Rats “the Size of Rabbits” Invade One of Spain’s Top Tourist Areas

When I was in Mallorca, most of the rats I saw were the persistent blokes shouting about “free fishbowls for me and all of my mates” — which, by the way, turned out to be vodka and Ribena in a plastic bucket. But now it’s actual rats. Massive ones. Like, rabbit-sized. And they’re not offering drink deals — they’re terrorising the Santa Catalina district in Palma.

Once a hub of Nordic minimalism (aka beige chairs, hanging lightbulbs, and menus that just say “beetroot”), Santa Catalina is now being torn up by ongoing water pipe works from the company Emaya. Locals are fuming — open trenches have left the streets dusty, the roads blocked, and in some cases, homes without water. And with that, the rats have moved in like they’ve signed a lease.

One resident said they went for a shower and found cockroaches waiting for them. Another claimed the rats are “the size of rabbits” and now just part of the neighbourhood. Business owners are worried it’ll damage the area’s reputation as a trendy hotspot. Locals are demanding a clean-up, a solid schedule for the works, and some peace from the plague-level pest problems.