Café del Mar, nestled in a spot in Calo Des oro bay, Sant Antoni de Portmany and hugged by the beautiful beaches of Caló des Moro, isn’t just a bar where you can chill out. It’s also a record label. An important record label for chill out music fanatics, in fact.
The bar itself has been around for quite some time. It first came into existence on June 20th, 1980. The ‘brainchild’ of owners Carlos Andrea, Jose Les and Ramon Guiral, it was designed by legendary architect Lluis Guell.
Since then is has skyrocketed to iconic status, a must-see for those touring Ibiza. Known for its bar and restaurant that offer a beautiful, unparalleled view of the Mediterranean sunset, its strong ambiance complemented by the music that has become so emblematic of the Café del Mar experience, it’s still going strong today.
It’s also been home to live sessions by DJs, and of course, the recording spot of lounge, chill out, ambient and house music. Its brand left a huge impression on all who visited the bar. The atmosphere was so detailed, so meticulous. It was and continues to be the epitome of relaxation.
Visitors were so enamored with the bar, in fact, that the owner ended up opening a boutique/souvenir store in 1997, allowing all visitors to take a little piece of their Café del Mar experience back home with them. And one of the things they clamored for was the music. It was chill out and ambient, but with that distinct Balearic flavor you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else, if at all.
If you’re into easy listening or chillout music, you might have heard of Café del Mar before. Their easy listening compilations include the likes of Moby, Thomas Newman and Chicane, among many other names. To date, there have been 22 mainline compilation CDs and 70 compilation CDs overall.
These compilations were first sold to the public at the tail end of the 1980s, in the form of cassette tapes. People wanted to take home the atmosphere of Café del Mar and the bar met their demands. These demands soon snowballed and in 1994, various labels took on the job of released Café del Mar compilation CDs. It’s safe to say that these CDs have pioneered the chill-out genre with its meshing of Balearic ambiance and chill beats.
It wasn’t long before the owners of Café del Mar took over the reins and started the Café del Mar Music label in 1999. These compilations have sold millions in number worldwide- just over 12 million as of writing. Every listen brings you back to that bar and that beautiful sunset, so it’s little wonder that it’s been so popular.
Café del Mar has long since established its reputation as the very best sunset bar in Ibiza. If you’re in the neighborhood, whether you’re new to Ibiza or a long-time goer, you have to pay Café del Mar a visit. It’s an essential.
Sources:
http://cafedelmaribiza.es/history.php
https://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/night/sunset/cafe_del_mar_i.htm