Tourism in the Balearic Islands has also gained from instability elsewhere. In Mallorca’s 47 ports and marinas there was a 50 per cent increase in superyachts in the summer of 2016, according to the Balearic Nautical Association.
Last month’s Palma Boat Show saw 10 per cent more visitors; plenty of people went shopping for a new superyacht, but what about a turnkey apartment nearby? Agency Engel & Völkers has a three-bedroom townhouse with spectacular roof terrace overlooking Palma’s port for €1.49 million, but if that’s out of your price range, a two-bedroom apartment with harbour views in nearby Santa Ponsa is €395,000 (engelvoelkers.com).
If you save on the property and mooring, you could spend more on the boat itself. “We have a handful of clients who have asked us to design their property interiors to match their yacht, or vice versa,” says Simon Tomlinson of Winch Design. “One couple asked us to match the dining and living areas of their six-bedroom villa in Sardinia with their [190ft]yacht. Obviously with the boat we reduced the weight [with veneers of marble not solid stone], reduced sharp edges, and we remodelled house rooms to replicate the cabin sizes.” At a cost of up to €5 million, this really is pushing the boat out.