The hippies in Sant Carles

In the 1960s there was a strong hippie movement on the island and Sant Carles was the main area in which they settled. Many were the children of Americans who took refuge here in order to avoid the Vietnam war and, with a knock-on effect, many other young people arrived from other parts of the world. The locals referred to them as ‘peluts’ (shaggies) and despite the fact that during the Franco era the ‘Guardia Civil’ sometimes clashed with them, they believed in peace and free love and the locals maintained a respectful coexistence despite the large difference in their beliefs and lifestyles. The money orders that hippies were receiving from their families at Anita’s Bar also contributed to encouraging the local economy.