MAN IN SAN AN by Martin Makepeace

Peak season in Ibiza is always testing. Traffic is backed up and every bar, restaurant and corner of the island is full. For those living and working on the White Isle it’s a tough time of the summer but even though the island relies exclusively on tourism it’s become fashionable to bite the hand that feeds.

As other destinations such as Barcelona and Mallorca have also found out, there’s now a residents backlash against the very commodity that has made them rich beyond its wildest dreams.

The keyboard warriors, for so long a lone, bitter voice in some faraway local bar are becoming more and more venomous in their denoucements of the travellers who fill the islands pockets. Many locals can’t even be bothered to form a counter argument because they will be shot down by those fanning the anti-tourist flames.

Here’s the key question: Which industry in Ibiza doesn’t rely on tourism? All roads lead back to the T-Word so let’s put the 3 main cyber-bully myths to bed.

1. WE WANT BETTER TOURISTS

Better is what exactly? Wealthier? Families? Calmer? As anyone who has worked in the VIP section of a club will tell you, wealth doesn’t necessarily bring class, so a wealthier clientele doesn’t guarantee anything (apart from more complaints) and have you seen the hotels in San An? As for families, they only come over for 10 weeks a year so what about the other 4 months? Calmer: Have you been to Lanzarote?

2. TOURISTS SHOULD BEHAVE THEMSELVES

Yes they should but when youngsters barely out of school are encouraged to drink by airports and airlines then left to their own devices on arrival with little to zero police presence you can’t blame them for pushing the boundaries more than they should. No control equals exactly that and leads to no respect. Other tourist destinations enforce laws which would be a novelty to some parts of the island where town halls are more focussed on fining local businesses than law and order on the streets. A young shirtless British tourist isn’t the symbol of everything that is wrong with the island (it’s nearly 40 degrees after all) and we should be thankful that Ibiza still manages to attract mass tourism. By the way have you seen the rowdy young Spanish locals on Saturday nights drinking and littering the town’s car parks. Not every problem lies at the door of the tourist.

3. THE ISLAND IS ALMOST FULL, WHY ARE THEY LETTING IN MORE PEOPLE?

It’s a free county and freedom of movement is one of the key principals of the European Union. The amount of private properties available for rental (illegal or not) has driven demand for the low cost airlines to put on more capacity plus the island council aren’t going to limit numbers as this goes against the very ethos of tourism and let’s face facts: The peak season only lasts for 4 weeks (21 Jul-18 Aug) then it’s back to relative normality, whatever that may be.

So, although it can be difficult at times, let’s try and be more tolerant to our visitors even if they don’t always appear to deserve it. Give them the benefit of the doubt, they might surprise you plus they are spending their hard earned cash on an island we are lucky enough to call home.

Tourists and tourism aren’t dirty words and next time you feel yourself scowling at a tourist who had the audacity to choose Ibiza as his or her summer destination try and turn it into a smile. It’s the islands privilege to welcome them and as other destinations have found to their cost, there is no guarantee that they will always be there.

Ibiza Beach clubs continue to divide opinion amongst residents and tourists. Many play by the rules but some like to push the boundaries.

Last week Cathy Guetta's new 'Bagatelle Beach Club' at Cala Moli hit the headlines when her lawyer threatened to file a complaint to the French consulate after San Jose local police had the audacity to shut off the music for an hour on Bastille day whilst they performed acoustic tests.

This was after they had received a complaint from a neighbour about the excessive noise coming from the beach venue as French VIPs celebrated their national day on 14 July.  San Jose council have opened a file on the complaint and the beach club is now looking at a 12000 euros fine. A French farce indeed.

Deeva Beach at Port d'es Torrent, another San Jose establishment has also been in the news this week when a resident complained of the growing number of beach beds limiting space on the sand for those not wanting to pay large sums of money to be on a publich beach. The complainant counted 220 sun beds and 60 umbrellas even though the beach concession has a licence for 68 and 34 respectively.

Deeva Beach replaced Imagine Restaurant which was very popular with locals and is owned and operated by the Cala Bassa Beach Club Group. Local residents are feeling more and more marginalised by beach clubs taking over the sand.

The pressure is on San Jose council to clean up its act with regards to beach clubs as the local population (and therefore voters) are growing more and more restless with blatant law breaking on a daily basis.

