We watch with great interest what currently is happening in Mallorca: The Balearic Island is right now evolving into the new polo hot spot in Europe. POLO+10 gives an overview of the fascinating developments and the most beautiful properties.

Mallorca – a new polo community arises

A new polo community is beginning to form on the Balearic Island of Mallorca. With four large private polo facilities already in existence, others are sure to follow and it is clear that interest has peaked in new development in the southern regions of the Island.

Searching for the perfect polo estate in Mallorca?
POLO+10 knows the Balearic island inside out and offers you the best estates.
Following polo fincas are currently up for sale:

• Son Xotano → for further information about Son Xotano please click here
• Son Catlar → for further information about Son Catlar please click here
• Son Sala → for further information about Son Sala please click here
• Son Ramis → for further information about Son Ramis please click here

Mallorca’s beauty lies in the diversity of its landscape. From the rolling mountain range of La Tramontana in the northeastern part of the island, comprising of several mountains with peaks exceeding 1000 metres, to the southern plains reminding us of the agricultural and livestock farming tradition of the island. The old dairies keep the agricultural spirit of the area alive and the orange, olive, almond and fruit trees spread amongst the fields are interspersed with small villages teeming with life and history. The coastline in this area is also striking, with several white sand coves and endless pristine beaches – some of them are natural reserves – allowing the idyllic side of Mallorca to be retained. The south-eastern area of Mallorca intertwines the mixture of agricultural landscape and a rural lifestyle with the white sandy beaches and turquoise waters, making this area the best place to acquire a polo property. The plain that characterizes this landscape and the existence of the old dairies make the construction of polo properties that much easier. In addition, the polo fields enable the preservation of the agricultural identity of the region and do not distort the surrounding landscape.

As many people know, every polo field is different and each has its own little quirks. For 35 years now, Battro Polo Fields have built some of the best fields in the world, including the ‘Catedral del Polo’ at Palermo, Argentina. They are advisors to many clubs around the world and have built about 800 polo fields in 30 different countries worldwide. Alejandro Battro is the founder of Battro Polo Fields and is one of the most renowned polo designers today. According to Battro, the first important aspect to clarify when planning the construction of a new polo pitch, is the kind of polo that will be played there. The number of tournaments and chukkas played annually, as well as the level (low, medium or high goal) also affect the type of pitch that is to be built. According to Alejandro Battro, a good polo field needs to be able to withstand regular wear and tear, as well as being able to regenerate itself after chukkas or irrigation.

In order to carry out a project such as the construction of a polo field, it is essential to be informed about the legal situation that affects the development of such a project and about the current legislation. In Mallorca, Bufete Frau offers a consultant service carried out by a multilingual team that assists their clients with all the legal matters. The broad knowledge of law and languages held by their specialist team allows them to offer both international and national clients a highly comprehensive service in the areas of Property, Company, Maritime, Tax, Investment, among others.

Lucía González, responsible for Marketing and Communication in Bufete Frau, tells us about the Golden Visa and its requirements in Spain, as well as about the changes that will be introduced by the first draft Agrarian Law in the Balearic Islands, which will enable the construction of polo fields in Mallorca. According to Lucía, the requirements to get a Golden Visa and, thus, getting a residence permit in Spain are the purchasing of properties at a price higher than 500.000€, public debt at a price of 2.000.000€ or participation in the Spanish stock market. The typical profile of the foreign investors are high net worth individuals from non-European countries who want to live in Spain and to have the advantage of travelling freely across the countries that belong to the Schengen area – a European area that promotes the free movement of goods, information, money and people. The Entrepreneurs Law and its Internalisation in Spain were approved at the end of 2013, so it has not been introduced for long. However, Lucía mentions that they know Portugal and Cyprus’ results, where very similar measures are being successfully implemented and have attracted the Russian and Chinese investors. When asked which nationalities are most interested in acquiring the Golden Visa, Lucía points out that Bufete Frau sees great potential in the investors from the Arab countries, although Chinese investors seem to be the most interested so far.

Regarding the new draft of the Agrarian law which was presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Territory some months ago to the agrarian sector, Bufete Frau states that this law will be implemented not only in the agrarian infrastructure but also in its activities, introducing new uses and activities that will improve the investment and the employment of this sector, provided that the farm is registered in the Agricultural Registry. In her words, “with the future approval of the Law, we will know exactly what the procedure regarding the acquisition of agricultural fields for the practice of polo will entail.” Due to the increasing awareness of environmental issues in our society, it is important to understand that although Polo transforms the land, it aims to do so in as natural a way as possible. The land in the south-eastern region of Mallorca is already of an agricultural nature and is therefore perfectly suited to the development of polo properties.

POLO LAND is a technical consultant, belonging to the Santa Maria Polo Club group. As a company they are very much dedicated to the design, the construction project and the management of all kinds of equestrian facilities but mainly focusing on those dedicated to polo. It not only designs and develops polo fields, exercise tracks, stick and ball fields, etc. but also many different kinds of functional facilities connected with horses and polo such as clubhouses and stables. In a recent Interview, we asked POLO LAND to explain some of the main aspects of the construction processes needed when building a new polo field in Mallorca. They highlighted the fact that the land must be flat an horizontal because otherwise, given the size of the pitches, the movement of earth to create a flat pitch would cause slopes to form, which is unacceptable from an environmental point of view. The land should also have good soil drainage capacity. When it comes to the irrigation of the polo fields, POLO LAND recommends the use of big roller sprinklers because, in their experience, they give a better balance regarding the consumption/reliability and strength/costs of installation, as well as maintenance/absence of problems produced in the fields.

According to them, the costs of a polo field and the minimum associated facilities (access, irrigation and drainage systems, fences etc.) vary a great deal, but they estimate a price between 400.000€ and 500.000€. The technical and license costs would raise the price by up to 15%, approximately. In order to create a basic polo club, POLO LAND estimates an initial budget of 2 or 3 million euros but, as they mention, this may vary significantly depending on the initial project. A basic polo club, they say, should have two competition fields, an exercise track, a stick and ball field, stables with 100-200 boxes, a VIP area for sponsors, a club house, good access points and parking. Ideally a plot of around 18-20 hectares is needed allowing for the possibility of expansion.

Polo facts Mallorca

For more information about polo in Mallorca, please click here

Are you interested in finding a polo finca on Mallorca? POLO+10 will assist you.
thomas@poloplus10.com or +49 171 335 89 82

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