A Grain of Sand: Preserving Ibiza, Beneath the Surface
- May 8
- 2 min read
Even after the rain, Ibiza remains fragile beneath the surface. What appears abundant can still be finite, and the island’s future depends on recognising that contradiction before it becomes irreversible. Through conversations with Ibiza Preservation and the imagery created by Bastien Francois and his daughter Lily-Tao, this story becomes less about crisis and more about responsibility — a reminder that Ibiza is not simply a place to consume, but something living that we are borrowing, shaping and ultimately leaving behind for the next generation.
There is a version of Ibiza that most people come for.
The light.
The freedom.
The feeling that anything is possible here.
And then there is the Ibiza that holds it all together.
The land beneath your feet.
The water that runs deeper than we think.
The quiet systems that allow the island to keep giving, season after season.
This is the Ibiza we don’t always see. But it’s the one that needs us the most.
Water Is Everything
Even after a winter of heavy rain, the reality is this:
It’s still not enough.
The island may feel replenished. The land softer, greener, more alive. But beneath the surface, water reserves remain under pressure, especially with the volume of visitors expected in the months ahead.
It’s a quiet contradiction.
What looks abundant.. isn’t always sustainable.
And this is where awareness becomes essential.
Water on Ibiza is not infinite.
Organisations like IbizaPreservation continue to work on protecting and restoring these resources, while encouraging a more conscious relationship with how water is used across the island.
And increasingly, businesses are beginning to respond.
Pacha Group are beginning to take a longer view, reducing water consumption, investing in renewable energy, and rethinking how their spaces exist within the island rather than simply on it.
But ultimately, it comes back to all of us.
The small decisions. The awareness. The understanding that even in moments of apparent abundance, this island is still operating within limits.
This story felt personal to capture.
The imagery and film were created by filmmaker Bastien Francois, alongside his daughter Lily-Tao, a child of the island, growing up within the very landscape we’re talking about protecting.
There’s something quietly powerful about that.
Passing It On.
In my conversation with Sally Riera, what stayed with me most was this:
The understanding that Ibiza is not something we own.
It’s something we are passing through.
And what we do with it, how we treat it, how we respect it, how aware we are, determines what remains.
For the children growing up here now.
For those who will come after.
Because even in a year where the rain has returned… it’s still not enough on its own.
Not without care.
Not without change.
Read more about the work of IbizaPreservation here.
Words: Louise Maxwell
Hair & Make-Up: Louise Maxwell