The council recently announced a new law that will be in place for summer 2018 limiting music to 65 decibels which is comparable to a vacuum cleaner or hairdryer. Let's see how that goes……

NOTE: On 01 August 2017 (after this article was written) it was reported in the local press that DEEVA Beach had been inspected and that it complied with all the appropriate licences.

Source: Periódico de Ibiza/Diario de Ibiza

The Ibiza press has been full of stories and opinions this week about high hotel prices, the lack of tourists in local bars/restaurants and all while the airport is continually posting record figures. It's hard to see how the the 3 things aren't related.

The profile of a 'holiday' has dramatically changed over the last few years. Low cost carriers like Ryanair (which is Spains biggest airline btw) plus the big hotel booking websites means that travel agents are no longer required for a quick weekend away on the White Isle and your credit card is burning a hole in your pocket. The results are clear to see: Busy weekends and little else. Fine if you live in a 52 week resort but not so good if you have 100 days to make your money and survive until next May.

As Ibiza prices continue to rise to ludicrous levels many hotels have changed their strategy by becoming 'Adults-Only' targeting the 'Dinkys'. DINK stands for Double Income No Kids (obviously), these are the people who have a decent annual income and love to flash the cash on expensive weekends away where their social media timeline will get as much a hammering as their wallet.

This type of tourism led to Playa d'en Bossa sounding the death knell for the traditional Ibiza family holiday when 'Fiestalandia' gradually became 'Ushuaia-landia' transforming from a paradise resort for families to a paradise playground for adults. It's 2 mile strip full of beach clubs, hotels, bars and a couple of world class clubs means its now referred to in the same breath as Las Vegas and the analogy isn't far wrong with only the creaking waterpark left as a monument to a bygone family-friendly era.

Even Portinatx, that bastion of family values and for many years a Thomson Holidays (remember them?) stronghold will soon have only 1 hotel offering places for kids, the others have changed into yellow-toweled hotel/clubs offering beach beds and mojitos to those who want to experience the real Ibiza (i.e. not go to San An or Bossa).

The new Ibiza only allows for kids in certain areas such as Port des Torrent or Cala Tarida or Cala San Vicente, well out of the way in all-inclusive hotels where they can be controlled and drink sugary refreshments to the their hearts content. Ibiza's towns and ports are now reserved exclusively for those that can afford a weekend away and the inflated prices that comes with it.

With Spain's most expensive hotel rooms Ibiza now has a reputation for its prices rather than its beauty and with this short term, purely profit driven strategy its difficult to see the bubble not bursting. History has shown that what goes up must come down but in the meantime lets hope that the next 2 generations of potential Ibiza lovers haven't been disenfranchised so much that they decide to permanently take their valuable business elsewhere. Children tend to have long memories.

No long term strategy to respect and retain your core market can only lead to big problems and as Abraham Lincoln famously said: You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Or as one experienced commentator recently summed up the Ibiza of 2017: Caviar today, hard bread tomorrow.

 

You may arrive on the island because of its hedonistic reputation but you will leave in awe of its natural beauty and splendour.

Here are 7 NATURAL WONDER OF IBIZA that shouldn't be missed whilst on the White Isle no matter what time of the year you visit.

1. ATLANTIS
This cove on the south west coast can only be accessed by boat or a white knuckle walk down the mountainside. The large M-shapedarches, the cut rock (quarried in past times) and the azure blue pools means it wasn't a wasted journey, relax and enjoy the ambience and get your energy levels up for the return walk uphill. MYTHICAL

2. BEACHES

Ibiza's white sandy 'playas' leave an indelible mark on the soul especially during winter time when you will probably be the only person there. The clubs are where you find the fun but it's the beaches where you will fall in love. BEAUTIFUL

3. BENIRRAS FINGEROn an island full of symbolism this large rock emerging from the sea at the entrance of one of the island's iconic bays is in many ways a monument to Ibiza of a bygone era, a place full of hippies and free love, as far away from the VIP wannabes as you could possibly be. Sunday sunsets with drums and dancing is when the real action goes down and needs to be seen at least once in your lifetime. AUTHENTIC

4. ES VEDRA
The rocky island of Es Vedra (and its smaller sibling Es Vedranell) is arguably Ibiza's most famous landmark.  Stretching a quarter of a mile in to the sky it's an inspiring place with its sheer size and distinctive colourings and formation. Unfortunately the goats are gone but the magic is still there. Known to move adults to a blubbering mess this is the place to go to find the inner you.  SPIRITUAL

