Torrent des Jueus
Torrent des Jueus is an ephemeral stream in the south of Majorca. It flows mainly within the municipality of Llucmajor and reaches the sea at the Platja de Palma, in the built-up area of s'Arenal, where it forms the municipal boundary with Palma.
Description
The channel drains runoff from a small rural catchment located southeast of the Bay of Palma and debouches on the beach of s’Arenal. The catchment is estimated at 30 km2 and its flow is episodic, typically associated with intense rainfall events characteristic of the Mediterranean climate.Course
The stream rises in agricultural lands of Llucmajor and heads towards the coast, skirting historical estates such as Son Dalabau and the vicinity of Son Verí; the last few hundred metres, in s’Arenal, are canalised up to the beach. In its lower course several historical bridges survive, including the viaduct of the former Palma–Santanyí railway, which crosses the channel before the mouth.Hydrology and management
Water management authorities in the Balearic Islands include streams and coastal waters in their planning and ecological monitoring. The Torrent des Jueus falls under these programmes, and its mouth area is used as a reference point in the sanitary control of bathing waters at Platja de Palma.In 2017, a project to remodel the channel and its urban surroundings in s’Arenal was promoted within the Sustainable Tourism Tax framework.
History
Historically, the stream gives its name to the boundary section that, from the shoreline inland, separates the municipal terms of Palma and Llucmajor. Documentation from 1908 and 1954, compiled by the Local Studies Sessions of Llucmajor, explicitly identifies the watercourse axis of the Torrent des Jueus as the dividing line and describes boundary markers located at the military road bridge and on the very beach of s’Arenal.Toponymy in the area and nearby estates preserves references to a medieval alqueria dels Jueus, which would explain the hydronym's origin.
The viaduct over the Torrent des Jueus belonged to the former Palma–Santanyí railway line, whose alignment left visible remnants in the s’Arenal area.