Public Access To Famous Ibiza Landmark Es Vedra Closed.
Due to antisocial behaviour, access to a popular and widely promoted viewing area for the famous Ibiza landmark Es Vedra has been closed. After decades of open access through private land, the owners erected barricades halting all access to the area, including the old Phoenician quarry, which the hippies christened Atlantis. With the advent of social media, millions of videos and photographs of the area and its location were shared worldwide, increasing the tourist footfall with every season.
Recently, two high-profile videos, one for the new club UNVRS and another for DJ Diplo, went viral to billions of viewers, leading to an avalanche of tourists descending on the area, home to residents in the municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talia. The under-siege residents have complained of abuse, litter, illegal parking, drug use, and intimidation and have contacted the local council to address the situation. Still, they claim the council has refused to do anything about it, forcing them to take action and close off the area to public access.
The main attraction of the contentious viewing point, known locally as Mirador De Es Vedra, is that it was free, a taboo word in Ibiza these days. Particular commercial interests in Ibiza frown on “free activities” for tourists, meaning they are not spending money in their venues. If the Balearic air were a commodity, they would package and brand it, selling it to tourists as “salty Mediterranean air”, complete with a David Guetta soundtrack. The “everything is for sale in Ibiza” mantra has grown with a ferocious and consuming appetite over the last decade. The blog has commented many times on the over-commercialism of Ibiza, which has killed off the free, welcoming and open-spirited hospitality enjoyed on the island before the advent of social media.
What was once fallow agricultural land on the coast of Ibiza is now worth millions. Property prices in Ibiza are the highest in Spain, surpassing the 6400 per m2 mark. In 2015, British Billionaires The Ruben Brothers paid €35 million for 144 Hectares of coastland south of Es Vedra. In 2022, the real estate agency Engel & Völkers paid 130 million euros for 56,000 m2 at the Seven Pines Resort Ibiza, which enjoys privileged views of Es Vedra. Therefore, one can estimate the value of the real estate surrounding the Es Vedra viewing point, which enjoys spectacular views of the iconic landmark.
Special Interest.
Local rumours suggest several Pirates would love to get their greedy hands on the plots between Cap Blanc and Es Savinar in the Cala d’Hort de Sant Josep area. This could explain why the local council has been cautious in dealing with the situation at Es Vedra. The council also has skin in the game, as the local tourist board has promoted the viewing area at tourist fairs worldwide, increasing the value and attractiveness of the area.
There is also the minefield of local planning regulations to respect, most notably the Law Of The Costas, which by law permits unrestricted public access to the coastline of Spain. The Costas are also tasked with the environmental protection of lands up to 400m from the coastline. The area was deemed a Natural Area Of Special Interest in 1991. “All of these sites are authentic natural treasures that accommodate aquatic birds, lizards and endemic invertebrates, as well as a very rich flora.”
Like everything in Ibiza, there is much more at play here than meets the eye. What we are witnessing at Es Vedra is just the first move in what is sure to be a protracted affair. Money talks, and doing business in Ibiza is like swimming with sharks. When you swim with sharks, it’s not the sharks you can see that you should worry about; it’s the ones you can’t see that are the most dangerous.
Image credits, Irene Arango.
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