“To many workers, it’s no longer worth coming to Ibiza”. The one expressing this forcefully is Guadalupe López, general secretary of Services and Consumption for UGT in the Pitiusas, the majority union in hotels. Her offices handle between 15 and 20 daily inquiries from sector workers, most of them asking if they can arrange a leave of absence. “People can no longer come to Ibiza because they can’t find a place to stay, or they can’t afford it, and since they are seasonal permanent workers, they ask how to request a leave of absence,” explains the union representative. According to the hospitality collective agreement, a seasonal permanent worker can take a maximum leave of absence of two years. “In some cases, the worker inquiring has found a better job on the Peninsula; perhaps not as well-paid as in Ibiza, but with a much lower cost of living; in other cases, they simply can’t find a place to stay,” specifies Guadalupe López. The Balearic Islands hospitality collective agreement is “the best in Spain”, according to her, with salaries in any case exceeding 1,700 euros gross for waiters, kitchen staff, or room attendants; salaries that will increase by 4% this year.

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and identified as new head of the Islamic Republic of IranHe reportedly owns a luxury resort in Camp de Mar, Mallorca. This is according to an investigation by Bloomberg, quoted by the newspaper The CountryThe report suggests the property in question is the Steigenberger Hotel & Resort Camp de Mar, and that the assets of Iran's new Supreme Leader extend across several European countries. According to this investigation, Khamenei amassed a fortune of hundreds of millions of euros through a network of investments and real estate holdings managed by intermediaries. These assets reportedly include a golf resort in Mallorca, a hotel in the Austrian Alps, and numerous properties in London.

The string of hundreds of emails declassified by the U.S. State Department from magnate Jeffrey Epstein reveals the dark side of the luxury tourism industry in Ibiza. Although the authorities of the largest of the Pitiusas Islands have for years boasted of having positioned the island at the heart of this tourist segment, which is assumed to have enormous spending power, the reality also hides bitter lives lived to the extreme. Far from the narrative of white beaches, international DJs, and million-dollar villas, some of the exchanges show a critical and even stark view of the island and the lifestyle enjoyed by certain circles. This is the case of an Epstein associate who writes bluntly that she will never return to Ibiza because "it's too much." In a second, even more explicit email, her recommendations to the recipient can be read: "Go to yoga, not nightclubs with shitty people. Ibiza is cheap drugs, not healthy living." The emails confirm that excess and the normalization of drug use are part of the nightlife at these elite private parties.

"Tons of young people wow"That's how one of them referred to it." scout Jeffrey Epstein's preferred (top model selector) to the young women he had recruited for one of the many stays they were organizing in Ibiza some fifteen years ago. He wrote this in an email sent in 2010, in which photo shoots with high-profile models were apparently being arranged. The constant references to age and the comments in the messages between the American magnate—who committed suicide in 2019 in prison in New York—and his associates confirm that Ibiza played a key role in the network of influence and international business spaces, with the backdrop of the company of young women, always identified girls in communications.

In the luxury housing market, the Balearic Islands have established themselves as the leading destination for the most exclusive areas in Spain. According to the latest data from Idealista's price report, six of the ten most expensive districts for buying property are located in the Mediterranean archipelago, while Madrid, Gipuzkoa, and Malaga account for the rest. The Madrid district of Salamanca tops the ranking with an average price of €9,950/m², reaching its highest level since 2006, following a year-on-year increase of 15.1% in November. In the Balearic Islands, Costa d'en Blanes (Calvià) occupies second place with €9,677/m² and an annual growth of 16.7%, a figure that marks a record for resale property prices. Puerto de Andratx completes the Balearic podium with €8,921/m², showing some stability compared to its historical highs. Other notable increases were recorded in Chamberí (Madrid), with a 21.2% rise to €8,695/m², and in Zagaleta-El Madroñal (Benahavís, Málaga), with a 20.7% increase, the highest in the month-on-month ranking at 7.94%. The Centro and Miraconcha areas in San Sebastián also reached new all-time highs at €8,571/m², as did the Jesús district in Santa Eulària des Riu (Ibiza) at €8,353/m². In the Balearic Islands, other luxury areas maintain high prices: Son Vida (Palma) at €8,587/m², Portals Nous-Bendinat (Calvià) at €8,358/m², and Cas Català-Illetes (Calvià) at €7,989/m². International demand continues to drive prices in these locations, consolidating the Balearic Islands as the leading region for luxury housing and further distancing the markets of Madrid, Málaga, and Gipuzkoa in this residential segment.

This article is going to be a bit of a shocker, so consider yourself warned. The Llavanera stream is the third most important watercourse on the island of Ibiza. It flows into the port just after passing through the Golden Mile of Ibiza Town, right between the Ibiza Gran Hotel (a five-star luxury hotel) and the Salt Bae luxury apartments, The N Residences, currently under construction (starting from 'Mirón'). At the foot of the Llavanera, you can admire the coveted postcard view of Dalt Vila. Everything is luxurious in this place. Except for the smell, if it's rained too much.

The Balearic Islands have reaffirmed their position as the most expensive area to purchase a second-hand home, surpassing €5,000/m² on average, following a 12.3% annual increase in August, with as many as 25 municipalities reaching record prices for existing homes.

Housing speculation continues unabated in Mallorca; on the contrary, prices are rising day after day. For the first time, the price per square meter surpassed the €5,000 mark.