Mayor – Ajuntament d’Eivissa

Rafael Triguero, was born in Ibiza in 1981. He has a degree in Tourism, another in Business and a master’s degree in administration and finance. Before becoming Lord Mayor, he worked as the director of a bank branch in Ibiza, he is currently in unpaid leave. He was Council of Sports and Youth at the Consell Insular d’Eivissa during the legislation 2011-2015 and town councilor at Ibiza Town Hall during 2007-2011.

Why would you recommend our readers to visit Ibiza?

Eivissa is a wonderful city and, despite what many people think, there is still lots to discover there. People from all over the world know the island because of our beaches, our amazing weather and nightlife, however this is just a small part of what we have to offer. Eivissa is a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, this year we are celebrating its 25^th anniversary since its nomination. We have the best-preserved walls in the Mediterranean enclosing a unique old town. We have several museums – which offer free-entry – in the city, amongst them MACE (Museum of Contemporary Art), which was the first to open in Spain. Ibiza as a city has welcomed numerous cultures throughout history and thus, we have a very rich culture as each one of them left their mark behind. Our cultural and patrimonial heritage has no parallel, and now we are working on highlighting its worth and that people get to know it, including the neighbors and residents, because they should be the first ones to enjoy and be proud of it. Additionally, we have a wonderful and very powerful culinary offer, with a huge variety and the perfect combination of traditional and modern cuisine. We already have two Michelin stars in Ibiza town, but we have also traditional restaurants, bars and all sorts of establishments to enjoy the local product and spectacular tapas. It is impossible to sample everything in Ibiza town. It is a city where you can have the best of times sampling tapas, sitting on a terrace watching the world go by, enjoying its beaches, wandering the narrow streets in the marina and the port, going up the old town of Dalt Vila, shopping, stepping into fabulous museums or simply enjoying a walk by the sea. You never get tired of this city, because it always brings new offerings, and we are less than an hour by plane from some of the main cities in Spain and less than two hours from the main European capitals. Without a doubt a city where people come out of season to spend a long weekend or a short break, and they leave surprised when they discover a completely different side to it.

What is your favorite spot in Ibiza?

For me it is very difficult to choose. I love wandering around town, visiting the neighborhoods and speaking to its people. I like being at street level, I always say that my office is the street because I try to spend as much time as possible close to the people, learning about the problems firsthand and speaking face to face to the neighbors. At a personal level I love Ibiza’s cuisine and enjoy the restaurants in the city, as well as the traditional tapas, there are real treasures between bars and pubs. In terms of the city I love our heritage, Dalt Vila is wonderful, and I want it to shine like it deserves.

The sport sector is becoming a real pull for Ibiza. Do you believe this sector will slowly become as relevant as its nightlife?

Undoubtedly, as I was saying Eivissa is a much more complete destination than people think. Nightlife is just a part of our offer, and it is certainly the best in the world, but there is much more to the island. Sport is, due to our climate, the geography and its location, a strategic pillar for Eivissa, given that we have the ideal conditions to practice both at amateur and professional levels. The Consell and the Town Halls have been doing a great job to promote sport on the island, bringing high level sport competitions from outside and promoting local competitions and making them attractive enough not just for residents, but also for sportspeople outside the island. Sport is a sustainable activity, which generates great benefits for the destination, and it can really help to de-seasonalize, attracting people outside the high tourist season.

What are you doing at the Town Hall to turn Ibiza into an island for sportspeople?

The first thing we have done is to update our facilities. When we got into office, we found that the facilities needed better maintenance and a decent investment to put them up to date. Then, we have started planning new infrastructures that are necessary to the city, but realistic both in execution terms and necessity and we will deliver them progressively in the following months and years. Lastly, we work together with sportspeople, sport clubs and competition organizers to understand fully their needs and between all of us achieve an offer that attracts many participants. Working with organizers favors the improvement of the competitions, listening to them means that we can improve wherever it is needed and making the competitions much more powerful. A good example is the 10k Heritage Race (Cursa del Patrimoni) in the city, where after talking to the organizers, we have modified the route to make it faster and therefore attracting the main Spanish athletes to participate, with this we beat the participation records. The administration must be there to help, and we are working with this aim in mind.

What events are the ones that are more popular nationally and internationally?

To be honest Eivissa is an already attractive destination for any event to come and establish itself here, given that we have a very powerful brand, but we must look after it. In the last years, thanks to the work of the Consell in collaboration with the rest of town halls, we are bringing more and more scoring competitions and authorized competitions such as the PTO Triathlon, which brought 15,000 people to the island. The fact that these international competitions choose Eivissa, and they realize we are prepared to embrace this kind of events, it means new opportunities and other event organizations to set their eyes on us. Also, both the participation of international sportsmen and the scoring races represent a real opportunity for our local athletes, who can measure themselves against the best and are able to enjoy high level competitions at home. Another good opportunity is that the athletes that come first time with their families, they will probably want to return.

How has Ibiza changed in the last years?

It is complicated to analyze it in a few words. I believe the island has evolved and it continues, decade by decade, being an attractive destination. Eivissa is always on trend, and this is thanks to its natural beauty, but also thanks to tourist companies and public institutions that have been regeneratingto maintain this position. Sport also plays a fundamental role in our strategy and all the institutions agree on that.

Regarding the city of Eivissa, if you add sport to our patrimony, our cultural offer and our exquisite and varied gastronomy I believe Eivissa is better positioned than ever to become an attractive destination all year round. Obviously, we have many problems to solve, most importantly the problem of housing, but we are placing new strategies and willpower to solve this issue. In Ibiza Town we have a very ambitious plan that I trust it will minimize the problem in the near future.

Any interesting anecdote with a celebrity you can tell us about?

I’m very discreet. I’m lucky to have met very well-known people in my life, some of them are now friends and we have shared wonderful times, but the anecdotes stay with us. A few days ago, I had the pleasure to meet Pope Francisco in the Vatican, he seemed a very friendly and funny character as he shared a few jokes with us.

For you, what does Ibiza have that other tourist destinations don’t?

Eivissa is immeasurable. It is many destinations in one. The Eivissa experienced by a group of youngsters going out to clubs is completely different from the Eivissa visited by a cultural tourist who enjoys our heritage and museums, or that couple who want to enjoy secluded coves and relax, or the sportsperson who enjoys our rural surroundings and participates in competitions. We have an extensive variety, to which we can add fabulous weather, excellent food and unique historical heritage. The question could be, what doesn’t Ibiza have?

What is the latest project you have developed in Ibiza?

We have a lot of projects being developed right now, and many of them are going to be very relevant for the city. I am convinced that during this tenure we are going to modernize the city significantlyand we are going to bring it to the right level, so it can be at the same level of some main European cities. We want a kind, sustainable, modern, welcoming, clean, safe and dynamic city. We are already working in the drafts for the new market, that undoubtedly would be very positive, and in a new underground parking below Abel Matutes boulevard. We must create more cultural spaces in the city and bring life to the neighborhoods. Housing and mobility are two important issues, and we are working on them and soon you will be able to see the changes.

Lastly… what dish from the Ibiza cuisine would you recommend?

I love ‘frita de pulpo’, it is a dish with octopus sautéed with potatoes and onions. I love eating tapas and enjoy the idea to share several dishes. If I must choose a main, then it would be ‘arroz de matanzas’, a rice dish prepared with pork and foraged mushrooms.

And for dessert?

I am not a big sweet tooth, but I really like Flaó.