The wealthy, well-healed tourists carved their niche on dramatic Northwestern coast from Estellencs through Valledmossa, Deia, and Soller. Here, care was taken to preserve beautiful old fincas, and a number of them became small exclusive hotels and resorts. This area was always more exclusive than more accessible regions of island because of Serra de Tramuntana Mountain range which divides it from rest of island. Up until late 1990's when EEC began to make money available for major development, even major roads leading to Northwestern coastal towns were very narrow and poorly maintained. The trip to Deia from airport at Palma took over an hour even though actual distance is only about 30 km as crow flies. Now, however, new roads have made travel much easier.

Today Mallorca is home to quite a few expatriate residents from England, and America, but many of these long-term residents are leaving due to current "German Invasion." As European Union became a certainty in 90's, Germans afraid of loosing money with equalization of European currencies began to flood Mallorca spending exorbitant sums on properties and businesses where rate of exchange worked in their favor. The net result of all this German investment was rapid, massive inflation on island. Now, less than ten years later, no native Mallorquin can afford to buy property. On entering any restaurant, foreign guests now are addressed in German first. Upon learning that guest is not German, many waiters will visibly relax, and if guest speaks Spanish or Mallorquin, waiter will often indulge in a bit of good-natured "German-bashing."

The negative effects of tourism long ago seeped through very fabric of life on Mallorca. Now, however, with dramatic escalation of prices locals can no longer afford to buy houses. Maintenance work for those who already own their houses can only be done at outlandish prices since wages have increased to compensate. The Germans have been chilly neighbors, fortifying their properties with impenetrable walls to keep prying eyes away.

Now, however, financial advantages for Germans have evaporated, and other expatriate residents are expecting property prices to return to a more affordable level.