On the verge of culminating the last Closings of the discos and clubs of the island, this season of 2016 summer in Ibiza has surpassed one more year all visitor records. A summer that has been full of parties and incredible events, the traditional parade of Celebrity and familiar faces, baths in the most spectacular beaches in the World and some really shocking or even curious events that remain for the memory. We summarize you this summer 2016 in Ibiza through 10 news They have scored for good, or in many cases for bad, this season.
1 The controversial auction of hammocks that inaugurated the season
The season started warm with the scandalous auction of hammock lots in San José already in the month of April. The auction was opened to the public for the first time and the economic offer was considered as the only criterion for the concession: highest bid won, environmental values were not taken into account, if the concession was family-owned or had been in place for decades ... A disturbing bidder from the Canary Islands, Mahy Marrero Sosa, charged with crimes of drug trafficking, burst the bid paying for lots up to 3 times its starting price. Tension, indignation, insults, threats and even tears truffled an auction in which families who had been renting hammocks all their lives they lost their concessions. As a sample, a button: Marrero paid 8.000 euros for a table and chair in Cala Comte. Of course, the San José city council doubled its income. Mr money is a powerful gentleman…
2. The lack of rents
Even before the start of summer, he was already chewing another of the great problems of the summer, although it would not really explode until this one started. Everywhere you found friends and acquaintances in Desperate House Search, at a much higher rate than other years. Platforms as Affected with rents They did nothing but denounce the problem of tourist rentals. And in Ibiza many people have their eyes on the dollar to see that they can make a lot of money by renting their homes just for the season at really amazing prices. Thus, people who live and work here or those who come to work in season have had real problems finding a place to sleep. Conclusion: cloud rents, desperate people having to leave the island even having a permanent job or being from Ibiza, families in the street, people sleeping in forests, vans, balconies ... A real problem that does not seem to be easily solved.
3 Assault on nightclubs
At the beginning of July a spectacular police operation leaped into everyone's mouth with the spectacular assault on the disco Amnesia Ibiza by the UCO at the end of a Cocoon session. We cannot help but imagine that those gathered there assumed that they were before the most innovative performance, when the agents with balaclavas burst into helicopter in the nightclub and they descended from the roof already at dawn. The owner, Martín Ferrer, his son and two other people were arresteds. It was just the spectacular start of a money laundering investigation operation that has been carried out throughout Spain and in which it is also they would register the clubs soon after Space and Privilege, and later the shift Ushuaïa Ibiza and Pacha. If you want to know more about this whole mess, we refer you to the summary we made at the beginning of summer of the call Operation Chopin.
4. Fire in s'Espalmador
It was one of the saddest news of the summer and that produced the most anger and indignation among the citizens (although even worse things would come later). In mid-August, a 43-year-old Italian launched a flare from a yacht and burned almost a hectare of juniper from the islet of s'Espalmador, one of the most paradisiacal places in Formentera and within the Natural Park. In early September there would be another fire in the Es Pujols area of Formentera that razed 0 hectares of pine forest, but could be controlled quickly.
5 The island rebels
The season was turning out tough: housing difficulties for the workers, more visitors no year with the collapse that supposes in the quality of services and overcrowding of a very limited space, jams on the roads, emblematic beaches full of garbage and rubbish, others in which access was limited to citizenship by beach clubs or millionaire owners who closed access to the sea, postcard corners disfigured... It was inevitable that more and more voices they demand a little "seny" and regulation and even limitation of the volume of visitors, in an environment that is as fragile and delicate as this island is. Citizen platforms emerged as Prou! and they organized several peaceful protest acts.
6. The tremendous drunkenness of an Englishman who bought a bus
Among so much negative news, we had to include one of the events that made us laugh the most this summer. An English DJ (No, we do not think you know him, his name is Davie Little), he came out to party in Ibiza, and the typical: you start with a few drinks and a few laughs and end ...buying you a bus for the modest price 34.000 euros, insurance aside. Poor Davie couldn't believe it and the next day he literally wrote on his Twitter account: "I can't believe what I did last night in Ibiza."
7. The Island of Celebrities and Astronomical Tips
As every summer, the traditional celebrity parade, to which every year more celebrities are added, could not miss on the island. Elsa Pataky, Ana Obregónsoccer players Cesc Fabregas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Sergio Ramos, Zidane or Xabi Alonso, Esther Cañadas, Ricky Martin, Lebron James, the former Spice Girl Mel B, Johnny Deep which was almost a month and says that he came to play with his group for an Arab sheikh, Jennifer Connelly with his partner the actor Paul Bettany, Nieves Álvarez, Boris Becker, Kate Hudson, José Coronado, Naomi Campbell… The list is truly endless.
And among so many VIP visits, two news items caught our attention. American musician and actor Chris Brown early summer destroying a mansion he had rented in Ibiza for his holidays, among other things he and his companions had left urine and vomiting all over. Moreover, it seems that he left without paying… At the other end of the scale, the news that Shakira and Piqué tipped of no less than 20.000 euros to the chef who attended them on their holidays on the island. Who will tip like this!
8 The soul of Las Dalias dies
Juan Marí Juan, founder from the legendary hippy market Las Dalias, one of the best known places in Ibiza around the world, died at the age of 89 years at the beginning of September. Hundreds of people came to give emotional and well-deserved homage of farewell to this endearing character that forms a fundamental piece of the history of the island.
9 The driest summer in 30 years
With the summer almost over, the media sounded the alarm: this 2016 has been the driest summer in 30 years. This, together with the influx of an increasing number of people, places us at the edge of collapse. Organizations such as Water Alliance They have been calling attention to this for some time, but it is still pending that the authorities take the problem more seriously and do something to solve it. Because, if you come to Ibiza on vacation and get the rain, smile! For us it is like manna from heaven. In addition, there is always lots of incredible plans to make the most of the island, both on rainy days, as after, when the storm subsides.
10 The closing of Space and the mystery about the future of Pacha Ibiza
The news of the closing of Space Ibiza He was one of the conductors of this summer. In its 27 º aniversario, the club run by the acclaimed Pepe Roselló I fulfilled your lease with Empresas Matutes and had to celebrate its last summer. Already at the beginning of season artists like Carl Cox announced that this year's would be his last residency at Space. The Closing of Space Ibiza was promised epic and there was quite a mess to get tickets, which went on sale with eyedroppers. Many residents were unable to attend, but those who did it was an absolutely memorable night. For next season Space Ibiza seems to be will become Ushuaia Night, the nighttime complement to one of the most famous outdoor clubs in the world. And the incognito about the holiday calendar for 2017 is still more open with the increasingly reliable rumors of a possible sale of everything the conglomerate that is the Pacha group to a group of English investors.
A summer that has given for all this and many more news. And you, how have you lived this 2016 summer in Ibiza?
