It’s January, the weather is miserable and cold and you’re trying to cope with the first weeks back to uni, school or work. I’ve always found January quite depressing, because the best part of winter (Christmas) has been left behind and now I just wish spring would arrive. That’s why I feel like writing about warm destinations lately (have you already read my latest posts about Indonesia and Sri Lanka?!). I want to get lost in my holiday memories and I’d like you to get lost with me, too. And maybe also get some inspiration for your next trip. In September I found a great deal on the internet, so I dragged my boyfriend and myself to Ibiza, Spain. I found two deals, actually: one for the flights, on Skyscanner, and one for the hotel, on Booking.com.
I must say we were lucky, because once arrived in the hotel I had booked, in Santa Eulalia del Rio, the owner told us that we were given an upgrade, as the hotel was full and they had only a seaview, superior bedroom remaining. Oh, sweet, sweet moments.
We left from Glasgow Prestwick airport with Ryanair (30 pounds per person) and we landed back to Glasgow International Airport with Jet2.
What can I tell you about our experience in Ibiza? The hotel (Buenavista Suites & Boutique hotel https://ibizabuenavista.com) was in Santa Eulalia, a very nice and quiet area of Ibiza, there’s plenty of families, but it’s not boring and dead, either. Actually there is a very nice promenade along the beach, as well as an endless choice of bars, cafes, bakeries and restaurants. Unfortunately our Booking offer didn’t include breakfast in the hotel, so we were going to the town centre to have it (it was a 5 minutes walk, maybe even less). Santa Eulalia is a good choice if you like quiet, peaceful holidays, it’s not if you like to be near the parties and the movida.
The first days we were having breakfast at Passion cafe, which is a very modern chain of bars, with plenty of vegan, vegetarian and healthy drink and food choices, but was quite expensive, as everything else in Ibiza unfortunately. Moreover, it was right on the promenade, just in front of the sea, and for these reasons I fear it was even more expensive than others. On our fourth day we discovered a really nice bakery, with delicious, fresh croissants and cakes, which was way more cheap and not on the promenade, but in a tiny street of the centre instead.
During our days we experienced the tranquil side of Ibiza, we didn’t go to one disco (for some party animals it must be madness to go to Ibiza without having a night out…Ahah!) and just explored the island at our pace, without getting too tired, because the goal of the holiday was to relax after months of crazy work. What do I recommend doing in Ibiza? Here’s a list:
- Hire a bike or a car
The first thing we’ve done once arrived in Ibiza was hiring a bike, because unfortunately the bus service on the island is not ideal. You manage to find rides from the airport to various spots (the most famous) but you still don’t have a lot of choice and freedom. To hire a scooter in Ibiza I believe we found quite a good price (we hired at Autos Mari’ in Santa Eulalia del Rio, near the harbour). We chose a 125cc as we didn’t want a slow scooter (our destinations were usually 30 minutes from our hotel, not that near). We spent 163 euro in total for five days, saving on expensive taxis (keep in mind that our hotel was half an hour from the centre of Ibiza, and we like to move a lot).
Another incredible place we visited was Tiempo y Espacio (also called “Time and Space” or “The Speed of light”) in Cala Llentia, which we reached through dusty roads, created by artist Andrew Rogers in 2014, near what is to be said the villa of Leonardo di Caprio (former villa of the Cirque du Soleil founder, Guy Lalibertè, who also sponsored the art installation).
Beside driving to Cala Llentia for the piece of art, it is also worth going for the breathtaking vies on Es Vedrà, the magic island, surrounded by myths and legends.
2. Swim in the sea
Even if this time we wanted to enjoy our hotel, swimming en el mar ibizenco is a must. Just be sure to pick a jellyfish-free beach. Unfortunately my boyfriend has been stung by one in Cala Comte, but it was tiny, so his pain disappeared quickly. On our first day we drove up to Cala D’en Serra, to reach it you drive through a beautiful and panoramic road and then get to a dusty unpaved street where you can leave your scooter and then proceed on foot. I loved getting to this off-the-beaten-track playa, even if it wasn’t just for us (in the end it was still August).
3. Eat well
One of the passions that my boyfriend and I share is eating good food, especially in a nice restaurant. In Ibiza we have spoiled ourselves, we tried a lot of different restaurants (Japanese, Italian, fusion “mediterrasian”, Spanish…). We particularly enjoyed Bambuddha (https://bambuddha.com), which is a cool, fashionable restaurant with amazing interiors that was luckily ten minutes of scooter from our hotel (one of the few places where we wanted to go that was near our hotel). In this restaurant you can feel like eating in a garden – but it is covered, as well, so that the rain is not a problem. Bambuddha is not cheap, but it has a great menu and I really recommend to try it if you can because it’s a special experience. Their kitchen is called mediterrasian. Dress well!
4. Walk in little, cute streets
We went to the Harbour of Ibiza just one night because we didn’t like the road from Santa Eulalia del Rio to Ibiza Town (especially coming back when it was night – not lighted well and cars and vans driving too fast). Anyway, I really recommend keeping a night free to go to the Harbour, look at the super luxurious yachts and then walking among the shops, the restaurants with the tables out on the street and the old path to the castle.
Hire a bike and drive through the nature
3. Enjoy your hotel, as well, if you chose it with care
Camy in Wonderworld 