Pacha

Open every day in Summer, then Friday & Saturday nights in Winter - This is really the only club in Ibiza to open all year round and for that reason alone keeps the fire of inspiration burning amongst those brave enough to stay for the winter when so little is happening after the chaos of summer.

'Pacha' is a name synonymous with Ibiza, although as a group they run clubs all over the world (23 at the last count and still rising). The Ibiza version is unique in that it is the only major club that remains open all year round and does not therefore rely on the summer tourist season for trade.

It is big, having been extended slowly but continuously over the years in a haphazard fashion. It now has 15 bars, a restaurant & sushi bar, shop and open-air garden terraces overlooking Ibiza town. It is something of a rabbit warren and until you get to know your way around it's not unusual to get lost. This is OK though, as there are always plenty of pretty girls around to ask for directions and offer a drink back out of gratitude.

The regular & very cosmopolitan clientele includes a mixture of Ibicencos, hippies, millionaires and a thousand unidentifiable bright young things, in addition to the minority of tourists.

The tourist minority seem mostly to be voyeurs on the periphery or laid out on the banquettes succumbing to their obligatory non-stop party presence through the height of summer. The majority favour the steps by the DJ console in the main room, as if dipping a toe into the experience but not ready to risk the fun being enjoyed by those already wrapped up in the music on the dance floor and oblivious to all else.

The spectacularly dressed professional dancers do 15 minute stints on their podiums whilst their aspiring competitors in the audience vie for attention for as long as their legs will carry them. Perhaps in the hope that one day they too can enjoy some of the prestige, if not the wages.

The main room at Pacha includes a large VIP area complete with doormen into which the dancers retreat after performing, to rub shoulders with the local 'great and good' - people who don't have to beg for tickets in the nearby harbour, and other local dignitaries. This section, perfectly positioned for the best sound from the assembled speakers, is often the only area where people can move about freely while the rest shuffle slowly down the crowded gangways around this area to the other amenities. The best solution seems to be to observe clubbing rule No. 1 - don't drink, then you don't need to get to the bar or shortly afterwards, the toilet. Alternatively become a VIP...

Address
Av. 8 de agosto, 27 Eivissa
Telephone : 971 313 600
Capacity : 3000 people
Staff : 300
Bars : 25
Areas : Main room and VIP, Funky Room, Global Room, Pachacha and the Terrace.
Services : Restaurant Pacha and Sushi Lounge, Pacha Shop