5. LAS SALINAS SALT FLATSLas Salinas is now associated solely with the famous beach but only a short time ago it was the industrial hub of the island, gathering and preparing salt for export. The salt flats have been in constant use for over 2000 years and you can still see the mountains of white sodium chloride from the roadside.  A little further down the road is the old train station previously used for transporting the white gold. NATURAL

6. SA TALAIA
Ibiza's highest point is a special and serene place. Follow the signposts from San Jose and after a steep walk the whole island will open in front of you. Whilst those below scurry around like hyperactive ants you can discover for yourself the true meaning of the White Isle. Also look out for the memorial to the 1972 plane crash where 104 souls lost their lives. BREATHTAKING

7. SUNSETS
The list wouldn't be complete without mentioning this iconic west coast daily ritual. 300 days of sunshine every year means that the sun will disappear 'into' the sea more than 80% of the time and that's a decent average. Whether it's the best sunset in the world is open to debate but there's no doubting it's the most famous and every single one is different. WONDERFUL

All pics my own except Salt Flats (unknown) and Sa Talaia courtesy of Anthony McDowell. Underwater header taken just south of Atlantis.

After all the hearsay and speculation it has been confirmed that the West End bars of San Antonio will have to remove their terraces by midnight starting from 2 August 2017.

The new law was recently passed by San Antonio's coalition council who view this as a major step to reducing noise in the area.

It will undoubtedly change the dynamic of the famous West End which is the entry point for many youngsters coming to the White Isle for the first time but is also never far from headlines and is viewed by many residents as the epicentre of the town's problems.

NOTE: D-Day in this instance is short for Deadline Day

 
Cathy Guetta has finally thrown off the shadow of her famous ex-husband and entered into the busy Ibiza daytime market by opening ‘Bagatelle Beach Ibiza’ an über-exclusive beach club located at Cala Moli, a small cove on the west coast of the island.

Last Friday’s official opening party saw a mixed crowd of 500 being wined, dined and entertained marking a new era for a beach that once hosted Club 18-30 beach parties. How times change!

The ex-wife of DJ David Guetta has always been credited with having a sharp business brain and has been an Ibiza summer resident for many years (see my previous blog). She started one of the island’s most iconic parties – F**k Me I’m Famous – with her husband but has now gone it alone and brought the ‘Bagatelle’ brand to the White Isle. The upmarket brand already has clubs open in places such as St Tropez, Miami and Punto del Este (so you get the idea). 

Whilst some rejoice at the new addition to the Ibiza exclusive market some residents are unhappy that another quiet retreat has been taken over by a noisy beach club. Social media, the new voice of the ‘little’ people, came alive with residents complaining about the levels of noise coming from Ms Guettas opening party. ‘Prou’ (a local residents action group) uploaded videos showing high decibels into the early hours which goes against strict local laws on noise however no official complaints were received. 

Over recents years there’s been a backlash by Ibiza residents against beach clubs as public spaces to lay down your towel and relax have been superseded by big day beds with a ‘minimum spend’ of several hundred euros and security guards ordering people not to sit in certain places on a public beach. 

Time will tell if ‘Bagatelle Beach Ibiza’ will become popular in an already saturated market but for now the thirst for high end beach clubs seems to know no bounds. 

Ibiza’s San Antonio coalition council has approved new laws for the use of terraces in the West End. Bars playing music will now have to close their terraces by 12am midnight whereas establishments that don’t play music will have an extra 2 hours but must cease using their terraces by 2am.

The council had initially proposed closing all terraces by 11pm but that has been modified. The new laws will be published and come into force within 15 days. 

Councillor Juanjo Ferrer said that the law is “much clearer than before and it will be easier to apply.”

Fines

Minor infringements: 200-750 euros

Serious: 750.01-1500 euros

Very Serious: 1,500.01-3,000 euros.

In the event of serious misconduct, in addition to the fines, the suspension of the licence may be imposed for up to 2 months.

When there are very serious offences, additional sanctions may be applied for such as suspension of the licence for up to 3 months, revocation of authorisation and disqualification to obtain another a licence for a period of 1 year.

Source: Nou Diari

The glorious ever changing White Island, never failing to shock and surprise. No two years are ever the same and 2017 has proved to be interesting so far. Here’s 8 things that have surprised even the ManinSanAn office this summer.

HÏ IBIZA – OK, so it’s not such a surprise that Ibiza’s new superclub has taken cool hedonism to a whole different level but there were a few who doubted that it could better its illustrious predecessor. It hasn’t, because after an expensive refurbishment that lays down the gauntlet to other top end clubs, it’s managed to forge its own identity in double quick time. “Et voila” as Yann might say.

