MAN IN SAN AN by Martin Makepeace

Let’s be honest. It won’t trend on social media. It won’t make the national news, it won’t compete with nightclub brawls, celebrity DJs or drunken tourist videos but it’s a very significant story.

San Antonio’s mayor, Marco Serra, has confirmed he’ll be standing for re-election in 2027. For those who live here, own or run businesses here or simply care where the town is heading, this announcement is arguably the biggest political story of the year.

Whatever your personal thoughts, Serra has been the most ambitious mayor San Antonio has seen in decades. Since taking office, he’s been very pro-active, backed major investment in the town, pushed to attract a more diverse type of visitor, supported year-round events and made no secret of his desire to drag the town away from the tired stereotypes that have followed it for years.

Has he solved everything? Far from it.

Housing is still a big issue. Residents continue to complain about anti-social behaviour and public safety. Businesses are split over some of the changes, while others argue progress simply isn’t happening quickly enough.

However, here’s the important point; for the first time in a long time, San Antonio actually has a long-term plan and whether you agree with every decision or not, there’s a coherent vision. That’s something the town has lacked for years.

The 2027 election won’t just decide who sits in the mayor’s office, it will decide whether San Antonio continues its transformation or whether the town changes direction once again.

Local politics rarely grabs the attention of the expat community, yet the person running the Town Hall has a bigger influence over your daily life than most politicians in Palma, Madrid or even London. They shape planning policy, public spaces, policing priorities, tourism strategy, events and investment.

So while everyone else is arguing about DJ’s and beach clubs, keep one eye on this story because long after this summer’s headlines have disappeared, the result of the 2027 election could define what San Antonio looks like for the next decade.

Sometimes the biggest stories aren’t the loudest ones.

Mark Wednesday 12th August 2026 in your diary, because Ibiza, along with the rest of the Balearic Islands, is about to witness one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles.

For a few unforgettable minutes, the Sun will simply disappear.

The eclipse begins at 7:38pm, when the Moon starts to move between the Earth and the Sun. Over the next hour, it will gradually cover the Sun until, between 8:30pm and 8:34pm, daylight will suddenly turn to darkness as a total solar eclipse sweeps across the islands.

It will be the first time in well over a century that the Balearics have experienced a total solar eclipse, with the last one taking place back in 1905.

The shadow of the Moon will first reach Menorca at 8:30:01pm, before racing south across Mallorca, Ibiza and finally Formentera, where totality arrives at 8:33:23pm.

The duration of totality will vary depending on where you are. Mallorca gets the best deal with around 90 seconds of complete darkness, while poor old Formentera has to make do with just under 30 seconds. Ibiza sits somewhere in the middle, but wherever you are, expect an unforgettable experience as temperatures drop, birds fall silent and stars and planets briefly become visible in the middle of what should be daylight.

The Balearic Government is expecting huge interest from both residents and visitors and has already launched an official information campaign to help people prepare.

A dedicated website (in Spanish and Catalan, of course) provides everything you need to know, including:

• Scientific explanations of how the eclipse works.
• Advice on how to watch it safely using approved eclipse glasses or filters.
• Information about the last total eclipse seen from the Balearics in 1905.
• Recommended viewing locations.
• Details of road closures, public transport and traffic management.
• Guidance on protecting the islands’ natural environment during what is expected to be a very busy evening.

This isn’t just about astronomy. It’s also a major logistical operation.

The Balearic Government, never one to miss an opportunity for another committee, has established a special commission to coordinate preparations, while the regional emergency plan (PLATERBAL) will activate a dedicated protocol known as ECLIPBAL to help ensure public safety throughout the event. Two acronyms that, with a bit of luck, won’t be dusted off again for another hundred years.

The planning has involved local institutions, emergency services, scientists and astronomy experts, including the University of the Balearic Islands, AstroMallorca, the Foundation of the Institute of Astronautical Astronomy of Mallorca and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia.

Whether you’re a lifelong resident or visiting Ibiza for your summer holiday, this is shaping up to be one of those genuine “I was there” moments.

