After parking at Punta Arabí, it’s hard to believe it’s the end of the season. The car parks are full and the stream of tourists begins a hundred meters before the entrance to the market. You can hear a lot of German, French and quite a lot of Dutch, so a few retired couples in the crowd with Mallorcan accents come as something of a surprise.
They are a group of ten friends from Pollença who usually travel together and have already been to Ibiza. However, this is their first visit to the Hippy Market in Punta Arabí, although they are familiar with the one in Las Dalias. “Some friends who live here suggested that we come because it had reopened”, they said.
In fact, since the beginning of the season, the vendors have not missed their Wednesday slot, although in the last week they had a nightmare after the surprise announcement that the market was not going to be held in October.
The big scare
“They sent us an email last Wednesday and we found out, by surprise, that they were closing down from one week to the next” explained Pablo Boggio, who has been working the summers at his clothes and jewellery stall in Punta Arabí since 2005. “We live off the season and we were counting on October, it was going to hurt us seriously if they closed. On top of that, many vendors had bought stock for this month,” he added.
At the next stall, Saray Montiel is talking excitedly on her mobile phone. Her mother, who is doing the Camino de Santiago, just called her out of concern. “After all that we’re going on, Mum”, she reassures her.
“Working October can mean paying half of this winter’s rent for many people”
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.