Sant Antoni de Portmany (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈsant ənˈtɔni ðə purˈmaɲ], Spanish: San Antonio Abad) is a town on the western coast of Ibiza. It is the second-largest town and municipality in Ibiza; an island described by Time Out magazine as "arguably the clubbing capital of the universe".[1] The town is situated on Sant Antoni Bay on the west coast of the island, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands.
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For two thousand years, Sant Antoni was a small fishing village, but it began to grow in the late 1950s when many hotels and tourist resorts were built as part of a mass tourism initiative which took place across Spain. As the number of tourists grew the development of bars, hotels and other tourist infrastructure spread right around to the other side of San Antonio bay, as far as Cala de Bou which actually lies in the adjacent municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia.
Since the 1980s British tourists have made up the majority of summertime visitors to San Antonio, many are attracted by programmes such as the Ibiza Uncovered series on Sky TV as well as the laid-back Ibiza lifestyle. Due to the sheer number of noisy and drunken British tourists during the summer season many foreign language websites have begun to actively advise against staying in San Antonio, recommending quiter locations like Santa Eulària and Portinatx.
Since the global economic crisis and the end of the Spanish property bubble in 2008 the pace of development in San Antonio has slowed and a large number of construction projects remain partially completed. There has also been a dramatic fall in tourist revenue, as many potential visitors have less disposable income to spend on foreign holidays.
The Egg is the best known landmark in Sant Antoni, located in the centre of the main roundabout at the entrance to the town.
The Egg is a statue erected in the early 1990s to commemorate the local claim of having been the birthplace of Christopher Columbus (there is a similar claim that Hannibal was born in the region). The statue is in the shape of an egg, containing at its centre a model of his ship; the Santa Maria.
The choice of an egg comes from a story about Columbus, who when seeking funding for his Western route to the Indies, was told it was impossible. He then allegedly asked if standing an egg upright was impossible, and when told that it was, he cracked the base of an egg, thus making it possible for it to stand upright. He was then granted funding. See Egg of Columbus.
Part of Sant Antoni's harbourside promenade, Passeig de ses Fonts is an area which was developed in the early 1990s to improve the appearance of the town. There are many plants, including palm trees and rubber plants, as well as massive fountains, which are illuminated by night. Across the square are a host of restaurants and cafes offering a view over Sant Antoni Bay. It is also the best place from which to watch the massive Fireworks Display which celebrates the fiesta of Saint Bartholomew on 24 August.
The 'West End' is an area of San Antonio. Only a couple of streets wide; the main street being the Carrer de Santa Agnès, it hosts a variety of bars ranging from the Dance and House music Ibiza is famed for to Rock and indie music. The best known bars are: Bar Amsterdam, Viva, Hush, Koppas, Capone, Tropicana, Soul City and Play 2. PR staff line the street trying to attract tourists into any of the many bars on the strip with special deals on alcohol.
Along the coast in the west is the famous Sunset Strip where various bars including Café del Mar, Savannah and Café Mambo are situated, where the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Carl Cox, David Guetta and Pete Tong DJ on a regular basis. The West facing strip of coastline means that visitors can enjoy beautiful sunsets. Slightly further up the coastline, Kanya, Sunsea Cafe and Coastline Cafe provide a newer generation of sunset bars, complete with swimming pools, and luxury apartments.
Sant Antoni is home to two of the main Ibiza nightclubs: Eden and Es Paradis. Eden is home to some of the world's biggest DJs and promoters and is open from the first weekend in June through to mid to late September. Regular DJs include: Judge Jules, Lisa Lashes, Eddie Haliwell, Alex Ellenger, Nathan Viva and more. Promoters include: Judgement Sundays, Garlands & Twice As Nice & Clubland (recently rebranded to be called - Ibiza Live). Over the road from Eden is one of Ibiza's oldest Clubs, Es Paradis, established in 1975. Promoters are generally lower key than those across the road but do include the world renowned Hed Kandi, and it is famous for its water party held every Wednesday and Saturday nights.
A project to develop another superclub in San Antonio called "Idea" was started in the 1980s but remained partially completed until the much criticised seafront structure was eventually demolished in 2011.[2]