Clubbing - Pacha

For many people Pacha is not just the best club in the world - it is the image which springs to mind when people abroad utter the word 'Ibiza'. The memory is usually enough to bring a wry smile to an Ibiza veteran's lips. Not to mention the lips of their children too...

The story behind Pacha extends back to a different past referred to by the local ibicencos as 'antes' meaning 'before' and in this context 'before tourism'. A time when people had no need of TV or newspapers to tell them what was happening elsewhere in the world. They were poor, but happy in their isolated country fincas without electricity and drawing their water from, often distant, wells. They didn't care what the rest of the world were up to until it arrived on their doorstep carrying the banner 'ahora' meaning 'now' and in this context 'the tourists are here 'now'!'.

Back in the 60's there were in fact already tourists, but these were predominantly hippies following the 'Elephant Trail' through San Francisco, Katmandu, Goa, Amsterdam and Ibiza. On a quest to explore an alternative lifestyle and find their own personality and inner beauty, they were not prepared to adapt to society. Surviving on little or no money they found themselves at home in the subsistence economy of a small self-sufficient island. In harmony with nature in its most primitive form. They didn't know each others surnames for their family was as large as their community of friends. Their common bond - their refusal to accept maturity. A cosmopolitan rag-tag legion united by endless trust.

The majority of other tourists around at that time were either the super-rich or Royalty parking their yachts in the harbour's of the island to enjoy an expensive meal in the 'restaurant quarter' of San Antonio - that we now affectionately refer to as San An's notorious 'West End'. Or the network of small, unpretentious bars and restaurants spread about Ibiza.

The major exception was the Montesol on the Vara de Rey in Ibiza's town centre, where the rich and famous gathered to be seen being served by waistcoated and bow-tied waiters. The rich and famous became some of the island's earliest ex-pat residents and can largely be blamed for the demand that generated the spectacular social social life now known globally as Ibiza. Or more locally - 'ahora' Some of the early legendary venues were La Tierra, San Telmo, Sandy's in Santa Eulalia and Club San Rafael (now the biggest indoor night club in the world - Privilege aka. KU).

Their success and famous clientele awoke the island to the possibility of profiting from its visitors and subsequently trashed the alternative culture that had initially attracted the visitors. The 'pile it high & sell it cheap' of bucket tourism landed and were made welcome - they liked it here. Ibiza became less spiritually focused and less sensible, but was having far more fun? The original bunch of black sheep were joined by the rest of the herd with their credit cards, sun tan lotion and refusal to learn Spanish. This was 1973 and the moment chosen by Ricardo Urgell to open Pacha.

At the time everybody laughed because it was so far out of town that it could only be reached by car. On the contrary, it was immediately successful and well worth the walk. Very soon Ibiza night life had a new headquarters and Pacha became Ibiza night life. There had never been so much happiness and good feeling concentrated into, what was then, one small finca. They played reggae and hippy music and soon brought the hippies down from the hills for the weekend parties. An esoteric, self-gratifying lifestyle can only be recognised if you have the reference point of a mad, sleep-free weekend of clubbing to compare it with?

Until Ku opened Pacha was the undisputed, trendiest night club in Ibiza. It's grand, baroque feel yet haphazard layout could not have been conceived by an architect. It comprises simply a series of additions to the original box that at the time presumably satisfied a whim or demand for more space, perhaps a different environment? Could this be the spot where the original concept of the 'chill out area' was first coined? Ultimately it was no contest - Ku became the new kid on the block whilst Pacha exuded eternity, partly because of its 'finca' style, but more through its regulars - a clientele that includes more famous names that your average Royal palace can muster.

An orbit of modern dance superstar DJs have all left their fingerprints on arguably the most popular 'wheels of steel' on the planet. At Pacha the motto is - the party doesn't need to stop - and those of us lucky enough to indulge in it, even through the Winter, wouldn't have it any other way... 'Molts anys y bons' (Many years and good ones..)