Four minutes that people will be talking about for decades… and I haven’t said that since the birth of my second child.

On a serious note, please remember one thing: never look directly at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses or approved solar viewing equipment.

The countdown has begun.

Balearic Gov website

Around 250 taxi drivers from across the island have announced they will refuse to pick up passengers anywhere in Sant Josep – including Ibiza Airport, hotels and beaches – from midnight on Friday until midnight on Monday, unless the municipality removes a controversial road sign at the airport.

The drivers claim the sign prevents taxis from other municipalities entering the airport holding area, despite a 2022 Balearic Government decree stating that whenever passengers are waiting at a taxi rank, any licensed taxi on the island can collect them on a first-come, first-served basis, regardless of which municipality issued the licence.

At the heart of the dispute is a simple question.

Why should an empty taxi be forced to drive away while hundreds of passengers queue for a ride?

It makes little sense.

As always in Ibiza, there are plenty of vested interests at play. Every municipality wants to protect its own licences, its own drivers and its own slice of the pie. Meanwhile, visitors are left standing in the summer heat wondering why getting from the airport has become so complicated.

The current system creates unnecessary queues, wastes fuel and sends empty taxis back onto already congested roads.

Surely it’s time to draw a line in the sand.

Ibiza has one airport. Tourists couldn’t care less whether their taxi is licensed in Sant Josep, Sant Antoni, Ibiza Town, Santa Eulària or Sant Joan. They just want to get to their accommodation quickly, safely and without unnecessary delays.

The solution seems obvious.

One island. One airport. One integrated taxi system.

Anything else is simply municipal politics getting in the way of common sense and the losers are the islands only commodity and this is a dangerous game to play.

I’ve just got back to Ibiza after a few days in the UK. The plan was simple: watch some cricket, catch up with family and friends, then head back to the White Isle.

To my surprise it was hotter in the UK than Ibiza. Now, that sounds like a dream but believe me it wasn’t.

Ibiza and the UK have something in common. Neither has a clue what to do when the weather steps outside its comfort zone.

Give Ibiza a bit of rain and the roads become rivers, traffic grinds to a halt, houses leak like sieves and everyone acts like they’ve just witnessed a biblical event.

Give Britain 35°C and the entire country collectively loses its mind. Schools close because classrooms become ovens. Trains are cancelled because apparently steel rails have trust issues. Offices become sweatboxes because air conditioning is still considered some sort of American luxury. Every pub beer garden is packed with people whose skin has turned fifty shades of lobster.

And let’s not forget the fashion. Brits have approximately three days a year to wear shorts, so every pair ever purchased since 1998 suddenly makes an appearance. Hawaiian shirts emerge from wardrobes, flip-flops are worn into supermarkets and there’s always one bloke who decides the local Tesco is an acceptable place to wander around without a shirt. Spoiler alert: It isn’t.

The irony is brilliant. People spend thousands flying to Ibiza every summer chasing sunshine, yet the moment the UK actually gets some, the country starts melting faster than an ice cream in Benidorm.

Maybe that’s just how we’re wired. Ibiza was built for heat. The UK was built for drizzle. Swap the weather around and both places descend into glorious chaos. 

Ibiza’s housing crisis has forced politicians into increasingly bold decisions, and this could be one of the biggest yet.

Four of the island’s five municipalities have now approved plans to unlock areas of ‘suelo rústico’ (rural land) so they can be used for affordable housing (VPL) under the Balearic Government’s new Strategic Residential Projects scheme. The aim is simple: get more homes built, faster, and at prices below the open market.

The proposals cover Ibiza Town, San Antonio, San Jose and Santa Eulalia. Each municipality will now identify specific transition areas close to existing urban zones where development can take place over the coming months.

Supporters argue Ibiza has reached the point where extraordinary measures are needed. Young people, key workers and even middle-income families are increasingly priced out of the island they grew up on. The Balearic Government believes these homes could be sold for around 30-40% below current market prices, offering residents a realistic route onto the property ladder.

