Пресса

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  Другая сторона Ибицы
  Испанский остров Ибица больше ассоциируется с ночными клубами и тусовками, чем с дизайном. Но на самом деле это тщательно продуманная конспирация.
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  Ibiza gets a makeover
  I’m happily tucking into some fabulous chunks of octopus and a deliciously fluffy spinach tortilla, but all I can think about is the damn elephant. I can’t see it, but I know it’s there, the elephant in the room, and it’s – surely – about to knock over my wine. Because this can’t be right.
  
  This great little place, El Rincon de Pepe, which was opened by the titular Pepe Rosello in 1962 and is still serving world-class tapas, is right in the middle of a war zone. No, not Afghanistan. San Antonio, Ibiza.
  
  San Antonio, and specifically Carrer de Santa Agnes – better known as the West End – is widely agreed to be the spiritual home of the Brits Abroad, the oiks and the chavs, with their overstretched England shirts and their all-inclusive aggro. And I’m sitting in the middle of it with my octopus, calm as you like.
  
  We know about the horror of the West End because, like all war zones, we saw it on the telly. Ibiza Uncovered, the documentary that began on Sky One in 1997, showed gangs of orcs – long before that particular species was made fashionable by The Lord of the Rings – dressed solely in tattoos, fighting and fornicating their way through a holiday in Ibiza’s prime tourist centre, Sant Antoni de Portmany.
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  A taste of Paradise
  From the tranquil views of  Es Vedra to dancing on the beach at Sa Trenxa, from party nights at Pacha to the crystal waters off Formentera Ibiza is more than a holiday destination, more than an Island, Ibiza is an expression of life!  From the swinging ‘60s and the visits of The Rolling Stones and other music Icons through the Baleric revolution that fashioned a new style of dance music to the hedonistic new millennium that sees the rich and famous choose Ibiza as the place to party and relax.  Ibiza has always managed to combine an image of package holiday tardiness with the secret decadence of the Worlds trendiest jet setters.  But it’s not just about partying, though Ibiza boasts the World’s largest dance club “Privilege”, “Pacha” with it’s two cherry logo the World’s most famous nightclub brand along with Amnesia, Space, DC10, El Divino, Es Paradis, Eden and many other underground clubs, plus countless exotic super villas tailor-made for day and night soirees, there are also beautiful beaches where you can catch the sun while sipping cava sangria and sampling Catalan paella, or simply read a book and watch the sun slowly sink into the Mediterranean Sea, with the beautiful haunting sounds of Café del Mar in the background.
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  The perfect beach in Ibiza
  I’m eating pineapple. Eating pineapple, drinking rosé, looking out over a sea that is trying on blues and greens like a teenager in Topshop, glorying in the heat of a sagging sun that is over the dial but not yet close to giving up, sprawling on a circular white mattress, in the middle of a beach covered in deep, fine sand, and I’m thinking: “That’s today done, then.”
  
  There’s something about the Pitiusas (the name given to Ibiza and its little sister, Formentera, meaning pine-covered islands) that can’t easily be replicated elsewhere. In fact, there’s been something special about Ibiza – something poetic, scenic and calming, as well as something liberating, mischievous and life-affirming – since the Phoenicians washed up there in about 650BC. Getting a taste of what the island was all about, they dedicated it to Bes, their god of dance, and that, I’m afraid, was that.
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  The ten best agroturismos in Ibiza
  Across the island, traditional farmhouses are being converted into stylish rural hotels. October, when the summer crowds have departed and the pace of life slows, is the perfect time to explore them. Iain Stewart presents his favourites Es Cucons has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, and gorgeous views
  
  Ten years ago Ibiza only had a couple of agroturismos but today there are more than 20, and it has become something of a buzzword on the island. At first the word, which originated in Italy, referred to working farms that let a few rooms, often in rustic outbuildings, to supplement their incomes. Now, thanks to the popularity of the idea, the definition is far more flexible - they are usually more stylish than rustic, and in many the farming now plays second fiddle. However, all guarantee traditional buildings set in fields or woodland, with fresh local food and peace and quiet by the bucketload.
  
  The beauty of Ibiza, an island that is only 50km by 20km, is that you can base yourself in an isolated hotel at the end of a dirt track and still be a short drive from clubs, fabulous restaurants and a vast choice of perfect coves.
  
  Visit Ibiza in late September or October and you avoid the high-season crowds. Prices drop, the locals have more time to chat, and with daily highs of 24-27C it's still warm enough to swim and laze by the pool.
  
  All prices are for October 2007 and include breakfast (unless stated).
• VIP Ibiza
  В этом году был на Ибице с моей мелкой соседкой Мальком. Поездка в этот раз, в отличие от предыдущей, была не тусовая, а гламурная. Стыдно сказать, но мы каждый день засыпали в районе полуночи. В клуб мы доползли один раз и то, засыпая на ходу, и не получили от похода никакого удовольствия.
• Ibiza's very important party people
  Three sassy-looking girls stand in the guest-list queue at Pacha, waiting for access to the club that some say is the best in the world. With their good hair, expensive frocks and glittering shoes, you would think they would be a shoo-in for Pete Tong and Jade Jagger’s night. Jagger is inside – which of her cosmically fabulous pals will be with her?
  
  But, ouch! The woman with the clipboard isn’t playing ball. The rising consternation coming off these twinkly London social divas is palpable, and there is going to be a scene. It’s not quite “Don’t you know who I am?”, but it’s getting there. With finality, the clipboard woman says, “I’m sorry”, sounding not a bit of it. One of the divas gets cross, and it all ends in a bit of handling by the heavies on the door. The people watching this from the paying queue – the ones who have to pay £40 just for the privilege of getting in – salivate with a delicious Schadenfreude. Nothing brings the socially ambitious down to earth like not being in the loop on Ibiza.