People from different corners of the world arrive in Mallorca for all kinds of reasons: for love, for work, for family, for opportunity or simply because of the feeling that a new chapter could begin here. Some arrive in passing and end up putting down roots; others seek on the island a quieter, brighter way of life, closer to the sea.
This combination of accents, journeys and cultures is part of Mallorca today: an increasingly international island, where different nationalities, professions and ways of understanding the world coexist. As in every edition, Mallorca Global Mag takes to the streets to talk to some of its most international residents and discover the stories that brought them here.
Name: Laure Varela
Country of origin: Venezuela
Time in Mallorca: 8 years
Profession: Business owner
Having part of her family here was decisive in making Laure decide to stay after a two-week holiday. “The calm really appeals to me,” she admits, adding that she was surprised by “the island’s diversity; people from many countries live side by side here.” If there is one thing she misses, she says, it is the possibility of “getting in the car and driving to visit other provinces.”
Name: Tobias Scharfenberger
Country of origin: Germany
Time in Mallorca: Recently arrived
Profession: Real estate sector
Tobias already knew what it was like to live in Mallorca. His Spanish girlfriend studied at the UIB. Now he has returned with the idea of considering a new life project. “I’ve heard that there may be some reluctance towards Germans,” he acknowledges, in reference to some comments linked to the housing problem. Even so, he says he feels comfortable: “People are very welcoming and I identify with Mallorca’s lifestyle.”
Name: Francisco Hernández
Country of origin: Mexico
Time in Mallorca: A year and a half
Profession: Cook
After living in Berlin for ten years, Francisco decided he did not want to spend another winter in Germany. “The change has been huge; I’ve had a warm welcome,” explains the cook at Menut Café, where he alternates between tapas, taco Thursdays —from his Taquería Los Bebés— and even international dishes from places where he has lived, such as Tel Aviv. “As long as there is openness, there is inclusion and a future,” he says of the city.
Name: Brian Walter
Country of origin: Switzerland
Time in Mallorca: 3 months
Profession: Presenter
Brian has just made the leap from Eivissa to its “big sister”, Mallorca. “I’ve always worked as a hotel entertainer, and I’ve worked in many countries. Now I have a show called Zapping TV Show, which I present in hotels with singing, dancing… People have a great time. I love Eivissa, but Mallorca is bigger and offers many more possibilities,” he concludes.
Name: María Fernanda Oliveros
Country of origin: Venezuela
Time in Mallorca: 14 years
Profession: Cook
A journalism graduate, María Fernanda reinvented herself by studying cookery in the Basque Country, from where she moved to Mallorca. “I’m Caribbean; the coast makes us feel at home,” she says. She has just opened a food stall at Santa Catalina Market, which she combines with her work alongside Marga Coll at Arrels; and she stresses that, despite the prices, “at least the luxury of going to the beach whenever we want is free.”
Names: Christian Penalba and Alicia Rieth
Country of origin: Argentina and Belgium
Time in Mallorca: A year and a half / 3 years
Profession: Barista and teacher
Christian, originally from Argentina, grew up in the Canary Islands and, after travelling extensively, “wanted a new island”. He had met Mallorcans in other countries and, combined with the appeal of the coves and beaches, that is how he ended up on the island. “The most surprising thing is that I met very few Spaniards!”. Alicia, for her part, had “spent her whole life coming here on holiday and, for Erasmus, I chose Mallorca”, where she has been surprised by “all the nature it has”.
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