For more than sixty years Puig Major has been a restricted military area. Soon, however, it could become the new attraction for visitors from Europe and beyond. If the new island government has its way, the tender for a cable car to the highest peak on Mallorca will begin on April 1 next year. The international interest is overwhelming, already. A well-known Swiss company, for example, wants to offer mountain bike descents from Puig Major in addition to road bike tours. And a film studio from the United States is advertising an amusement park with a 360-degree panoramic cinema in the sphere previously used as a radar station.
Cable Car or Helipad?
The ambitious project is not only facing opposition from conservationists, though. A local hotel chain is lobbying the island government for an alternative concept. Instead of a cable car, a helipad on the summit of Puig Major would merely provide an exclusive clientele with access to a luxury resort. The time of the new Hotel Formentor as the most expensive hotel in Spain would be over soon after its opening.
Even though another project for high-net-worth guests would fit in well with the goal of upgrading the island’s tourism, the government seems to prefer a cable car. One of the main reasons for this is the financing, as spokesman Josemaría Santos openly admits. The funds originally planned for a streetcar from Palma to the airport could be used for the cable car up Puig Major.
Ready for Climate Change
Last but not least, Mallorca would be prepared for all conceivable climate change scenarios. In case the water reservoirs will dry up, a new tourist center for active holiday makers beyond beach and sea could be created around the base station of the cable car. And if the increasing weather extremes also contribute to more snowfall in winter, the cable car up Puig Major could be the starting point for turning the Tramuntana into a winter sports area.
Thus the dream of year-round tourism on Mallorca could finally become a reality. Unless the military continues to occupy Puig Major, hence saving at least Las Calmas de Enero. 
