Ibiza’s most sought-after beach bar: six companies competing for it

It took the Ayuntamiento de Ibiza longer than expected to find someone willing to open a beach bar at Platgeta de sa Punta, in es Viver. It had to wait six years and go through several public tenders before achieving its goal. Now, after two seasons in operation and the end of the concession, this small establishment has become one of the most coveted lots in the new package of beach service contracts launched by the council, attracting six bids to manage it.

With this initiative, the council aimed to restore a small stretch of coastline between ses Figueretes and Platja d’en Bossa, opposite the Torre del Mar hotel, which had been used for years as a jetty and beach volleyball court. As part of the 15 beach concession lots tendered in 2018, with a duration of four seasons, the council offered the opportunity to create this business along with the management of 40 sunbeds. However, no company showed interest at the time, and the lot for es Viver remained unassigned.

The next tender for concessions in the maritime-terrestrial public domain, in 2022, was finally successful thanks to a proposal from a young local company. Still, it was not until 2024 that the beach bar, named Vive Beach, became a reality, surprising many locals with unusually low beachfront prices (three euros for a beer).

After two seasons in operation, the council’s procurement committee is now evaluating which of the six bids has the highest score to secure the concession until 2029.

The conditions

The concession for Platgeta de sa Punta allows the installation of a removable kiosk of up to 20 square metres, as well as a 50-square-metre terrace with 10 tables and 40 chairs. The beach bar must also include two bathroom modules, accessible to people with reduced mobility, which will be available to all beachgoers, not just customers.

In addition to food and drink services, this lot includes the management of 60 sunbeds — 20 more than in the 2022 concession. The number of parasols follows a standard rule: one umbrella for every two loungers.

The initial fee requested by the council for this contract in es Viver is €16,777 (excluding taxes), although the average of the bids submitted reaches €146,000. One of the proposals, from Sound Beach S.L., amounts to €206,680 and has been deemed “disproportionate” in the municipal technical report. This bid has not been excluded but the company has been asked to justify its figures with an economic viability report. By contrast, the lowest bid stands at €78,000.

The Ayuntamiento de Ibiza plans to convene the procurement committee next week to decide which bid will be awarded the concession. According to a municipal spokesperson, the aim is for this contract and the other ten lots on offer to be awarded in time to begin operations on 1 May, as established in the tender conditions.

Fewer sunbeds overall

Platgeta de sa Punta will be the only area where the number of sunbeds will increase, rising to 60 units compared to the previous 40. Across the municipality as a whole, a total of 462 loungers will be installed — 108 fewer than during the 2022–2025 period.

Specifically, the two lots in ses Figueretes will include 102 sunbeds, while the section of Platja d’en Bossa belonging to Ibiza Town will have 70 loungers, also divided into two concessions. Finally, Talamanca — the longest beach in the municipality — will include six lots with a total of 230 sunbeds.

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