More Vacationers Cook for Themselves: How Alcudia and Can Picafort Are Feeling the Change

Vacation with a Shopping List Instead of a Buffet

The scene on a Tuesday morning in Alcudia: market traders pack fresh tomatoes into cloth bags, at the corner the baker is still sliding warm ensaimadas from the oven, and couples in swimwear with shopping lists are looking for the next apartment with a kitchenette. It’s no longer an isolated case. This summer, significantly more guests arrived who want to take care of themselves—instead of visiting the hotel buffet daily.

Why the Change?

The reasons are varied. Some say it’s cheaper. Others like the control: when and what to eat, they decide themselves. Young families appreciate it because children have different meal times. Older guests, in turn, enjoy warming something up slowly in the evening and eating on the balcony. Hoteliers report more inquiries for studios with a stove or microwave. "I hardly ever saw anyone with shopping bags ten years ago," says Miguel, who has run a small hotel in the old town for two decades. "Now it happens often, especially in the off-season."

Win for Supermarkets, Headache for Cafés

The local economy feels it immediately. Supermarkets, bakeries and butcher shops on the main street report full shelves and higher sales. By contrast, small cafés at the harbor are often emptier at lunchtime. "Our cappuccino numbers in the morning have declined," laments the owner of a traditional café in Can Picafort. Restaurants have days with higher or lower occupancy—depending on whether guests prefer to cook themselves or treat themselves to something now and then.

For bookings, that means: more demand for apartments; apartments with a kitchen are in demand. Some hotels are responding: they offer smaller catering plans or cooperative kitchens. The steady seasonal boom hasn’t disappeared, but the distribution of tourist spending is changing.

What That Means for Island Everyday Life

The change is not only economic. It also changes the rhythm on the plazas, at the markets, and in the supermarkets. More people buy local products, sample Mallorcan dishes at their own pace, and visit the typical tourist eateries for dinner less often. That can be good for small producers—and a challenge for bars and restaurants.

In the end, it's a different vacation experience: less service, more self-determination. Some guests enjoy it a lot. Others miss the sense of service. On balconies, in the evenings you can often hear the soft clinking of cutlery and occasionally the sound of the sea—and sometimes, a simple bread with olive oil is enough to be content.