A once-secluded cove in Majorca has become a victim of its own success and is now at the centre of a battle to get it blocked off from holidaymakers. In 2024, in a bid to ease pressure on the Spanish island's busiest hotspots, tourism officials encouraged content creators to promote lesser-known areas, including its beaches.

However, Caló des Moro has rapidly become a victim of overtourism after going viral on social media, with thousands of selfie-hunting tourists descending on the beauty spot each day. During the peak summer season, an estimated 4,000 people visit the tiny 65-foot-wide beach every day. Now, its German millionaire owners have had enough and are seeking to have public access to the beach blocked entirely.

Maren and Hans-Peter Oehm have applied to local authorities to close public access to their property by erecting a fence, according to local media reports. According to Diario de Mallorca, the Oehms, who live in nearby Santanyí, have been the caretakers of the beach for many years, but the influx of tourists has forced them to spend time and money clearing it up. This has included replanting damaged vegetation and even putting out fires lit by visitors.

The impact of mass tourism on the 100-person-capacity Caló des Moro is that six tonnes of sand disappear from the cove every three months, with 70 kilograms being carted off in towels and footwear every day.

Locals have also revealed that the beach, accessed by a steep and narrow rocky trail, has been used as a dumping ground by tourists too lazy to make the return journey with their possessions.

The German family said they had been "begging" local authorities for help for years, but so far no progress has been made.

This comes after hundreds of campaigners stormed the beach and vowed to "reclaim" it from holidaymakers in 2024. More than 300 protesters descended on the cove on June 16, unfurling a large banner that stretched across the beach, which read: "Let's occupy our beaches". They also distributed leaflets to tourists in English and German.

Until the Oehms succeed in blocking access, due to its popularity, the beach becomes packed in July and August. To be in with a chance of securing a space, tourists have to arrive before 9am.