Ibiza, my happy place.

Slow living, lunch by the sea, fine dining, yoga, fiesta, endless opportunities.

I love Ibiza so my first blog post is about my favourite places on this little island. I feel a special energy here, some connection with nature that just makes me be happy. From hippy beaches to fancy beach clubs, Ibiza has something for everyone.

When to go

We enjoy Ibiza all year round but from May to October is when the island is fully awake. BA have a regular flights all year around, but the rest of the airlines only fly during the summer and get booked up very quickly, so better to book in advance. A car rental is recommended to go from one chiringuito to another (taxis are not that quick and are actually hard to get during high season).

Where to stay: Agroturismos and hotels. I think that the best places to stay are Agroturismo hotels, they are refurbished fincas turned into hotels made amazingly pleasant and comfortable. Ca Na Xica has a beautiful swimming pool and well manicured gardens. Food is amazing here, so if you are not staying here, try to make it for lunch or dinner. Kids are not allowed in the hotel but they can go to the restaurant! Atzaró is one of our family favourites and others that I think are gorgeous are Cas Gasi and Hacienda Na Xamena that has some amazing views and spa.

If you prefer more traditional luxe hotels then you have the newly opened Nobu Ibiza Bay hotel, newly renovated Ibiza Gran Hotel and Destino (I have only been here for dinner and to do yoga) but younger crowds really like it in there! ME hotel looks amazing from the restaurant and there is also Los Enamorados and super trendy and exclusive La Granja with stunning decor that again I only visited (and really enjoyed) the shop and restaurant. Can Pere is a more rustic and budget agroturismo but still pleasant. Few hotels and Agroturismos do not accept children but please check before you book. There are lots of villa rentals too, DM me if you need info.

Where to eat: Restaurants, Chiringuitos and Beach Clubs.

My girls' favourite Beach clubs is Cala Bassa Beach Club where paella is outstanding, the beach is full of Sabina trees perfect for climbing and the sea is turquoise with clear waters. There are a couple of cliffs to sum off here for the adventurous ones! My kids always ask me to tr

y.... Not going to happen!! Another favourite and clasic is Tropicana in Cala Jondal with amazing fish, Jabugo ham and service, their French vibe bohemian boutique is one of my favourites. Also in Cala Jondal you can find Yemanja (opened all year round), next to the super famous Blue Marlin for clubbing on the beach, Im not a fan of this one, but you can have fun if you go with a big group.

El Chiringuito in Es caballet offers the ultimate beach club experience (impeccably decorated and great boutique), is next to beautiful La Escollera, opened all year round where there is no beach but view is amazing and food is delicious.

Amante in Sol d'en Serra and Aiyanna in Cala Nova are part of the same group, both very cool, beautifully decorated, cool boutique and good food, both are very popular so book in advance. They also do healthy breakfast + Yoga sessions.

Part of Atzaro Hotel, but in Cala Nova is Atzaro Beach Club, they have live Bossa nova music and an unsupervised kids area at the back, they also have an good boutique.

Platja D'en Bossa is one of the longest beaches where you can walk or jog and although it has a reputation for clubbing and packed holidays on one end, its turning into a chic spot on the other end with beach clubs like Tannit Beach as well as beautifully peaceful Beach House (both with very conveniemnt kids clubs). I have always felt that Ibiza is very accommodating with kids, so even if you go to places without kids clubs, there is always an area where they can play (unattended) while you have your lunch or dinner.

Some good places for dinner close to Ibiza are Sa Punta nice easy going with a great boutique and the ones that are in Ibiza town like La Brasa and Pastis (I personally love this one!) Passion Cafe is great for healthy food and juices (various locations).

For inland country style restaurants you can try La Granja with lots of fresh vegetables and cool nights, Es Caliu, for the most authentic grill in an original orange orchard with candle lit, La Muella, offers a nice culinary and shopping experience. Atzaro and Oleoteca with olive garden Ses Escoles are tipical mediterranean food. Finaly, La Paloma in San Lorenzo and Macao in Santa Getrudis are very good Italian ones.

The longest white sandy beach in Ibiza is Platje de ses Salines, declared National Park in 2001. Malibu, Jockey club and Guarná are great beach clubs, but the ultimate spot on trend is Beso Beach on this beach, sister beach club with Beso Beach - Formentera. If you are after sandy beach and Cristal clear water this is your place.

In general food is fresh and fantastic on the island and you can have some glam places like Cipriani, Lio (best night out), Heart and Nobu but you can also go to tiny places and have the most amazing fresh fish too, my favourite fish restaurant is Es Torrent close to Es Cubels.

Wellness

I have been practising yoga for a few years and I think that the quality of yoga in Ibiza is outstanding! You can try breakfast + yoga by the sea at Amante and Ayanna, amazing classes at Atzaró spa. There are also some great yoga retreats as well if you want to focus on yoga only for a few days. Wild Beets in Santa Gertrudis and Passion Cafe are my favourite healthy cafes.

I saw this article from few years ago with the more isolated and unspoiled beaches so if you are up for adventure, this is for you. We tried a few and they are beautifully unspoiled but also a great way to avoid the crowds in the high season: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jun/13/10-best-hidden-beaches-ibiza-spain-bays-coves

Where to shop.

Although I adore high heels 👠 I am at my happiest barefoot and in a light summer dress, I am a hippy at heart so I don’t need much more than dry warm weather and some home grown fruit and veggies to be in absolute heaven. So I really love some beach clubs and restaurants with boho boutiques, My favourites are Cala Bassa Beach Club, Tropicana, Sa Punta and Atzaro Beach.

As for shops Ibiza Code on the road from ibiza to Santa Eulalia and World Family in Carretera de San Juan are amazing for boho finds! Restaurant La Paloma in San Lorenzo has a gorgeous boutique as well as La Muella and Atzaro the Restaurant at the hotel.

Las Dalias Hippy Market is boho dressing paradise, but make sure to check in advance when it opens and take some cash as its the only way to pay for parking.

Visiting Ibiza Town is a must, the old walls are very inspiring. There are also lots of cute boutiques and I always check Zara and Mango as they tend to have different stuff that what they have in the UK. For some chic shopping head to Marina Botafoch where you will find some luxury pop up shops, and I have heard that this year they will open Dior there for the season.

Where to go out out.

We have tried some places and although clubbing is not my thing I love music and dancing and you can have the best DJ’s in outdoor places, my favourites so far have been Lio where dinner is delicious and the show is fantastic! (last year Idris Elba was DJ resident), Heart, where food is by Ferran Adria and show is by the cirque du Soleil and Ushuaia when David Guetta plays. Destino is also quite cool when Solomon plays.

If you have time, try to go to Fomentera for a day, its mesmerising beauty will captivate your senses and will make you come back over and over again. You can hire a private boat or get the ferry. Platja Illetes is amazingly beautiful and you have very cool places for lunch. Beso Beach or Juan y Andrea are gorgeous and delicious food but you can try El pirata or Chezz Gerdi and if you like to stay there El Gecko Hotel its very cool too. The water is so cristal clear that you can perfectly feel you are somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

I hope I have covered all the basics, however Im very happy to answer any questions that you might have so please feel free to get in touch!