Some councils are also proposing strict residency requirements. In Ibiza Town, there are calls for buyers to have lived in the municipality for up to 10 years, while San Jose wants similar long-term residency rules. Santa Eulalia has gone further, insisting every property will have public protection and at least half will be for affordable rental.

But not everyone is convinced.

Opposition voices argue that the plan opens a can of worms such as more construction on precious countryside, fuels private development and still won’t produce homes that many residents can genuinely afford. Environmental concerns have also been raised over the loss of rural land on an island already struggling with infrastructure, traffic and water resources.

It’s a debate that perfectly sums up modern Ibiza.

For years we’ve all complained there aren’t enough homes. Now politicians are proposing to build them, many are worried about where they’ll go.

The real question isn’t whether Ibiza needs more housing. Almost everyone agrees it does. The real question is whether this plan strikes the right balance between protecting the island’s landscape and ensuring the people who keep Ibiza running can actually afford to live here.

One thing is certain: doing nothing is no longer an option.

It’s been in the local news all week, but the story of the illegal mega-party shut down in the Ibiza countryside keeps raising new questions.

What initially sounded like an unauthorised gathering has turned out to be something far more elaborate: around 1,000 attendees, multiple dance areas, bars, food vendors, medical staff, an ambulance, a fairground ride and up to 15 DJs.

This was not a spontaneous gathering. It was a fully-fledged commercial event.

Much of the attention has understandably focused on the organisers, who face potentially severe penalties of up to €300,000 but perhaps the more interesting question is whether everyone involved in making the event happen should also face consequences because events of this scale do not materialise out of thin air.

Somebody supplied the sound systems. Somebody built the stages. Somebody arranged the lighting. Somebody provided the bars and catering. Somebody hired the medical teams and ambulance and somebody stood behind the decks entertaining the crowd.

For years, many of those involved in illegal parties have been able to distance themselves from responsibility by claiming they were simply providing a service. DJs in particular have often argued that they were booked to perform and had no knowledge of the legal status of the event but at what point does that defence stop being credible?

A professional DJ arriving at a remote finca and finding hundreds of people, multiple dance floors, bars, security staff, food outlets and festival-level production should surely be asking questions. The same applies to suppliers providing equipment and services.

Ignorance may be a reasonable defence when playing a private birthday party or wedding. It becomes much harder to accept when confronted with what is effectively a small music festival operating in the countryside.

The reality is that licensed venues in Ibiza spend millions complying with regulations, safety requirements, licensing conditions, taxes and employment laws. Illegal events avoid many of those costs while competing for the same customers and that is why growing calls to blacklist DJs and suppliers linked to illegal parties deserve serious consideration.

Promoters can disappear overnight. Companies can be dissolved. Social media accounts can be deleted. A DJ’s reputation, however, is often their most valuable asset. Perhaps it’s time for responsibility to extend beyond organisers alone.

Before accepting a booking, professional DJs, production companies, sound providers, security firms and other suppliers should be carrying out basic due diligence. Is the venue licensed? Does the event have the necessary permissions? Who is organising it? Are the appropriate safety measures and permits in place?

These are questions legitimate businesses ask every day.

If suppliers know they risk losing future bookings, damaging their reputation or even facing legal consequences for participating in illegal events, they may think twice before getting involved and that could prove far more effective than chasing organisers after the fact.

The authorities deserve some credit for shutting this event down, but preventing the next one may require a different approach. Illegal parties survive because they rely on a network of professionals willing to provide services.

If that network starts demanding proof that an event is legal before agreeing to participate, the business model quickly becomes much harder to sustain because one thing seems increasingly clear: nobody accidentally organises a thousand-person rave complete with bars, food outlets, medical teams, famous DJs and a carousel.

And nobody involved should be able to pretend they didn’t notice what was happening around them.

Two private hire vehicle drivers (black minivans with blue number plates) have been caught transporting passengers while under the influence of cocaine during transport inspections carried out by Sant Josep Local Police over the weekend.

The discovery raises serious questions about passenger safety on Ibiza’s roads, particularly as both drivers were actively working and carrying customers at the time they tested positive.

