1am is closing time. A few minutes before, the owners of the bars and restaurants in the port of Ibiza begin to charge customers, encourage them off their chairs and offer them paper cups to finish their drinks in the street. This is the moment when the flood takes place. All those who have chosen the leisure area of the port and the Marina to end the day, crowd simultaneously on the promenade.
For about an hour, last Wednesday night, a flood of people -about a thousand- slowly left the area. On their way they pass vehicles of the Policía Portuaria, Policía Nacional y Policía Local, who try to dissuade the attempts to organise a botellón. In spite of everything, it is inevitable that there will be gatherings and groups of dozens of people dancing and drinking on the esplanade in front of the monument dedicated to the sailors.
Group of tourists after the closing of the bars. ZOWY VOETEN
Looking for a villa
For some the night ends here, but for many the night continues. “We’re going to a villa,” says Javier, a man from Bilbao who is visiting Ibiza with two friends. “This is how it works: either you have the villa, or a friend finds it for you. We have found someone to manage it for us”. He is clear: “You have to spend a lot of money and have contacts”.
Things are easier if there is money, no doubt. This is how Marc tells it, after arriving from Barcelona with a group of friends: “We have the boat on the beach of Ses Salines. If we find a house, we’ll go. If we don’t find anything, we’ll continue the party on the boat”. His calmness contrasts with that of Paolo, a tourist from Milan who is desperately looking for a house to continue the night: “I think I’ve found a private party. They’re charging us 100€”. Money certainly opens doors.
Crowds and parties every day in the port of Vila after the bars close |
If there are no contacts and no wallet, the only way is to party on the beach or go back to the hotel. This is what happened to José Miguel, César, Andrea, Fátima and Antonio, a group of tourists from Murcia who confess they are “desperate because there is no party”. “We have to go back to the hotel because there is no other choice. We’ll start the party at twelve o’clock in the morning,” says José Miguel. “And if you find an illegal party, let us know!” he begs.
It’s half past one on Wednesday night and the flood of people is still flowing through the port towards the taxi rank, the car parks or the respective hotels.
In relative order
The majority circulates in relative order under the surveillance of the agents of the various security forces – Policía National, Local and Portuaria. Groups of friends finish their drinks around benches, some couples kiss and groups of people discuss where to go. There have been days in which hundreds of people have gathered and improvised a party in the street, botellones and some even climbed the lampposts (more information on page 6).
Urinating in the street
However, Wednesday was a relatively calm day and the only acts of incivism were those of people urinating in the street. For a moment it seems that the situation is going to get out of hand when a group of young people show up with a megaphone and loudspeakers and, for a few minutes, the esplanade in front of the sailor’s monument becomes an improvised dance floor. There was applause and chanting, but the party only lasted a few minutes because of the dissuasive police presence.
Crowds and parties every day in the port of Vila after the bars close
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.