More than 100 people occupy Ibiza beach in overtourism protest

More than 100 people have taken over a holiday beach in Ibiza to protest at overtourism on the island.

Protestors held up banners in Catalan including one which in English would translate as: “Wherever you look, it’s all tourists.”

The action yesterday morning was organised by the Ibiza Youth Association and took place at a small sandy cove called Cala Saladeta, tucked between pine-covered cliffs a short distance from the party resort of San Antonio on the island’s western coastline.

Organisers said before it kicked off they wanted to show “public spaces will always belong to us and the island was not for sale.”

They invited sympathisers to join them by saying in an online post during the week: “How often have we seen our spaces slip away from the people of Ibiza?

“How long will we accept it becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy our island?

“We shouldn't be limited to enjoying it just from November to March; we have the right to enjoy it in summer, spring, and autumn, too.”

It was billed as an opportunity to “laugh with friends, visit with family and swim” rather than a traditional act of protest.

The previous day around 1,000 people formed a human chain in the centre of Palma on the neighbouring island of Palma to demand more action from regional politicians against overtourism.

GOB Mallorca, one of the organisations behind the protest said afterwards by way of thanks to those who took part: “All of us who were there know for certain that a liveable Mallorca with a future is possible, and we will not give up until we achieve it. We must protect people from this predatory tourism and capitalist model.”

It was the second one held since an anti-tourist march in Palma on July 26 which ended with clashes between riot police and demonstrators. According to police 20,000 people took part although organisers put the figure at 70,000.

Around 2,500 people took to the streets of the city on August 8 in the first.

On August 8 the town of Soller in the heart of Mallorca’s Serra de Tramontana mountains was the spot for another show of discontent by locals who say their daily lives are being impacted by the effects of mass tourism.

One of the demonstrators held up a poster which said in English: “No more second homes while locals can’t afford one.”

Another said in a mix of English and Catalan: “Welcome to Mallorca. And where do we live?”

The Canary Islands and the Balearics have been at the forefront of anti-tourist protests over the past two years, although they have also taken place in cities like Barcelona and Malaga.

Some foreign tourists have faced abuse during marches and protest actions in places like Mallorca, where in May 2024 booing and jeering of some holidaymakers as they ate evening meals in a square in the island capital Palma led to organisers making a public apology.

An estimated 15,000 people took part in that demo, a day after around 1,000 people massed outside Ibiza Council’s HQ to vent their anger over the effects of mass tourism.

In June last year thousands marched in Palma on a day which ended with around 100 noisy activists banging drums surrounding upmarket eatery Cappuccino Borne next to a McDonald’s in the city centre after their protest finished. Police had to move in to disperse them.