What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas but what happens in Ibiza belongs to Ibiza.
You can only taste the spirit of the island but you can’t take away with you the nights spent here and you definitely can’t baggage its charm and take it home. The island has it’s own philosophy and is kept alive by a wonderful place called Anita Bar.
Most beloved tavern in Ibiza
Located in Sant Carlos tiny village (near Santa Eularia), right next to the Sant Carles de Peralta church, the old bar is the most famous and the most beloved tavern in Ibiza. I found about all these after talking with some gentile locals who were willing to tell me a few interesting stories about Anita Bar. I met them in the local and even though it was the first time when they saw me, they shared with pleasure the best years of their youth, describing Ibiza in the 50s- “Sweet times when all we cared about was spending time together contemplating about how life was running randomly. We didn’t care about money or buying clothes, we knew we can live without technology, we were free, we had plenty of time and big dreams and we were treasuring the moment more than anything” Hearing those stories, seeing how they all cherish this place I nearly felt guilty for disturbing such an intimate sanctuary.
Ca N’ Anneta was more than just a bar
The bar was shrouded by a familiar Spanish relief, simple and elegant with wooden tables and chairs, a nice terrace and an old classic bar. I had a great lunch, I tasted the traditional “liqueur de hierbas” and then I spent 2 beautiful hours relishing a good coffee and an even better conversation. Even though I was surrounded by strangers and an anonymous decor, I could still feel how this place brought their memories to life, how a sweet nostalgia was floating in the air, and instead of old paintings and lifeless photos, I saw dreams, hopes and stolen kisses hanging on the walls. Some old objects like several wooden post boxes and a telephone kiosk, which used to be the only in town, are still in the local (and still in use), remembering those times when the customers where considering this bar their only home or at least the place where they could receive letters and phone calls from their families.
Taste “liqueur de hierbas”
Now, Anita is the only bar in Ibiza where riches, pours, artists, celebrities and ordinary people are spending time together, where the 50’s never died and where you can taste great tapas and the best “liqueur de hierbas”, a magical secret drink made exclusively by Anita, from Ibiza’s herbs. Ana Mari Torres (Anita), the owner of the bar, received in 2005 the Ramon Llull prize from the Government of the Balearics for this drink and for her perpetual work in finding and blending the most precious herbs on the island in order to keep them as a patrimony.
Photo by Cordula’s
