San Antonio, what can be done?

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The thing that worries me most is the atmosphere has totally changed. When I went in September there seemed to be a lack of energy and enthusiasm about the place. Even people who served me in shops just seemed bored or underwhelmed. I've been in September before and I can't ever remember the atmosphere lacking so much charge. It's not that long ago when the whole of San Antonio would be buzzing all day before a big night like Manumisson, Cream, Coccoon, We Love @ Space and others. Where has that gone?

I've waxed lyrical at length on here before about San Antonio and what needs to be done but as long as San Antonio Town Council denies it has the funds (yeah, right!) and central government in Madrid refuse to pay the same stipend or more to police posted on the island as they do to those that work in the Canaries (where rent and the cost of living is much cheaper) then they will always struggle to recruit or attract police officers to the island. I'm told that most of those that do wind up in Ibiza are fresh out of training college and therefore inexperienced and most are single and have no intention of staying for any length of time.
 
Aaron_2014 said:
Strange sensation this August. For a laugh I stayed in San Antonio for a few nights, and then got on a plane to Mallorca and spent two nights in Magaluf and then flew back to Ibiza and spent a final night in San Antonio again. I wanted to compare the two. Drinks in San An certainly felt like they were watered down. At least at one bar. Had the same drinks in Magaluf and they were much stronger and at the same price. My first reaction was the ridiculous police presence. I saw two officers in San Antonio, and yet in Magaluf I counted over 35. They were walking in large groups up and down the main strip. The bars are on a steep hill, with dazzling neon lights on either side which were impressive, and hundreds of Brits staggering up and down amongst a large police presence with barricades. The hookers and drug dealers were keeping a very low profile outside the strip in Magaluf. It was buzzing with activity but it certainly felt like a pale immitation of Ibiza. From my own observation the average age of Brits I saw in Magaluf seemed to be 18 - 23 and they were overly exicted in the streets as young folk often are, but the average age of Brits in San An seemed to be much older around 27 - 40 and were much more respectful and adult. I guess that is why fewer police presence was needed?

Although that said, there were several small groups of girls in San An who were dressed so slutty during the day that people were commenting on their exposed behinds, and one woman yelled out loud - quote - "I want to break as many cks in my tiny py as I can tonight" and laughed. There is a vulgarity that still shadows over San An, but I know guys and girls who love it and go to Ibiza specifically so they can talk and behave in that manner. Despite the low police presence, I still felt much safer in Ibiza than I do back home. True, the police in San Antonio are almost non-existent and hookers and drug dealers are pretty rampant and hard to miss, but I strangely get a sense of absolute safety. It could be because I've been there so often and know the streets so well. Overall I would give this summer in San Antonio 6.5/10. It would have got 7, but some of the bars were closed, and they still haven't repaired the loose planks on the jetty and the beach seemed pretty dirty around the water's edge. Felt like the place had seen better days.
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So wait... what you're saying is you want San An (west end) to be even more of a shit hole than it already is?

The crowed is definitely not 27-40.... I feel 40 walking through San An
 
Padster said:
The thing that worries me most is the atmosphere has totally changed. When I went in September there seemed to be a lack of energy and enthusiasm about the place. Even people who served me in shops just seemed bored or underwhelmed. I've been in September before and I can't ever remember the atmosphere lacking so much charge. It's not that long ago when the whole of San Antonio would be buzzing all day before a big night like Manumisson, Cream, Coccoon, We Love @ Space and others. Where has that gone?

I've waxed lyrical at length on here before about San Antonio and what needs to be done but as long as San Antonio Town Council denies it has the funds (yeah, right!) and central government in Madrid refuse to pay the same stipend or more to police posted on the island as they do to those that work in the Canaries (where rent and the cost of living is much cheaper) then they will always struggle to recruit or attract police officers to the island. I'm told that most of those that do wind up in Ibiza are fresh out of training college and therefore inexperienced and most are single and have no intention of staying for any length of time.
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I agree with this on the overall vibe this year, I was there the first two weeks of August and it just didn't have as much magic as previously, so much so in fact that my friend that loved it last year looks like he may be doing a U turn on coming again☹. I saw a lot move violence this year, I've only ever seen 1 fight in San An before but this year i saw a few including someone being stabbed in the head and quite a lot more nearly starting.
 
Padster said:
I've waxed lyrical at length on here before about San Antonio and what needs to be done but as long as San Antonio Town Council denies it has the funds (yeah, right!) and central government in Madrid refuse to pay the same stipend or more to police posted on the island as they do to those that work in the Canaries (where rent and the cost of living is much cheaper) then they will always struggle to recruit or attract police officers to the island. I'm told that most of those that do wind up in Ibiza are fresh out of training college and therefore inexperienced and most are single and have no intention of staying for any length of time.
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would it be fair to say the authorities wrote it off long ago? a place to contain all the shitty english, make a small profit and leave the rest of the island in peace? or at least hasn't that been the consistent policy for the last 45 years? is that the real reason the police keep a low profile - as in, not to scare the horses? and that the resource issue is just a smokescreen. but then again I guess the more recent seediness might force their hand if it gets out of control... but what is the tipping point though? at what point does it all get too much? seems to me the market always has the last word on these things..
 
Padster said:
I've been in September before and I can't ever remember the atmosphere lacking so much charge. It's not that long ago when the whole of San Antonio would be buzzing all day before a big night like Manumisson, Cream, Coccoon, We Love @ Space and others. Where has that gone?
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Since Manumission & We Love have gone, O Beach and Ibiza Rocks have risen or changed their business model in that period. Maybe you thought the bars and beaches were quieter during the day because a lot of the San An crowd were already at their party destination? It's no secret that Cocoon doesn't really have much traction with the young Brit crowd either. Big days for San An now are ANTS/elrow on Saturday and Defected (whichever day of the week it falls on).
With prices increasing across the board, wouldn't surprise me that the youngsters on hols are palming off bars in favour of drinking in their room
 
That makes no sense at all. We are told the opening time restrictions are to make life quieter for the residents...but then 5am finishes are back during Winter when the residents are resting from a long summer??
 
white_isle_calling said:
Since Manumission & We Love have gone, O Beach and Ibiza Rocks have risen or changed their business model in that period. Maybe you thought the bars and beaches were quieter during the day because a lot of the San An crowd were already at their party destination? It's no secret that Cocoon doesn't really have much traction with the young Brit crowd either. Big days for San An now are ANTS/elrow on Saturday and Defected (whichever day of the week it falls on).
With prices increasing across the board, wouldn't surprise me that the youngsters on hols are palming off bars in favour of drinking in their room
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You misunderstand- it's not the numbers, there are still loads of people about. It's the energy and atmosphere that's changed and seems to be lacking
 
Let's see what Pepe Rosello has to say about it...

www.diariodeibiza.es

'Todo incluido' en Sant Antoni

El turismo en Sant Antoni vuelve a ser objeto de polémica, tras el anuncio, por parte del Govern balear, de restringir la oferta de 'todo incluido' de los hoteles de este municipio, eliminando el alcohol de la ecuación para combatir el turismo de borrachera. Los hoteleros ya se han pronunciado...
www.diariodeibiza.es www.diariodeibiza.es
 
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