Residents of a postcard-perfect village in Menorca have hit out at holidaymakers accused of trespassing on private property in their pursuit of the ideal selfie.
People living in Binibeca Vell, a quiet fishing village famed for its whitewashed homes and narrow lanes, branded the behaviour of some visitors “disrespectful” and told them to “go home” after videos showed crowds filling its tight streets.
Footage has shown tourists posing in bizarre positions, including lying upside down on staircases, sitting on immaculate walls and settling directly outside residents’ front doors, prompting growing frustration among locals.
Clips posted on the village’s official Instagram account show its winding cobbled passageways packed with visitors, some of whom appear to climb onto gated, whitewashed homes without permission in order to take photographs.
Residents say tourists are also obstructing everyday life by stopping suddenly on the footpaths for holiday pictures, leaving locals unable to move freely through the village’s already narrow streets.
“TOURISTS, GO HOME…if you come here without respect,” the account wrote in a lengthy statement addressing the problem.
“We don’t want to keep tourists away. We want responsible tourists. Tourism is welcome. People are welcome.
“What isn’t welcome is disrespecting the community, disturbing residents, entering private spaces, damaging property or treating someone’s home like a photo set.”
Residents from a picturesque village in Menorca have publicly shamed holidaymakers for flagrantly trespassing on their private property to capture the perfect selfies
Vistors have been caught lying upside down on stairwells as they pose for the camera, perching on walls, and sitting in front of residents’ front doors, angering the local population
Disgruntled residents have made a habit of sharing their frustration on the Binibeca Vell official Instagram
The statement continued: ‘Come. Enjoy Binibeca. Take your pictures. Discover Menorca.
‘Just remember: this is a real community, not a theme park.
‘Tourists are welcome. Irresponsible tourism isn’t.’
One photograph shows a holidaymaker performing an acrobatic pose between the white walls. It was shared alongside the caption: ‘Is this the tourism we want?’
The private housing development of Binibeca Vell, in the southwest of Menorca, was built in 1964, by Antonio Sintes Mercadel, a local surveyor, and Francisco Juan Barba Corsini, an architect.
It was designed to resemble a traditional Greek village, with its hushed, narrow alleyways and 165 ivory-white properties, many facing the glittering sea, coves and cliffs.
The number of people visiting the increasingly popular coastal enclave has skyrocketed to more than 800,000 people a year, making life for local residents strained.
The tense situation has been ongoing for some time, prompting the residents’ association to limit access hours for tourists on multiple occasions, with the support of the Sant Lluís Town Council.
In 2024, visiting hours were from 11.00am to 8.00pm, but currently, access is permitted from 10.00am to 10.00pm.
Disgruntled residents have made a habit of sharing their frustration on the Binibeca Vell official Instagram, posting photos of tourists clambering up stairs, opening doors, and entering balconies to take the best selfies.
‘It’s a daily occurrence: people sitting on your steps and having to ask them to move so you can get into your house,’ one resident said.
In another video, the same sentiment is shared: ‘Binibeca isn’t a backdrop for taking photos, it’s a place where people live, where there are neighbours, and where those doors are our homes.’
All across the town, stern signs requesting silence at all times can be found, as part of the residents’ attempt to retain an atmosphere of serenity as tourists explore.
‘Don’t climb the walls or the houses to take photos. Don’t put your feet on the white walls, because then we, the neighbours, are the ones who have to clean them,’ one Instagram post says.
‘Respect the silence, the schedules, and the community rules.’
Locals from the fishing village of Binibeca Vell condemned the ‘disrespectful’ visitors and told them to ‘go home’, after footage emerged of crowds of holidaymakers clogging narrow streets
‘Don’t climb the walls or the houses to take photos,’ one Instagram post from the village’s official account says
Footage shows tourists in the fishing village of Binibeca Vell trespassing on private property
One photograph, shared by the village’s official Instagram account, shows a tourist performing an acrobatic pose between the white walls
Visitors are urged to ‘avoid uncivic attitudes’ by refraining from ‘entering the houses or climbing stairs or balconies’ and to help keep the village clean
Residents have long complained how hordes of rowdy tourists overrun the village
A young woman poses for a photograph on private property in the village
A hoard of tourists are pictured crowding a small alley in the village to take photos in front of the quaint white stone houses
The neighbourhood is now even considering hiring private security to cope with the influx of tourists.
Poblado de Pescadores, the fishermen’s retreat, lies at the heart of the enclave, characterised by an expansive urbanisation of whitewashed, gated holiday houses and rental properties.
Despite the fact that the residential complex is neither historic nor a genuine fishing village, tourists are increasingly enraptured by its manicured charm.
The surge in popularity is partially down to Instagram and TikTok, with scores of posts shared under the hashtag for Binibeca generating thousands of likes and comments among Millennial and Gen-Z audiences.
In 2024, inhabitants of the idyllic village held a referendum on whether to ban tourists completely, with a third of the roughly 200 residents voting for a blanket ban on all visitors.
But they were outnumbered by those who appear to be satisfied with the status quo.
Outside of the established visiting hours, residents chain off the 22 entrances to their private community.
Oscar Monge Binibeca Vell, President of the Community of Property Owners in Binibeca Vell, insisted tourists are welcome in the village, but defended the strict policy.
It is a ‘question of common sense,’ he told Our News Outlet.
‘We don’t get any help to keep our community looking the way it is.
‘It costs us around €100,000 a year to keep the houses as white as they are because the facades get blackened with people putting their hands on the walls.
‘If we weren’t getting 800,000 visitors a year, we’d probably have to paint only every two or possibly every three years.’
