Resident says jet skis pass at high speed beneath Ibiza’s historic walls, while Town Hall asks maritime authorities to investigate
A Dalt Vila resident has raised concerns over repeated jet ski activity close to the cliffs beneath Ibiza’s historic walled city, particularly around Es Soto and Casa Broner.
According to a written complaint sent to Diario de Ibiza, the situation is not an isolated occurrence. The resident claims that several jet skis pass through the area as many as six times a day, travelling at high speed just a few metres from the rocks and the base of the historic walls.
The resident alleges that the watercraft are operating closer to the shoreline than regulations allow and says their repeated presence is also disturbing local wildlife.
In particular, she claims that the noise generated by the jet skis regularly causes a group of cormorants to leave the area abruptly.
“Up to six times a day, several jet skis come speeding through at full throttle, just a few metres from the rocks and the base of the Dalt Vila walls,” she says.
Complaints filed through Línea Verde
The resident says she has reported the situation to Ibiza Town Hall several times through Línea Verde, the municipality’s official platform for reporting incidents and problems in public spaces and other areas under local authority.
According to her account, she has also submitted photographs and other evidence documenting what she says is happening along this stretch of coastline.
However, she claims that she has yet to see any effective response to the complaints.
“I have repeatedly reported this problem through the Town Hall’s official Línea Verde app, sending clear evidence,” she says.
The resident says jet skis continue to operate daily along the same section of coastline despite her reports.
She argues that the activity is affecting both the tranquillity of the area and the wildlife that inhabits or visits the coastline beneath Dalt Vila.
She also points to the site’s exceptional cultural significance and is calling for greater surveillance and enforcement to prevent similar incidents from continuing.
“It is intolerable that the business interests and selfish entertainment of a few people should destroy the peace of our natural surroundings, which are also a World Heritage Site,” she says.
The resident has decided to make her complaint public in the hope of prompting concrete action from the authorities responsible for the coastline and maritime activity.
Ibiza Town Hall asks maritime authorities to investigate
Ibiza Town Hall says it will now formally request an investigation into the situation.
Rubén Sousa, the councillor responsible for beaches, says the municipality will send an official request to the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB), the Harbour Master’s Office and the Coastal Authority, asking them to investigate the reported activity and “act accordingly” if any breaches are confirmed.
Sousa says the municipality has already looked into possible regulatory violations associated with jet ski excursion operations in the area.
According to the councillor, the authorities are aware of a company that holds “authorisation for jet ski excursions departing from Ibiza port.”
However, he stresses that the applicable regulations impose restrictions on where these watercraft can operate.
Regulations require jet skis to be towed outside the port area
According to Sousa, “the regulations require” activities involving these watercraft to take place outside the port area.
“The jet skis have to be towed,” he explains.
The councillor argues that this requirement is not currently being observed in Es Soto because the area falls within the port zone.
“This is not happening, because Es Soto is a port area and the regulations are not being complied with,” Sousa says.
The Town Hall’s request to the APB, Harbour Master’s Office and Coastal Authority will now seek to establish whether the reported jet ski activity complies with the applicable maritime regulations and, if not, what measures should be taken.
The case highlights the growing tension between commercial nautical activities, maritime regulations, environmental protection and the preservation of the landscape surrounding Dalt Vila, one of Ibiza’s most internationally recognised heritage sites.