Police described driving under the influence of narcotics as a direct threat to the safety of all road users and stressed that professional drivers have an even greater responsibility when transporting members of the public.

The incidents comes during what looks to be another incredibly busy summer on Ibiza’s roads when thousands of residents, workers and tourists rely on taxis and licensed minivans to move around the island safely.

While much attention is often focused on drink-driving campaigns, these cases serve as a reminder that drug-driving remains a significant and often hidden danger. Passengers stepping into a vehicle expect the person behind the wheel to be fit to drive, not under the influence of illegal substances.

The fact that these were professional drivers carrying paying customers makes the offences particularly alarming. It also raises the question of how many more impaired drivers may be slipping through the net.

The message from the authorities could not be clearer: drugs and driving are completely incompatible.

Sant Josep Local Police have confirmed that preventative transport checks will continue throughout the summer as part of efforts to improve road safety.

Necessary Protection or More Red Tape?

Ibiza is turning up the heat on intrusismo, the catch-all Spanish term for illegal or unlicensed business activity, and this time they’re not messing around.

Fines of up to €500,000, more inspectors on the ground and a wider crackdown targeting illegal holiday rentals, rogue transport operators, unlicensed boat charters and underground commercial activity.

For years, residents, legitimate businesses and parts of the tourism industry have complained about people operating outside the rules while everyone else plays by them. Illegal rentals can distort the housing market. Unlicensed operators create unfair competition. And when safety standards, taxes and regulations are bypassed, somebody usually pays the price.

Ibiza, in particular, knows this battle well. The island has spent years tackling illegal tourist accommodation and is increasingly being presented as a model for the rest of the Balearics. Now, with the number of inspectors rising from five to nine locally and more enforcement resources across the islands, authorities clearly mean business but there is another side to this debate.

Critics will ask whether Ibiza risks drifting towards a culture of over-regulation and bureaucracy. Is every problem solved by more inspectors, more paperwork and bigger fines?

Some small business owners, freelancers and operators working in Ibiza’s famously complex seasonal economy may worry about where the line is drawn. In an island environment already packed with licences, permits, regulations and administrative hurdles, there’s a legitimate concern that enforcement can sometimes feel blunt rather than nuanced.

There’s also a broader question: are authorities tackling the causes, or simply the symptoms?

Take illegal rentals. Enforcement matters, few would argue otherwise, but does cracking down alone solve Ibiza’s housing crisis? Or does the island also need a deeper conversation around planning, affordability, workforce accommodation and tourism capacity? The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Most people support targeting genuinely illegal operators who undermine safety, dodge taxes or exploit loopholes. At the same time, enforcement only works when rules are clear, fair and realistically achievable.

Protecting Ibiza’s tourism model is important. So is protecting entrepreneurship, practicality and common sense.

The real challenge is finding the balance and on an island where tourism, housing, business and regulation collide every single day, that balance is never going to be simple.

Check the diary, it’s not the first of April! Just when you thought he had quietly limped back to the mainland in a cloud of excuses, filtered selfies and motivational soundbites… Frank the Stagman’s anti-Ibiza tirade is back.

This time with his fresh blockbuster claim: Ibiza wants to close down clubbing.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The island that built a global economy on DJs, dance floors, overpriced water and people making catastrophic life choices at 5am has apparently decided to pull the plug.

Frank, the self-appointed saviour of the West End, has once again dusted off the crystal ball to explain Ibiza to the people who actually live here…from his iPhone on a Benidorm backstreet.

One can only ‘admire’ his consistency. When his nightclub venture didn’t quite evolve into the hospitality equivalent of Studio 54, the blame wheel spun magnificently through landlords, locals, business culture, the West End and mysterious forces from beyond this world. Personal accountability remained missing, presumed quaffing cocktails somewhere in Benidorm.

Now we have the latest instalment: Ibiza authorities want to close down clubbing.

Let’s unpack this masterpiece of attention-seeking buffoonery.

Is Ibiza changing? Of course it is.

