Atzaro is set in the heart of Ibiza for a reason. It’s an oasis of tranquillity, luxury, breathtaking beauty, and everything on offer will awaken your senses before enlightening them – everything you’ve been missing since it closed. Every year on the first Sunday of spring, Atzaro opens its doors for the annual Fiesta de la PrimaVera and pretty much the whole island descended this year on the once finca, now exclusive rural retreat hotel with its own Champagne bar, restaurant, luxury spa, boutique and brand new yoga temple, to soak up a day of live music, DJs, special menus, barbecue, buffet, sushi station, wellness and beauty points, jewellery and fashion and an art exhibition inspired by Michael Jackson. Michelle Robertson and Nic ‘the barnet’ Jauncey were there for Essentialibiza…
A sun drenched atmosphere charged with salutations as everyone is reunited prompting a buzz about the impending summer of fun which sends shivers down our spines – especially when the famous Paco Fernandez struck the first chords of his live performance at around 4.30pm and the party really kicked off.
From Fernandez’s flamenco spectacular mixed with chilled-out beats and enchanting vocals, OHM-G and BrunofromIbiza take the fiesta into the sunset hours and carry the crowd from the lighter sounds of a daytime party gradually into a deeper club-like atmosphere, complete with visuals projected onto a screen above the chill-out bar area.
Around 9pm, guest DJ Jon Sa Trinxa reminds us why he’s the man who single-handedly encompasses the spirit of Ibiza with his return-to-roots-shake-the-house classics, finally followed by DJ Aleksia and a deep, pulsing rhythm that round the day off nicely. Although we didn’t manage to dip our dance-tired feet into 43m lap pool or soak in the Swedish sauna at Atzaro, we did remember to taste the spring buffet in the Garden Restaurant. Salmon in citrus sauce, hake tempura, Italian salsa putanesca placed next to gnocchi, spring salad and for desert, delicious little pieces of strawberry cheesecake and tiramisu, are just some of the array of delights that we tried. Had we not also digested some sushi earlier in the day from the special station provided by Sushi Point, we could have definitely made some more room for roast potatoes and vegetables, tender steak, and chicken in lemon sauce.
Summer 2012
While the whole of the orange-tree lined rural resort is absolutely rocking and is now ultimately open with a huge bang, something many people don’t realise is that this party is also a glimpse at the summer schedule at Atzaro because after the primavera party’s over, much of what you see doesn’t come to light again until later in the season or only at exclusive events. Like, for example, the guys at Smack doing mini-makeovers throughout the day or the experts at Bellissima who were snipping, blow-drying and highlighting all afternoon. On the back of this, we grabbed Atzaro general manager Alex Reyners at the end of the day to get an exclusive lowdown on what’s new for summer 2012, and his verdict on the success of the primavera party.
What´s going to be new this year?
We have a new yoga temple, which can accommodate up to 50 people and we’ve refurbished 10 out of our 24 rooms. Paco Fernandez will be playing here every Wednesday, we’ll have an open-air circus night, open-air cinema and lots of other surprises.
Are you doing anything special to mark the opening?
We’re running a special promotion at the moment – a romantic package – which includes one night in the hotel for two people, dinner, and a 50 minute massage for each guest. People who live in Ibiza can stay a second night absolutely free.
What can we expect from the restaurant?
Our day menu is a combination of wild cuisine from Asia, South America and Ibiza and our night menu is fully Mediterranean. We’ll be bringing back the sushi station in the high season, from June 15.
Why do you think the primavera party is special?
We started the primavera party six years ago and as you can see, it’s a day for families to enjoy, to bring their kids, for the original Ibiza hippies – something reminiscent of the old, very open Ibiza atmosphere. We pay attention to the fact that our customers want to come with their kids – hence why we have specific areas just for families.
Are you happy with today?
We’ve so happy with the way that today has gone and we’d like to thank everyone for coming – 90% of the people here are our friends, including those from the other restaurants, beach clubs, bars on the island. A total of 3,500 people passed through the doors today and there was at least 1,000 inside at any one time. It’s been amazing.
