After spending three nights in Ibiza in 2018, it quickly became one of our favorite destinations in Europe. We soon began planning our 2019 Ibiza experience – this time from Monday to Friday.
Transportation & accommodations
We flew to Ibiza via RyanAir from Frankfurt-Hahn, which conveniently offers flights to and from Ibiza every Monday and Friday. Upon arrival, we hopped in a taxi to our hotel, the Aparthotel Playasol Jabeque Soul.
Jabeque Soul is located just a couple blocks from the Playa Figueretas promenade, a walkable distance to the clubs in Playa d’en Bossa or a short taxi ride away. The hotel has a pool with bar and food service and a beautiful view over the sea from your room’s balcony. This is a good place to stay with a group, as you can book apartments with several beds and spacious living rooms with kitchenettes.
What to do
With a slightly longer stay than our last visit to Ibiza, we had a little more time to get out and explore! Still, I feel like we barely touched what Ibiza has to offer.
Here’s what we can recommend for the southwest side of the island.
Playa Figueretas
The beachfront promenade along Playa Figueretas is a great spot to kill time during the day or night. The promenade is lined with hotels, restaurants and bars, and it’s lively all hours of the day.
Dalt Vila
The fortified town of Dalt Vila (“Upper Town”) sits above Ibiza Town and is quite impressive to explore!
Cobblestone streets lined with bars, restaurants and shops lead the way to the top where the Castell de Eivissa sits. It’s a bit of a steep climb, (wear good walking shoes!), but the views that await are rewarding.
There’s nothing at the top to block you from the sun’s hot rays, so a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended!
Formentera
Visiting Formentera is a must! Just short of an hour via ferry from Ibiza’s south shore, this island offers white sand beaches with the clearest blue water you can dream of.
You can take the ferry from Playa Figueretas or Ibiza Town. There are several ferry companies offering trips to Formentera throughout the day, so you’re guaranteed to find something that fits your needs.
Look up the ferry schedule in advance or talk to your hotel’s front desk (most of them sell ferry tickets) so you can plan your day accordingly for the best experience at Formentera.
From the ferry port, we rented bikes and rode for about 15 minutes to Playa Illetes and set up our spot for the afternoon. Walk for 10 minutes past the restaurant and parking lot to arrive at stretches of beach where crowds are sparse. Bring food, drinks and lots of sunscreen!
We took the ferry back from Formentera right around sunset, and the views approaching Ibiza Town were gorgeous.
Hit the beach
If you have time for more beaches after visiting Formentera, there are plenty to choose from!
Playa Figueretas has a beach of its own, but this time we also ventured out to Coco Beach Club – a beachfront bar at Playa d’en Bossa where you can rent a daybed or umbrella or lay out a towel in the vast stretch of white sand. This was a short cab ride from the Aparthotel Jabeque Soul.
We also visited the beautiful Cala Tarida – a long stretch of white sand sheltered by hills and surrounded by bars and restaurants. Being a bit further west on the island, this isn’t one you’d want to visit via taxi. We rented a car for one day so we could explore some other parts of the island and this was one of our stops after having lunch at Cotton Club Ibiza (more to follow).
Es Vedrà
If you have a car, take a drive up the coast to the Es Vedrà viewpoint. There’s a myth that this rock is the third most magnetic spot on the planet; its magnetism is said to be what makes Ibiza so full of magic. That’s all it is – a myth – but isn’t it fun believing in things like that sometimes?
We stopped for a bit here so Ben could fly the drone and get some photos of the rock and the coastline.
If you’re without a car, don’t worry about this stop – it’s not an absolute must, but it does provide some lovely photos!
Clubs
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – night clubs really aren’t my thing. But, being in Ibiza with a group of friends once a year calls for celebrating and I can’t deny I’ve had an absolute blast dancing the night away with my friends until the sun comes up.
The nightlife in Ibiza is considered by many to be the best in Europe. Huge, fancy nightclubs feature top-of-the-charts artists playing all summer long. This summer we saw The Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Fisher and Martin Garrix.
The best way to decide how to spend your time in Ibiza is by checking the Ibiza Spotlight calendar to see which artists are performing during your visit and book tickets in advance. The parties are expensive, and start past midnight and go until sunrise, but it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.
Our last trip to Ibiza included a visit to Pacha, the island’s original and most glamorous club. We didn’t go to Pacha this time around, but we did go to Ushuaia and Hï.
Hï
Hï is one of Ibiza’s newest clubs. Located right across the street from and owned by Ushuaia, it offers a late-night party for Ushuaia-goers who don’t want the party to end by midnight.
We went to Hï to see Fisher, who came onstage around 3 a.m. and played until close to 5 a.m. This club was pretty cool – very spacious with several rooms and a nice outdoor area surrounding the building.
Ushuaia
I love this place so much. We saw Kygo perform here last time and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to, so I knew seeing The Chainsmokers, David Guetta and Martin Garrix this time around would measure up!
This outdoor venue offers a spacious area to dance and have a great time around a big pool. The open-air experience allows for great pyrotechnics and large props, so every show is a visual spectacle.
Another thing I love about Ushuaia is that it offers day parties (5 p.m. to midnight), so you can party without staying up until 6 a.m. This is good for someone like me, who is 28 going on 45.
Where to eat
Cotton Club Ibiza
Want to feel fancy for a day? Make a lunch reservation at Cotton Club Ibiza. This beautiful restaurant overlooks Cala Tarida and serves an exquisite sushi menu. You can also sit in the lounge area without a reservation if space permits (this is what we did). We had a couple beers and some sushi rolls here and took in the beautiful view below.
Once you finish your meal, head directly down the stairs to enjoy the beach at Cala Tarida!
Home Loos Tapas Bar
This place got a shout-out in last year’s blog, and it gets one here because once again the food and service were outstanding! It’s a great place for a group – we all ordered several tapas plates to share and feasted. Everything was excellent. It is conveniently located just a block up from the Playa Figueretas promenade.
Retro Gusto
Another restaurant earning a two-year shout-out! We love the brunch menu here. Everything from açaí bowls to a variety of toasts, eggs and pancakes, along with juices and smoothies – it’s a hangover cure from the gods. Also conveniently located just a block up from the Playa Figueretas promenade.
The Booo
Wow, if you’re craving a burger – look no further. This place had so many delicious burgers to choose from (chicken and veggie options included!). It’s located right in the center of Figueretas and has a lovely outdoor terrace in the back. After waking up from our pre-clubbing nap, we feasted here at around 11 p.m. It was the perfect meal to satiate us for hours of dancing to follow!
In conclusion…
There’s a quote I read in an article that sums it up best:
Most people who visit Ibiza will tell you that there is a ‘special something’ about the island. A unique spirit.
This isn’t a thing that can be itemized, it’s something to be discovered and experienced on a very personal and individual level.
Tanya Taylor
I couldn’t agree more. See you in 2020, Ibiza.