COTTON FITNESS CLUB – the former home of ‘Coastline’ in San An (remember that) has been transformed with a concept that many thought was impossible: Find a use for a frontline business premises where music is all but banned! Combining wellness with fitness and relaxation whilst overlooking the worlds most famous sunset has rejuvenated this spot. Time will tell whether it’s a viable business (those membership fees!) or just a whimsical dream but for the moment it’s a welcome addition to the island.

NIKKI BEACH IBIZA – after a couple of years of quiet anonymity this world renowned brand has finally found its Ibiza feet after teaming up with famous party organisers ‘Sintillate’. Differentiating itself against its rivals with fine dining and a service heavy ambiance in a genuine beach location has so far proved the doubters wrong attracting an older affluent crowd, ironically turning on its head the notion that Santa Eulalia wasn’t the right location as people seek a break from San An and Bossa.

ROAD TRAFFIC – Not all surprises are welcome and Ibiza’s traffic problems show no sign of abating with its current free for all policy for residents, tourists and car hire companies.  2017 is shaping up to be the busiest in Ibiza’s relatively short history yet the government appears to be in denial hiding behind European law (that old chestnut) leaving many of us stuck in traffic for large portions of the day. Something’s got to give sooner or later before the island becomes one big bumper to bumper traffic jam.

THE WEATHER – the hottest start to a summer for over 40 years following on from the wettest winter since records began fits nicely into Ibiza’s excessive reputation. So far the mercury has been steadily rising since April and with the July and August just around the corner you can expect some serious summer meltdowns as the heat becomes unbearable. Make sure that your air-con has been serviced!

SAN AN RENAISSANCE – no ManinSanAn blog is complete without a spurious plug for my home town but I’m happy to report that it’s entirely justified on this occasion (honest). A crackdown on illegals in the fractious West End by a specially formed police force has started a clean up operation that can only be positive (except for the illegals of course). Hotel investment is on the rise and the local blue chip companies are smashing all records whilst keeping thousands happy on a daily basis (plus allowing their Facebook friends to see what a fantastic time they are having in san An). Soon it might even become fashionable for the Ibiza Town pretenders to stop sniping about the islands 2nd largest town (but we won’t hold our breath).

SAN AN WORKERS – you can’t help thinking that point 6 may be related in a small way to the San An Workers era is drawing to a close. The town can breathe a little more easily without bearded tattooed wannabes strolling around without a care in the world and the years of several thousand ‘workers’ descending on the island to party for summer and not doing any actual work are all but over as rental prices have rocketed and lilo sales have hit record levels. Only the ones with a job (wow) are now able to afford to stay while the others in hotels will be gone by early July when prices rise substantially (note: people staying hotels are usually called tourists). It was interesting while it lasted.

PROPERTY PRICES – the simple economics of supply and demand on a small island has seen a boom in property prices over the last 18 months culminating into a crescendo of street protests as affordable housing is gradually replaced by refurbished apartments advertised on Airbnb at 300 Euros per night. Rental prices have become eye watering as a result so whilst doctors, teachers and civil servants scrabble for reasonably prices rooms those who purchased when the market was at its lowest (only a few years ago) can pop open the cava. No one said that living on the worlds most famous (and some might say beautiful) island was gonna be easy.

Anything I’ve left out? Contact me by via Facebook, Twitter or email. Note: No kids or San An workers were harmed whilst writing this article from the comfort of my own office.

Copyright: ManinSanAn 2017

As your timeline probably tells you it’s that time of the year when Ibiza is full of professional footballers enjoying their summer break. From world stars to lower league workhorses, they all love to come to the white isle during their few weeks of downtime. Some like to keep their heads down and stay out of the limelight while others love to bling up their Instagram with endless selfies.

Here’s the top 5 places in Ibiza and Formentera to spot some famous footballers. 