Has the island become more expensive, more regulated, more complicated and increasingly obsessed with luxury branding, wellness retreats and €20 avocado on toast? Absolutely.

But suggesting Ibiza is “closing down clubbing” is a bit like saying Las Vegas has gone anti-gambling because someone complained about noise from a slot machine.

The clubs are packed. The DJs are still earning more per set than most people’s annual salary. VIP tables are still priced similar to selling a kidney. The island isn’t banning clubbing – it’s evolving, adapting and, whether people like it or not, monetising itself with ruthless efficiency. In fact I would go as far to say that the clubs have never been so universally accepted by the good folk and authorities of the White Isle.

The uncomfortable truth? Ibiza doesn’t always conform to the fantasy version sold on social media especially those with a bitter axe to grind, and that seems to be where the real friction lies.

There’s a recurring theme in the Stagman Cinematic Universe: if Ibiza doesn’t bend itself around his narrative, then clearly Ibiza is broken.

The island isn’t perfect – far from it and many question the direction that Ibiza is heading but declaring the death of clubbing from the digital front seat of a rented supercar is peak 2026 click content nonsense.

What next from Fearless Frank?

“Ibiza banning sunsets.”

“Authorities considering restrictions on white linen shirts.”

“Urgent threat to influencers posing near Es Vedrà.”

Nothing would surprise me at this point in his relentless quest for clicks and the irony, of course, is delicious. The island continues to attract millions of clubbers every year while producing enough outrage content to keep algorithm-chasing commentators gainfully employed.

Ibiza will survive Frank’s latest ‘revelation’ to his adoring army of sycophants just as it survived countless “end of Ibiza” predictions before it because here’s the thing outsiders often struggle to understand:

Ibiza doesn’t need saving, it barely tolerates being explained and it certainly isn’t shutting down clubbing because Frank the Plank wants a few more clicks on his attention seeking crusade.

There are public consultations, and then there are Ibiza public consultations. The latest idea? Rebranding San Antonio’s famous West End.

Yes, that West End. The one known across Europe by generations of holidaymakers for bar crawls, regrettable tattoos and 4am kebabs. A place with more brand recognition than some airlines but here’s the twist.

Suggestions for its new name have to be in Catalan. Not preferred. Not encouraged. Required. By law, no less.

Now before the outrage police warm up their keyboards, let’s be clear: protecting local languages matters. Catalan is part of the Balearics’ identity and absolutely deserves protection, promotion and everyday use but this isn’t renaming a municipal office, a heritage site or a village square.

This is a commercial identity. A globally recognised nickname. A brand. Love it or loathe it, “The West End” is already a trademark in all but legal paperwork but here’s the best bit. After all the consultations, debates, brainstorming sessions and publicly funded coffees… the leading suggestion?

“Barri de Ponent.”

Which literally means…West End. In Catalan. You couldn’t make it up.

So after all the fanfare, the revolutionary rebrand strategy appears to be: keep exactly the same name, just translate it.

It’s like sticking linen shirts on a 24-man stag do from Doncaster and calling it cultural evolution.

The deeper irony here is that if the objective is to change perceptions, improve reputation and create a fresh commercial identity, then perhaps linguistic box-ticking isn’t the main challenge because let’s be honest, the challenge with the West End isn’t branding, it’s image.

Changing the label while keeping the same late-night under-policed chaos is like renaming a hangover ‘morning wellness fatigue’.

Still, credit where it’s due. At least Barri de Ponent sounds classy on a property brochure. “Luxury apartment situated moments from the vibrant cultural quarter of Barri de Ponent”.

The truth is, the West End is already evolving organically. Restaurants, street art, boutiques and a broader business mix are slowly nudging the area in a different direction, and any sensible support for that deserves credit.

But this feels like one consultation too many and one layer of bureaucracy too far because if your grand rebrand culminates in translating “West End” into Catalan and declaring victory, you may have mistaken semantics for strategy.

Only in Ibiza could a famous international nightlife strip undergo a rebrand consultation and emerge with… the exact same name, translated for legal compliance.

Progress, apparently. Or as they say in Catalan…Progrés.