11 Years in Mallorca: Ottilie Quince on Starting Again

What does it really take to build a new life in Mallorca? In this episode of The Majorca Mallorca Podcast, Vicki McLeod talks to Ottilie Quince, founder of OQ Service Course in Port de Pollença, about the eleven years she has spent building a business and a life on the island.

Moving to Mallorca can look very different from the outside compared with the reality of actually building a life here.

Ottilie Quince moved to Mallorca in 2015 after previously visiting the island to train with the Great Britain cycling team. She arrived without a detailed business plan, but with professional experience as a physiotherapist, a willingness to work hard and a determination to make island life work.

Her first work involved treating people in hotels, apartments and villas. She soon realised that this was not how she wanted to operate and began looking for premises of her own. That eventually developed into OQ Service Course, a cycling-focused business in Port de Pollença.

The conversation ranges far beyond business. Ottilie talks about learning Spanish without worrying too much about making mistakes, the importance of knowing people's names, the role of local fiestas in understanding Mallorca, and the practical realities of being self-employed.

There is also a frank discussion about Mallorca's changing tourism economy, the increasing cost of property, seasonal work, cycling tourism and the challenge of adapting to a rapidly changing island.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: moving to another country means starting a new chapter rather than trying to recreate the old one.

What you will hear in this episode

• Ottilie's first eleven years in Mallorca
• Why she moved to the island
• Arriving with two cats, four bicycles and a physiotherapy table
• Learning Spanish through conversation rather than worrying about perfect grammar
• How OQ Service Course got its name
• Building a business from scratch
• The realities of being a woman running a business
• The importance of resilience and adaptability
• Why Ottilie recommends learning some Mallorcan
• Getting involved with local fiestas
• The Pollença Moros i Cristians celebrations
• Why professional cyclists continue to train in Mallorca
• The relationship between cycling and local businesses
• Mallorca's changing tourism market
• Seasonal work and the winter economy
• Property prices and the difficulties of buying
• The difference between renting and owning
• Climate, heat, humidity and winter damp
• Why integration matters

About the guest

Ottilie Quince is the founder of OQ Service Course in Port de Pollença, a cycling-focused business offering physiotherapy and sports massage alongside cycling-related services.

The official OQ Service Course website says the business was established in February 2017 and provides cycling support including sports massage, guided rides, bike servicing, cycling apparel, nutrition and other services.

Links and resources

• OQ Service Course: https://oqservicecourse.com/
• OQ Service Course bookings: https://oqservicecourse.com/bookings
• Pollença Town Council: https://ajpollenca.net/
• Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor: https://www.fourseasons.com/mallorca/
• Majorca Mallorca: https://majorca-mallorca.es/

Guest introduction

Ottilie Quince moved to Mallorca in 2015 and has spent the past eleven years building a life and business in Port de Pollença. She is the founder of OQ Service Course, a cycling-focused business that combines physiotherapy and sports support with her deep knowledge of Mallorca and its cycling community.

In this conversation, Ottilie talks honestly about starting again in another country, learning Spanish, building a business, becoming part of the local community and adapting to the realities of island life.