5. PRIVATE YACHT: Footballers are considered wealthy however only a select few can afford the serious cash needed for these floating palaces. Only yesterday (12/6/17) LIONEL MESSI, LUIS SUAREZ and CESC FABREGAS were pictured aboard a super yacht moored off the coast of Formentera.  FRANK LAMPARD was a guest on Roman Ambrovich’s superyacht ‘Eclipse’ a few years back while WAYNE ROONEY tried the yacht thing but didn’t like it by all accounts. Last summer the worlds 2 biggest footballers CRISTIANO RONALDO and LIONEL MESSI were parked only a few metres apart on their respective yachts. Follow Mojito Man Ibiza on Instagram for more pics

4. JUAN Y ANDREA RESTAURANT, Es Palmador, Formentera: The above superstars on their hired megyachts need shore time and refreshments and there’s nowhere they prefer more than J & A on the waters edge of one of the worlds best beaches. This place has come along way since it was a shack serving spaghetti bolognese for 800 PTAS (£3.50), now it is THE place for the rich and famous to hang out for long lobster lunches at eye watering prices. Mixed in with the usual A-listers, internet millionaires and Arab sheiks are the the few selected footballers staying on yachts or just popping over on a day trip. 

3. PLAYA D’EN BOSSA: It’s hard to select one place in this resort that attracts more footy players than the next so let’s just say the entire area. Whether it be the Hard Rock Hotel, Ushuaia, Nassau, the Beach House or Bora Bora there’s plenty of places for them to get suitably messy after a hard season kicking a ball. It remains to be seen if Hï Ibiza becomes as famous for football stars as its predecessor but I wouldn’t bet against it.

2. CALA BASSA BEACH CLUB: Spanish footballers absolutely love this place and drag their international team mates along for the ride. This beach is always bustling but it doesn’t stop World Cup winners FERNANDO TORRES, DAVID VILLA, CARLES PUJOL and many more from hanging out at CBbC, eating the fine food and relaxing whilst their families chill out on the gorgeous beach. The whole place is Italian owned so there’s usually a good chance to spot a few Azurri players such as ANDREA PIRLO taking it easy in the sun. 

1. OCEAN BEACH IBIZA: This is the mecca for nearly all British footballers visiting the island, no matter what their level. From Premier League stars such as DELE ALLI, DANNY WELBECK, ROSS BARKLEY, JACK WILSHERE, ANDY CARROLL, JOE HART and PETER CROUCH to lower league journeymen this is where they hangout for some daytime fun in the sun. At certain times of the summer you can’t move in OBI for footballers mingling in with the usual reality TV wannabe’s. For those wanting extra bling there is the owners table while others opt for a bed in the pool. Follow Wayne Lineker on Instagram for more pics. 

On Saturday morning I was privileged to witness the under 10’s of Portmany Football Club of San Antonio beat Real Mallorca 3-2 to complete the treble and become the Balearic Champions for the 2nd time in 3 years. 

It was a very proud moment for the trainers and families especially beating Mallorca’s leading youth team in their own backyard, a team that hadn’t lost for 30 matches. It wasn’t luck or a fluke either, it was a great performance by a team that has been together as a unit for 5 years. As a football mad parent (who tries not to live his life through his children) it doesn’t get much better. 

It was made all the more sweeter by the fact that the Balearic football association had scheduled the match to start at 10.15am. So whilst the Real Mallorca team woke up in their own beds and had breakfast as normal, the 9 and 10 year olds from San Antonio had to get up at 5.30am with their passports to catch a 30 minute flights and then had to wait for 25 minutes at Palma airport whilst the team bus was ‘delayed’ en route. 

Arriving at the ground 35 minutes before kick isn’t ideal however as the score line would later show maybe it worked in our favour, taking minds off the game. Maybe it was a conspiracy or maybe it was just poor planning from an association that is so Mallorca-centric that they have no concept of a 4 hour early morning dash to a match that lasts 48 minutes. 

I have to admit I was scratching my head trying not to get annoyed as it’s the biggest day in the Balearic youth football calendar but why didn’t the game kick off at 12pm and why don’t they alternate the finals day between the different Balearic Islands rather than just play in Mallorca?

As it turned out it made the final result even better, an away win is always nice and you got the impression that the Real Mallorca supporters thought they just had to turn up (although most were graceful in defeat, something the RCD Mallorca senior side has had to get used to this season). It wasn’t their day and as their young kids left the pitch close to tears and Portmany celebrated you were reminded of the small margins in sport and why it’s such a positive influence for youngsters growing up. 

Teamwork, friendship, humility, discipline, work ethic, exercise, fitness, learning how to lose as well as win…..the list goes on. 

As a parent I was honoured to be there and celebrate as a team, these days don’t come round very often so have to be savoured. Fortunately this time the result went in our favour but like many things in Balearic life it would have been nice if the cards had been stacked a little more evenly.