understanding-spain
Who is Adolfo Vilafranca Florit, president of the Menorca Island Council since 2023?
An economist trained in management and tax, Adolfo Vilafranca Florit has chaired the Consell Insular de Menorca since 8 July 2023. A PP politician now grappling with housing, water and tourism limits.
Who is Marga Prohens, from translator to president of the Balearic Islands?
A former translator who became president of the Balearic Islands in July 2023, Marga Prohens was just re-elected to lead the Balearic PP with 99.93% of the vote, amid recurring friction with Madrid.
What are the Balearics' traditional cured meats, beyond sobrassada?
Sobrassada has held a protected EU label since 1996, but it's only the start. The guide to traditional Balearic cured meats, island by island.
Facing violence against women or children in the Balearics: who do you call?
One number gets you free, confidential help with no trace on your bill: 016, backed up in the Balearics by IB-Dona, and 116 111 for children.
Can you trust the origin labels on Balearic food?
An official label is checked by a regulator; the words "from Mallorca" on a packet are checked by no one. Here is how to read a Balearic food label.
Can you actually live in the Mallorcan countryside, the foravila?
Yes, you can live in the foravila, but building there is tightly restricted: minimum plot sizes, protected zones, and prices driven up by foreign buyers.
Why do the Balearics hold such a cult for the Serra de Tramuntana?
UNESCO-listed in 2011, the Serra de Tramuntana condenses Mallorca's soul and crystallises Balearic identity.
The Balearics: what is the archipelago's real identity festival?
The archipelago's real shared festival falls on 1 March: here is why, and the major festivals not to miss, island by island.
Catalan in the Balearics: should you learn it when you settle?
Spanish is enough to get by, but Balearic Catalan remains the key to genuine integration.
The school system in the Balearics: levels, languages and equivalences
How school works in the Balearics: the levels, the place of Catalan, equivalences for a foreign child, and how to enrol.
Smoking on terraces and beaches in the Balearics: what does Spain's new anti-smoking law say, and from when?
No, you can still smoke on a terrace or an unprotected beach in the Balearics: Spain's sweeping anti-smoking overhaul is, for now, only a bill. Here is what it proposes, and why nothing has changed as of 1 August 2026.
Spain's new traffic law: what changes in the Balearics from 1 October 2026
The national traffic law reform takes effect on 1 October 2026. Here is what really changes when you drive in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera.