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From a bohemian hangout in the 1960s, to an epicentre for the late-80s house scene and then an under-regulated rave mecca in the 90s, Ibiza has gone through several phases, not all of them pretty. The latest incarnation combines elements of its predecessors, but is something wholly different.
Yes, the clubs are still going full-throttle, with big dance-music names dominating the decks, but the focus here is shifting towards the nascent local food movement, innovative craft cocktails, small-scale fashion designers and upscale beach clubs.
Outside the nightlife hubs of San Antonio and Playa d’en Bossa, lies a vast, arid, arrestingly beautiful Spanish isle speckled with farmhouses and almond trees that bloom white in winter. The interior is still relatively undeveloped, the hamlets of Santa Gertrudis and San Miquel remain quaint, and the pine-fringed north coast is rough and ragged. Even Ibiza Town and its Unesco-protected core, Dalt Vila (old town), retain much of their charms and quirks, despite the seasonal avalanche of tourists.
It’s an altogether more likeable, grown-up place held together by a combination of fiercely proud Ibicencos, expats and dreamers writing the next chapter in this island’s strange and varied history.
What to see
Hit the beachesAs convenient as it might be to lounge around Playa d’en Bossa, Ibiza rewards those who take a short drive with far more intriguing shores. For softer sands,Aguas Blancas and Cala Llenya remain family favourites. On Sunday evenings atCala Benirrás, look for clusters of pastel-painted VW Beetles as members of the island’s hippy population gather for a late-night bongo session.
Little more than a speck on the map, the pebbled, pine-forested cove of Cala Xuclar remains blissfully underdeveloped. There’s a rudimentary wooden restaurant renting sunbeds for €5 and not much else. Given the isolated location, expect to see one or two less-inhibited visitors working on their bikini-line-free tan. In the evenings, head west for the obligatory snapshot of a magenta-streaked Mediterranean sky at sunset.
Cabaret in Ibiza Town
The old-school hedonism of cabaret fits right in on an island that never learned the meaning of understatement. Light eroticism mingles with Vegas-style camp at Lío in Ibiza Town for regularly sold-out shows (entrance €70 including one drink, Paseo Juan Carlos I 1, +34 971 310 022, lioibiza.com). Heart Ibiza (from €80 minimum spend, Ibiza Gran Hotel, Paseo Juan Carlos I 17, heartibiza.com), the brand-new contender, is a collaboration between the Adrià brothers (of elBulli fame) and Cirque du Soleil. Here, high-concept, street-food market meets art installations by the likes of Takashi Murakami, Miguel Chevalier and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. Things get trippy as guests enter the central dining room, illuminated in part by a psychedelic wall of perpetually morphing LEDs. Acrobatic performances range from titillating to gleefully weird, before dissolving entirely into an open dance floor that boasts live music and performances by DJ heavyweights including Sven Väth and Carl Cox.
Boat charters
Skip the party cruises advertising champagne showers and topless “DJanes”. For roughly the price of admission, larger groups can charter a boat and sail to less accessible, sugar-sand beaches. Stop by S’Espalmador, a nearby uninhabited island, or the starkly beautiful Es Migjorn on Formentera. Smart Charter Ibiza, which is based in Ibiza Town and is managed by locals and long-time residents, has a range of speedboats and yachts, the most extravagant of which come stocked with jet skis and other aquatic toys.
• Eight-hour luxury yacht rentals from €1,930 for 12 passengers; speedboats from €506 for eight people. Includes crew, snacks, water, beer, soft drinks, two bottles of cava and towels, smartcharteribiza.com, +34 661 690 651
Skip the party cruises advertising champagne showers and topless “DJanes”. For roughly the price of admission, larger groups can charter a boat and sail to less accessible, sugar-sand beaches. Stop by S’Espalmador, a nearby uninhabited island, or the starkly beautiful Es Migjorn on Formentera. Smart Charter Ibiza, which is based in Ibiza Town and is managed by locals and long-time residents, has a range of speedboats and yachts, the most extravagant of which come stocked with jet skis and other aquatic toys.
• Eight-hour luxury yacht rentals from €1,930 for 12 passengers; speedboats from €506 for eight people. Includes crew, snacks, water, beer, soft drinks, two bottles of cava and towels, smartcharteribiza.com, +34 661 690 651
Shopping
Visitors in search of hidden treasures among the touristy knick-knacks can scour the hippy markets at Las Dalias (Saturdays, Carretera de San Carlos Km 12,lasdalias.com) and at Punta Arabí (Wednesdays, Avenida Punta Arabí s/n, Santa Eulalia del Río, hippymarket.info).
A boutique crawl through Ibiza Townwill reveal abundant, eye-catching fashion. The first stop could be Kurru Kurru (Paseo Juan Carlos I 1,kurrukurru.com), a hub where local designers gather for weekly fashion salons. Keep an eye out for jewellery by Petra Hauser, made of found insect wings set in precious metals. Next up isEmonk Ibiza (C/ de sa Creu 6,emonkibiza.com), for embroidered suede boots funky enough to stand out at a party, while protecting your toes from wayward stilettos. Then swing by Mirage Beachwear (C/ Enmig 8-10) for jumpsuits and boho dresses in high-quality, lightweight fabrics. Finish off atOliver Decoración (C/ Pere Sala 3, worldsoliver.net), which is crammed with eclectic home decor.
In the centre of the island is Santa Gertrudis, where you will find the petite Salón Europa (C/ Poble 5, lindakaehne.com) which showcases international designers and summerwear by local Linda Kaehne. In the nearby town of San Miguel, stop at the Natasha Collis Shop and Studio (C/ de Missa 5, San Miquel,natashacollis.com) for hand-wrought, one-of-a-kind statement jewellery.
Where to eat
La Belle, San Rafael
Already something of a culinary haven, the dining scene in this tiny town got a boost this summer with this disarmingly pleasant bistro. The courtyard, a study in alabaster minimalism crisscrossed with fairy lights, is pretty enough to lure a crowd on looks alone. Elegant, loosely French-inspired dishes, such as the cod slow-cooked with Iberian chorizo (€29) from Gilles Escaffre, a veteran of Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse’s kitchens, plus a sangría de cava brimming with berries, make it a must.
• Avenida Isidoro Macabich 6, +34 971 198 335, labelleibiza.com
Already something of a culinary haven, the dining scene in this tiny town got a boost this summer with this disarmingly pleasant bistro. The courtyard, a study in alabaster minimalism crisscrossed with fairy lights, is pretty enough to lure a crowd on looks alone. Elegant, loosely French-inspired dishes, such as the cod slow-cooked with Iberian chorizo (€29) from Gilles Escaffre, a veteran of Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse’s kitchens, plus a sangría de cava brimming with berries, make it a must.
• Avenida Isidoro Macabich 6, +34 971 198 335, labelleibiza.com
Fay, Cala Tarida
Set on the top of a cliff known as prime sunset-swooning real estate, this sleek new spot focuses on fashionable pan-Asian tapas. All the usual sushi suspects are present, from makis bulging with tempura-fried soft shell crab to more austere nigiri. One standout dish is salmon ceviche (€19), garnished with edible flowers.
• C/ Posta de Sol 21, Sant Josep de sa Talaia, +34 971 806 180,cottonbeachclub.com
• C/ Posta de Sol 21, Sant Josep de sa Talaia, +34 971 806 180,cottonbeachclub.com
La Finca Can Suldat, Es Canar
The word eccentric doesn’t do justice to this local favourite in Es Canar, 14 miles north east of Ibiza Town. Knick-knacks clutter the red-lit interior, while ageing hippies sing Simon & Garfunkel in a vine-covered outdoor dining area. A succinct, hand-scrawled menu references the owner’s Swiss roots with excellent fondue (€24) and raclette (€9), as well as entrecôte smothered in garlicky Café de Paris sauce (€17). Evenings here run long and late, fuelled by a combination of wine and the house-infused limoncello.
• C/ Font des Murtar, Carretera Es Canar, +34 971 312 224, no website
The word eccentric doesn’t do justice to this local favourite in Es Canar, 14 miles north east of Ibiza Town. Knick-knacks clutter the red-lit interior, while ageing hippies sing Simon & Garfunkel in a vine-covered outdoor dining area. A succinct, hand-scrawled menu references the owner’s Swiss roots with excellent fondue (€24) and raclette (€9), as well as entrecôte smothered in garlicky Café de Paris sauce (€17). Evenings here run long and late, fuelled by a combination of wine and the house-infused limoncello.
• C/ Font des Murtar, Carretera Es Canar, +34 971 312 224, no website
Aubergine, Santa Gertrudis
Much of the organic produce served at this restored 400-year-old finca was grown metres from the table, the rest up the road. Although the menu rotates constantly, favourites include quinoa with avocado and mango (€16), or wok-charred skirt steak (€19). Conscientiously curated works of art and enough Pinterest-friendly takeaway edibles to make Gwyneth Paltrow envious fill the adjacent shop and gallery.
• C/San Miquel (between Santa Gertrudis and San Miquel), +34 971 090 055,aubergineibiza.com
• C/San Miquel (between Santa Gertrudis and San Miquel), +34 971 090 055,aubergineibiza.com
Beso Beach, Formentera
Some would argue you haven’t really been to Formentera until you’ve sampled pricey seafood at the fabled Juan y Andrea. If you can forgo the bragging rights and celebrity spotting, go and sip pitchers of mojitos at this friendly, free-spirited spot on the sand instead, where the T-bone steaks (€33) come with a blizzard of salt crystals, and plump Cantabrian octopus tendrils coil around clouds of mashed potatoes in paprika-tinted oil (€24).
Parque Natural de Ses Salines, Playa de Cavall d’en Borràs, +34 971 324 572,besobeach.com
La Brasa, Ibiza Town
Many of the restaurants clustered in Ibiza Town’s Dalt Vila sport mediocre menus, which may explain why this floral-canopied courtyard requires reservations a week in advance during high season. Expect no molecular flourishes or gussied-up sashimi here, just Spanish classics like braised duck with prunes (€23.50) and, of course, heaped portions of saffron- or squid-ink-tinged paella (from €19.90 per person), made with care.
• C/ Pere Sala 3, +34 971 301 202, labrasaibiza.com
Many of the restaurants clustered in Ibiza Town’s Dalt Vila sport mediocre menus, which may explain why this floral-canopied courtyard requires reservations a week in advance during high season. Expect no molecular flourishes or gussied-up sashimi here, just Spanish classics like braised duck with prunes (€23.50) and, of course, heaped portions of saffron- or squid-ink-tinged paella (from €19.90 per person), made with care.
• C/ Pere Sala 3, +34 971 301 202, labrasaibiza.com
Bar Costa, Santa GertrudisLook for crowds of locals, prime legs of aged swine and paintings by artists – some of them swapped for sandwiches – to find Bar Costa and some of the island’s bestbocadillos.
• Plaça de l’Esglèsia, Santa Gertrudis, open Wed-Mon 8am-midnight, no website
• Plaça de l’Esglèsia, Santa Gertrudis, open Wed-Mon 8am-midnight, no website
Where to drink
Experimental Beach Club, Las SalinasJust when it seemed that Ibiza might be overrun with sparkler-topped bottles of Moët, the team behind Experimental Cocktail Club injected some much-needed cool into a rocky beach off the main Salinas drag. It may be airier than its sister speakeasies in New York, London and Paris, but the craft tipples – ranging from humaranja (€14), a breezy sipper of blood orange and maté, threaded with smoky mezcal undertones, to an updated G&T with rosemary-infused Mare gin, capers and seaweed, are true to form.
• Playa des Codolar Salinas, eccbeach.com
• Playa des Codolar Salinas, eccbeach.com
Sunset Ashram, Cala ContaFor the perfect position to gaze at the Mediterranean sun sinking into the sea, head west to Cala Conta and arrive early in the evening at Sunset Ashram, a Gaudí-esque creation rendered in natural rock, for sundowners.
• Carretera Cala Conta s/n, Sant Josep de sa Talaia, sunsetashram.com
• Carretera Cala Conta s/n, Sant Josep de sa Talaia, sunsetashram.com
Bar 1805, Ibiza TownNamed for the year Henri-Louis Pernod launched the first commercial absinthe distillery, Bar 1805 matches a Mexican-inspired aesthetic with French bar snacks and expertly balanced cocktails. Charles Vexenat, a veteran of London’s mixology scene, is at the helm here, though he regularly invites other international bartenders for cameos. The signature is the green beast, a potent elixir heavy on the notorious emerald liqueur and served in a birdcage punch bowl.
• C/ Santa Llùcia 7, bar1805ibiza.com
Beachouse, Ibiza Town
This mellow club strikes a balance between the rowdy Bora Bora up the strip and the more decadent Blue Marlin. By day, patrons sip sangría and munch truffled mushroom pizzas. In the evenings, especially for Guy Gerber’s popular Rumors party on Sundays, the pace picks up under the paper lanterns and turns into a barefoot fiesta on the sand. With no cover and reasonable prices, it may be one of the best (and cheapest) ways to get a party fix in Playa d’en Bossa.
• Carretera de Playa d’En Bossa 2, beachouseibiza.com
• Carretera de Playa d’En Bossa 2, beachouseibiza.com
Mona LisaSip gin cocktails from goblets while a flamboyant, scantily clad parade of club promoters in leather and drag descends on the gay-friendly Mona Lisa cocktail bar. The parade, which takes place every weekend, snakes through Ibiza Town, but the after party stays and goes late.
• Carrer Alfons XII 3, monalisaibiza.com, open daily 10pm-4am
• Carrer Alfons XII 3, monalisaibiza.com, open daily 10pm-4am
Where to go clubbing
Go on a club crawl
Clubbing in the Balearics is big, booming and worth the steep price of admission to experience at least once. For an outdoor day party, Ants (entrance €40, Saturdays, 3pm-midnight) at Ushuaïa (Playa d’en Bossa, ushuaiaibiza.com) starts off groovy by the pool, then progresses to harder beats on the mammoth main stage. Die-hards can continue at the free after-party or grab a nightcap on top of Ushuaïa Towers next door at UP Ibiza Sky Society (daily 6.30pm-midnight,ushuaiabeachhotel.com).
Clubbing in the Balearics is big, booming and worth the steep price of admission to experience at least once. For an outdoor day party, Ants (entrance €40, Saturdays, 3pm-midnight) at Ushuaïa (Playa d’en Bossa, ushuaiaibiza.com) starts off groovy by the pool, then progresses to harder beats on the mammoth main stage. Die-hards can continue at the free after-party or grab a nightcap on top of Ushuaïa Towers next door at UP Ibiza Sky Society (daily 6.30pm-midnight,ushuaiabeachhotel.com).
Sankeys (C/ de les Alzines 13, sankeysibiza.info) recently snagged the legendary We Love party from nearby Space (entrance €39, Wednesdays, midnight-6am). Grittier than some of the competition, this offshoot of the Manchester club has attracted a loyal following by favouring underground sounds over electro dance music.
At the glitzier end of the spectrum is Pacha (Tuesdays, midnight-7am, Avenida 8 de Agosto, pachaibiza.com), an icon on the isle for more than four decades, where the staff look like models and drink prices verge on insulting. Splurge on dinner in the club’s restaurant before going to its hippy-themed Flower Power (entrance €47) and dodge the hefty cover.
For sheer sonic scale, Amnesia’s (Carrertera Ibiza, San Rafael, amnesia.es) deafening, crisp sound system remains one of the best. Among its best nights areCocoon (€51, Mondays, midnight-6am), with grinding techno and La Troya (€45, Sundays midnight-6am) which has risqué, gender-bending performances.
If you’re not quite ready to call it quits, head to Ibiza Town for a bocadillo atCroissant Show (Mercado Viejo, open 6am-1am) to see fellow revellers and performers in the harsh light of day.
Where to stay
Hotel Es Vivé, Ibiza TownFresh from a €2.5m overhaul this year, this art deco boutique hotel between Ibiza Town and Playa d’en Bossa offers a quiet place to rest with easy access to the island’s nightlife. The rooftop terrace facing Formentera is the spot for an aperitif, while the soundproofed, subterranean Experience Bar caters for the post-clubbing crowd without disturbing other guests. Swing by for espresso martinis long after other watering holes shut.
• Doubles from €120 B&B (minimum four nights over a weekend), +34 971 301 902, hotelesvive.com
• Doubles from €120 B&B (minimum four nights over a weekend), +34 971 301 902, hotelesvive.com
Hostal Parque, Ibiza Town
When it comes to bargains, it’s hard to to beat this bolthole in the heart of the old town. Accommodation is basic, but the three penthouse options on the top floor, each with a private terrace from which to survey the medieval walls of Dalt Vila, feel positively posh.
• Doubles from €75, +34 971 301 358, hostalparque.com
When it comes to bargains, it’s hard to to beat this bolthole in the heart of the old town. Accommodation is basic, but the three penthouse options on the top floor, each with a private terrace from which to survey the medieval walls of Dalt Vila, feel positively posh.
• Doubles from €75, +34 971 301 358, hostalparque.com
Atzaró, Santa Eularia Des RiuThis holistic retreat in the centre of the island has understated Balinese touches and is set amid an old orange grove. It’s the ideal antidote to island’s excessive side. A recent facelift rendered the jasmine-scented, bucolic grounds even more luxe. Plush daybeds invite guests to stop and sprawl as they stroll between pools and manicured gardens. Yoga classes, a spa with hammam and gym, and a restaurant serving thoughtful, locally sourced cuisine may account for the fact that many guests spend weeks at a time here, especially during the quiet winter months.
• Doubles from €120 B&B, some spa facilities free for guests, +34 971 338 838,atzaro.com
• Doubles from €120 B&B, some spa facilities free for guests, +34 971 338 838,atzaro.com
Can Pardal, San Miquel
Ibiza’s Experimental Beach Club is the new place for breezy craft cocktails.
The bass is still booming but, with a clutch of stylish new restaurants, bars, hotels and shops, the tone is changing on the White Isle
With just five individually decorated suites, this 16th-century finca is as intimate as it gets. Rustic interiors and whitewashed walls dripping in bougainvillea add to the ambiance. Travellers seeking seclusion will feel right at home staying mere steps from the town’s historic church, Sant Miquel de Balansat.
• Doubles from €153 B&B, +34 971 334 575, canpardalibiza.com
• Doubles from €153 B&B, +34 971 334 575, canpardalibiza.com
Rent a villa
If you’re travelling with a larger crew, you may want to forgo a hotel. Villa options run the gambit from deluxe pads to rustic fincas.
Owners Direct (ownersdirect.co.uk) allows you to browse reviews of previous occupants and there’s a concierge service to help you meet your specific needs.
Essential Ibiza, in addition to helping travellers arrange party tickets, yachts, VIP tables, and boat tours, offers a villa-booking service, as well as the optional advice of its experts. Of the numerous properties available, some standouts include Villa Cristal (from €2,950 a week for six guests), a modern-minimalist, three-bedroom property with views of Formentera from its floor-to-ceiling windows; Villa CasaRosa (from €3,850 a week for 14 guests), a short drive from Ibiza Town; and Villa Sa Paissa (from €2,450 a week for eight guests), near the beaches of Cala Tarida and Cala Conta.
If you’re travelling with a larger crew, you may want to forgo a hotel. Villa options run the gambit from deluxe pads to rustic fincas.
Owners Direct (ownersdirect.co.uk) allows you to browse reviews of previous occupants and there’s a concierge service to help you meet your specific needs.
Essential Ibiza, in addition to helping travellers arrange party tickets, yachts, VIP tables, and boat tours, offers a villa-booking service, as well as the optional advice of its experts. Of the numerous properties available, some standouts include Villa Cristal (from €2,950 a week for six guests), a modern-minimalist, three-bedroom property with views of Formentera from its floor-to-ceiling windows; Villa CasaRosa (from €3,850 a week for 14 guests), a short drive from Ibiza Town; and Villa Sa Paissa (from €2,450 a week for eight guests), near the beaches of Cala Tarida and Cala Conta.
• The trip was provided by Essential Ibiza (essentialibiza.com). Easyjet flies to Ibiza from six UK airports, return flights from £68
From Diana Hubbell, www.theguardian.com
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