Until the 1970’s Ibiza was a sleepy Mediterranean fishing village with a few small farms scattered around its mountains. Prehistoric artifacts date from around 2000 B. C. This place was well known as a trading center for Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and pirates. Salt flats here were infinitely valuable for preserving food and as a nutrient.
Then about 50 years ago Ibiza was discovered by the hippies. Most of them came from wealthy families in America and Europe. They were disaffected youth, or at least they had enough money to pretend to be disaffected. We poor kids had to either get jobs or go to Vietnam. At any rate, those rich, unhappy young people decided to drop out, tune in and turn on, and they came here by the thousands and thereby changed the culture and the economy of Ibiza.
The first thing I saw upon leaving our ship today was a brand new coffee-colored Bentley trying to navigate the maze of hairpin turns to climb the mountain. Our tour group had to stick like paint to the sides of buildings to allow a constant stream of traffic to pass on the one street, barely ten feet wide, leading up to the cathedral at the top of the mountain.
A small apartment here costs around €1.2 million. The island has a reputation for being a mecca for the jet set and young party animals. Nowadays Ibiza’s major claim to fame is that it has two of the top ten nightclubs in the world. The one called “Hi” has a cover charge of €250. A beer costs €30. Another nightclub called “The Universe” has similar charges.
Ibiza is, without doubt, a beautiful town, yet it does not have the glitz and glamour of Monaco. Ibiza is old, and that age brings a certain charm. In that sense it is like Pawley’s Island—“shabby chic.”
If you’re a party animal, you may want to look further into this destination. But if you come here, make sure you can afford it.Read more
May 4 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F