential services, and public transport will be allowed to circulate. However, restaurateurs claim they still do not know the details of the authorisation system for their customers.
“We have cancelled the event. We will have a normal day, without a special menu,” explain Markus and Luisa, owners of Pizzeria Giardini in Estellencs. This establishment had prepared a set menu for 75 people for the eclipse, but the uncertainty has led them to reverse their decision.
The owners state that more than half of the reservations have already been cancelled. “We had the entire venue prepared and we have already had about forty cancellations. We prefer to return to regular service rather than organise an event and have people come worried about whether they will pass the controls or arrive on time,” they maintain.
The lack of concrete information has weighed heavily on the decision. “I don’t believe that everyone will be able to arrive at their destination on time. It’s unfeasible. It’s overwhelming. And the people who can come, after all this mess, will come upset after all the nerves. We also assume that they will struggle to park. There are too many factors for them to come happy,” they add.
The restaurant sector is one of the most attentive to the Government's response. Many establishments in municipalities like Estellencs, Deià, Valldemossa, Banyalbufar, or Sóller had organised special proposals coinciding with an astronomical phenomenon that will not occur again in Mallorca for over a century.
Now, restaurateurs are working to understand how the restrictions will affect their customers. There is also concern among the owners of second homes, who need to prove their access to be able to travel along the Ma-10.
The Government has yet to detail how the authorisation system will work for restaurant customers and other businesses in the area. Restaurateurs are calling for a clear and quick response to be able to plan the day and avoid further cancellations.
Meanwhile, uncertainty continues to weigh on businesses in the Serra de Tramuntana, which see the eclipse, far from being an opportunity, turning into a headache.
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