Sant Antoni de Portmany (aka San Antonio Abad or simply San Antonio) is the second largest town in Ibiza, and is considered by British clubbers to be the clubbing capital of the world. It is on San Antonio Bay, on the west of Ibiza.
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.
By the 1980s, Sant Antoni had acquired the stigma of being the holiday location of choice for British football hooligans, which lead to a decline in tourism in the area. However, it regained its popularity in the mid 1990s when it gained a reputation in Britain as being the best place to stay whilst having access to all the island's night clubs, often quoted as the best in the world who also host the best DJs in the world. Young British clubbers make up the vast majority of visitors to the area.
In late 2020, the government indicated its intent to close permanently the streets where excess alcohol and anti-social behaviour "put people’s health and safety at large in danger".
Understand
[edit]Most locals speak English quite well. Or to put it another way, most of the British tourists here don't bother trying to speak any Spanish.
- 1 Oficina de Turismo (Tourism office), Passeig de Ses Fonts, 1 bajos, ☏ +34 971 343 363, [email protected]. Summer: M-F 10:00-20:30; Sa Su 10:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00.
Get in
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By plane
[edit]See Ibiza Airport for details.
A taxi from the airport costs approx. €27-30. You can also take the airport bus to Ibiza town and change there or in peak summer season there is a direct bus to Sant Antoni every 30 min. Will cost around €3.
By bus
[edit]- 2 Estación de Autobus (Bus station), Calle Paris (near the NE end of the harbour, one block behind the Columbus' Egg sculpture). Line 9 to the Airport (seasonal), Lines 3, 8 (longer) to the Ibiza Town (aka Eivissa), Line 19 to Santa Eulària des Riu.
By boat
[edit]In season there are some boats to/from Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.
Get around
[edit]By taxi
[edit]- 3 Taxi rank, ☏ +34 971 34 00 74.
- Radio taxi, ☏ +34 971 34 37 64.
On foot
[edit]Walk. Town is small enough.
See
[edit]
People go to Sant Antoni for clubbing, drinking, beaching, etc., rather than enjoying the beauty of this town. That's not least because of that it is not a particularly attractive place: someone on the Internet has written that the most lovely building there is the building of the Lidl supermarket at the town's outskirts (which is quite an ugly one). Still a curious traveller may find a few places are worth visiting:
- 1 Passeig de ses Fonts. It is a part of Sant Antoni's harbour-side promenade. This area was developed in the early 1990s to improve the appearance of the town. It features many plants, including palm trees and rubber plants, as well as fountains, which are illuminated by night. The opposite side of the street is lined with pavement cafes and restaurants.
- 2 Iglesia de Sant Antoni de Portmany, Plaça de l'Església, 1 (take a street at the middle of Passeig de ses Fonts heading N, Carrer Ample, for example). A fortified parish church of the town.
- 3 Huevo de Colón (Columbus' Egg) (at the roundabout at the E end of Passeig de ses Fonts). A famous landmark of Sant Antoni, often used as a meeting place. It was erected in 1992 to commemorate the 500th centenary of the discovery of America.
- 4 Far de les Coves Blanques (Faro de Covas Blancas) (at the W end of Passeig de la Mar). A disused lighthouse that hosts Sant Antoni's Maritime Museum.
- 5 Sa Punta des Molí (across the bay of Passeig de ses Fonts). A headland declared as a Cultural Interest Heritage – a restored piece of the typical old Ibiza with mill, a couple of old houses, a dock, an olive-oil press, plus a bit of a botanical garden, etc.
Do
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- Clubbing (although the most of the larger famous Ibiza clubs are actually located out of town)
- Drink in a West End bar and sit and watch as the crazy world go by
- Beaches
- Cruises, speedboats
- Parasailing
- Sunsets
- Workers Parties
- Party boats
- Bungee jumping
- Water Sports
Buy
[edit]"Genuine Imitation" Sunglasses from the "Looky Looky" men
Eat
[edit]The Town is full of pizzerias, Chinese restaurants and bars. It's difficult to find decent restaurant with local food.
- Davids Pizzeria. Set menu priced at €12.50 available until 21:00 offers unbeatable value for a 3-course meal and drink. In peak season it becomes very very busy with a waiting list and large queue.
- The Curry Club. Over priced and under flavoured Indian food, but still remains popular with a beautiful garden eating area.
- Zebra Art&Grill. Soletat 43, 07820 Sant Antoni (near Kanya). This restaurant serves delicious meals prepared with fresh ingredients and an artisan's pride in preparation and presentation - a fact largely wasted on the hordes of Brits looking for a fry-up or microwave pizza, which is probably why the prices are very reasonable.
- The Curry Club, Tucked behind the sunset strip in San Antonio, its beautiful inside, the staff are great and the food - amazing!
Drink
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- 1 West End. It's an area in Sant Antoni covering several blocks, filled almost entirely with British bars, each of which has one or more pr's outside, trying to entice customers with offers of cheap drinks. Though most of the bars are disco bars, many are geared towards drinking on the seated terrace. Opening hours are from 14:00 (for bars open early for sports or food) or 9pm till either 04:00 or 06:00 depending on individual opening licenses. Among the popular bars are: Viva, Hush, Koppas, Tropicana, Amsterdam Bar, Soul City, Funky Flares.
- 2 Sunset Strip. Several institutions such as Cafe Mambo, Cafe Del Mar and Savannah are the place to go and watch the sun go down. Crowds flock to the bars, the beach and any available spot to watch the sun fall out of sight.
- Café del Mar - This is the must spot to catch an amazing sunset set to chillout music. A perfect start to any night.
- Viva Ibiza The local bar for all the workers and is busy til 06:00. Ask to buy a Viva wristband (€5) and then all summer (if you are a worker) or all week (if you are a tourist) your drinks will be over 50% cheaper there than in any other bar in town.
- Bar Amsterdam - Cheap drinks offers but they don't always use the best quality drinks in your deal.
Sleep
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When the sun comes up, it is the best time to sleep. The locals have the town in the day, and singing crowds are likely to keep you awake at night. It's hot all day and night, so you have to be either very tired or have an air-conditioned room.
- 1 Hotel Gran Sol, Calle Soledad, 49, ☏ +34 971 34 11 08. Voted as one of Ibiza´s best hotels on Trip Advisor, renovated in 2010 and located in a quieter corner of the resort just a short walk away from the town centre and the famous sunset strip
- 2 Hostel Roca, Carrer de Sant Mateu, ☏ +34 971 34 00 67. It's in the centre of Sant Antoni, in a pedestrian street full of shops and stalls, a couple of blocks away from the West End and a short walk to the Sunset strip and its trendy bars.
Go next
[edit]Look for local clubs and bars that have pre-parties and buses to big clubs outside town. You may need to buy tickets in advance (prices range from €12 to €50)