History of San Antonio

The second largest town on the island, San Antonio was originally called Portus Magnus by the Romans. Its full title is Sant Antoni de Portmany or San Antonio Abad (Castilliano & Catalan respectively).
The older part of the town extends from the 16th Century church down to the port area, as this was originally a fishing village. This is the area known nowadays as the West End – and fishermen are scarce. The port, being a natural harbour in a strategic position in the middle of the Mediterranean, played an important role in the island’s history for many centuries as different civilisations invaded the island.

Unfortunately still recovering from a sleezy reputation, courtesy of bad press in all forms of media, this used to be the main tourism centre of the island back in the early days. This was because the other towns of the island encouraged people to cover all exposed flesh, even in the height of summer, and discouraged dancing other than on fiesta days – meaning complex folk dancing only!

San Antonio was then more permissive and attracted tourists from mainland Europe to the island, to the extent that it became the San Tropez of the Balearics – if not the southern Mediterranean. In those halcyon days the West End was the best place on the island to find the finest restaurants and rub shoulders with the often aristocratic yacht owners whose craft were moored in the beautiful, unspoilt bay.

These days, during the main clubbing season of July & August, it heaves with young people enjoying their first holidays without their parents – learning about adolescence, drinking, music, dancing and the opposite sex etc. The two months before and after these two are dominated by families, with big smiles on their faces, enjoying the incredible range of entertainment options available and the beautiful nearby beaches, just a short ferry ride away.