Residents in Ibiza have vowed to continue anti-tourism protests this summer, barricading a famous viewpoint with boulders and “no entry” warnings.
Angry locals in Cala d’Hort de Sant Josep blocked tourist access to the Es Vedra lookout and its car parks last week in a bid to curb overtourism and “wild parties” in the area.
Hundreds of unregulated holidaymakers flock to the islet viewpoint on Ibiza's southwest coast each day in summer, using unofficial car parks on private land to watch the sunset.
According to local outlet Noudiari, local landowners fed up with the peak season “circus” used rocks to close off access to the environmentally protected viewing platform and the Torre des Savinar watchtower.
Over the last few summers, the sunset hotspot has seen illegal commercial activities, with mojito sales and DJs, including Diplo, investigated for hosting unlicensed parties.
One resident told the outlet: “The property's land is invaded every year and they receive no support or compensation of any kind. It's private property, in a protected area outside the public domain of the Costas.”
A sign in the area now warns: “Private Property. Restricted Access. Access to the coast via the main road.”
If parking is prohibited, the Es Vedra lookout will no longer be easily accessible to tourists on foot.
Residents have requested permission from the Sant Josep City Council to fence and close off their properties so they can leave and enter their homes, said the Es Cubells Residents' Association.
The City Council told Noudiari that they are "working to address the inconveniences experienced on previous occasions with the best of intentions”.
The mayor of Sant Josep, Vicent Roig, told local media this week: “We are finishing up conversations with the owners to build a parking lot. This is for the safety of those parking and for the ownership of these lands.”
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