An Ibiza life in a day with Tim Stacey14th September 2020

Tim Stacey from Chales Marlow Ibiza shares the delights of his white island summer day with us.

It’s always an early start in our house in Ibiza. Our four-month-old baby Noah means we have no need for an alarm clock.

For the first couple of hours, things are a little bit frantic. My partner Sophie and I are focused on making sure Noah is kept happy and entertained so we can get ready. Getting my five-year-old stepdaughter Maya dressed in her outfit for that day, fed and ready for school is always a lot easier said than done.

Maya and I are out of the house by 8.30 AM at the latest. She’s been going to summer school for the past few weeks but now she’s back to proper school just outside Ibiza Town. Once I’ve dropped Maya off at school, I stroll to my office in the Vara de Ray, the main square in the centre of town.

This is my first opportunity to gather my thoughts and prepare for the day ahead. I love walking past the harbour below the ancient walls of Ibiza Town, seeing the masts of the boats swaying in the breeze, inhaling the fresh sea air and feeling grateful that I’m part of the town coming to life. Now it’s September and, although it gets hot later in the day, our mornings are cooler and fresher, and I feel nice and energised.

There are several cafés in the Vara de Ray and by this time they’re pretty busy with people taking coffee and a croissant or pan de tomate, toasted bread spread with delicious ripe Spanish tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and salt. One of the great things about living on Ibiza is that so much of our lives are spent outside and this begins with morning coffee and breakfast.

Spanish people are gloriously loud and the noise of people chatting, arguing and laughing adds to the buzzy feeling. By now I’m very much wide awake and ready to start my working day.

My first task is to tackle any emails that have come in overnight and deal with anything urgent.

The sales side of things has been surprisingly busy for the past few months. People have become aware that Ibiza and the other Balearic Islands have been far less affected by the virus that other places that offer an amazing location, peace and calm and a lifestyle that’s as luxurious as you’d like to make it and demand for homes is remarkably high, which is great.

We’re also busy at the moment with enquiries about luxury rentals for later in the year – people taking advantage of last-minute opportunities – and even 2021.

Among other things, our concierge service is geared up to arrange private flights, which have become popular with our high-end clients. We have a number of totally secluded villas for rent so people can enjoy beautiful Ibiza with complete safety and peace of mind.

Most mornings I’ll have a meeting with anyone from a client to a mortgage advisor, a concierge contact or another agent. Meetings here are far more relaxed than they were back in my London days. I like to schedule them for 11am and take coffee in the square. My favourite place is the Hotel Montesol near the office, a grand neo-colonial building painted a charming pale yellow.

But first I grab a light lunch in one of the many bustling restaurants in the port. There’s always a reasonable and delicious menu del dia set lunch offer to be had. In the winter months especially, I’m bound to bump into a familiar face or two at lunchtime and it’s always fun catching up.

On a perfect afternoon, we’ll take in two or three villas. After this, I’ll take clients to one of my favourite beach bars for an afternoon drink or late lunch and a debrief.

If we’ve been viewing properties in the south of the island, it may well be Sa Caleta, a funky bar and traditional seafood restaurant in a secluded bay, popular with locals and only 10 minutes from the airport. If we’ve been further north, we could head for Aiyanna on breathtaking Cala Nova bay.

But, as you can imagine, Ibiza is filled with superb, laidback bars and restaurants within easy driving distance wherever you are. So I’m just as likely to head for somewhere different on impulse.

After this, I’ll head back to the office if I need to but I usually find a quiet spot in one of my go-to local cafés and use their wifi for 30 minutes or so. Then it’s time to head home to the family.

Throughout the summer, our absolute favourite thing to do in the evenings is pack a picnic and head to the beach for a dip. Cala Xuclar, close to where we live, is a beautiful little bay, superb for snorkelling and watching the sun set on another island day.

We drive home and put our by now very sleepy little ones to bed. Perhaps Sophie and I will enjoy a glass of wine in our garden and make the most of the warm evenings but right now late nights are not on our agenda.

Another early start is just a few hours away and that suits us fine.