A Week In….Ibiza

Location: Ibiza, Baleric Islands, Spain

Visit: Multiple times (August 2019 most recently)

Ibiza – the White Isle – home to hippies and party people since the 1970s. When you tell someone that you are heading to Ibiza, the first thing they will bring up is the party atmosphere, but there is more to Ibiza than meets the eye, and we are here to tell you how to balance those party vibes with a more relaxed, even family friendly, vacation.

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Below is our recommendation for a week long itinerary in Ibiza, with a mix of clubs & parties, but also lot of relaxing, adventures and beach time. Perfect for a couple without kids. If you do have kids, cut out the club stuff (obviously) and focus on the other aspects of this amazing island.

Day 1 – Sunday

We like to get to Ibiza on Sunday, after the weekend crowd of locals from around Europe have headed home for the work week. It’s always crowded in Ibiza during the summer, but the weekend are especially busy with “commuter” tourists, making reservations that much more difficult.

There are two club venues that stand out from the rest in Ibiza, Ushuaia Club (outdoor stage at the Ushuaia Hotel) and Hï Nightclub (located directly across the street from Ushuaia). Both are owned by the same management group, so you get a good cross-over of acts. Most of the biggest, most famous DJs will be playing one of these two venues. Sunday through Thursday typically have the “best” line ups throughout Ibiza, as the weekend vibes are catered more toward local taste.

At Ushuaia, you can actually book a room that overlooks the stage. Totally worth it for top acts, since you can buy your own alcohol at a local store and bring it to your room (as long as you aren’t obvious about it and do it early in the day). Staying at Ushuaia also saves you about $50 per day per person in cover charges. Add that to $50-$100 per person savings on drinks, and the high price point for Ushuaia, get’s more reasonable. The other Ushuaia hotel option is to stay in the Tower. Way more rooms, bigger rooms and more modern – the downside is the lack of stage views (and access to your own room for drinks), although cover is still free. Tower rooms are ususally cheaper than Club rooms. It’s really personal preference.

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So arrive on Sunday around mid-day from any of dozens of European hubs, especially Barcelona. Rent a car (from a reputable brand like Hertz). Getting around Ibiza is easy by taxi from the major areas (like Playa d’en Bossa or Ibiza Town), but getting back from more remote areas can be a pain in the ass and expensive, so having your own wheels is clutch (just be such you can drive a manual transmission car – also clutch). Check into Ushuaia for the first two or three nights of your trip (free valet parking too). It really depends on which DJs you want to see during the week and what nights they are playing. We like to see our favorite acts on the front end of our trips and have a relaxing vacation on the back end.

The party at Ushuaia starts at 5:00pm, but really gets going around 8:00pm, which gives you some options for a local dinner. The beach restaurant at Ushuaia is good, but there are also lots of great options around that same area on Playa d’en Bossa. Probably our favorite is Beachouse, about 1/4 mile south from Ushuaia (away from Ibiza Town).

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The show at Ushuaia ends at midnight, with the headline act (they go last). From there, it’s up to you. Hï is across the street, but Pacha, Amnesia, Privilege and countless other clubs are only 30-40 minutes away by taxi, so you can club until the sun comes up, if that’s your vibe. We typically keep it to one or two late-nights over the week, so that we can enjoy our days, as well.

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Day 2 – Monday

Start the day with the buffet at Ushuaia (be sure to book it along with your room when you make your reseveration). The spread is to die for: omelette bar, avocado toast bar, pasteries, donuts, bagels, salmon, caviar, cava sparkling wine, carving station, espresso bar, juice bar…..the list goes on.

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After breakfast, walk down the street to the local grocery and load up for the night – alcohol, snacks, sunscreen, ice, mixers, etc. Come back to your room (which alcohol tucked into your backpack/purse) and get your spread ready. We recommend creating an ice bath in your sink for beer and cold mixers and then refilling those at 5:00pm from the hotel ice machine to keep it cold).

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It’s your first full day of vacation, so take advantage of the day beds and lounge chairs on the beach at Ushuaia, or head over to the Tower and hang out by the pool. Grab lunch at either one, but plan to head out around 4:00 or 5:00 to change for dinner and sunset drinks at Experimental Beach, which is about a 20 minute taxi from Ushuaia. Experimental Beach is ideally located on the southern tip of the island, but has views to the West, so you get great sunsets. And the drinks are all made by the crew from Experimental Cocktail Club in London’s China Town (link here), so you know they are good! Everything, including the food is all first class – a perfect way to wind-down your second day on the island.

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After dinner, head back to Ushuaia to catch the last few hours of the set and/or head out afterwards for another big night of partying. It’s up to you!

Day 3 – Tuesday

Hit the buffet and then pack your beach bag for a day at one of the many great beach clubs throughout Ibiza. Our favorites are Tropicana, Experimental Beach (see above), Cotton Beach Club, Blue Marlin, Amante and El Chiringuito, but there are probably half a dozen other amazing venues. It all depends on which side of the island you want to visit. The beach club vibe is an all day affair – book a lounge chair/day bed ahead of time and book lunch at the beach club restaurant too. You can always cancel and have lunch on your lounge chair, but it’s nice to have an option. If you arrive around 10:00am or 11:00am and leave by 3:00pm or 4:00pm, you will have had a good day.

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After the beach, head back to change and then head back out for dinner at another of the beach clubs (like Amante) or in Ibiza Town, where there are lots of waterfront venues to choose from, as well as lots of cute, little restaurants, tucked into the hill.

It’s your last night at Ushuaia, so make the most of it and head back after dinner to catch the headliner and have a proper end to your stay at this epic hotel and club venue.

Day 4 – Wednesday

After breakfast and check out, make your way to your next destination to finish off the week. There are lots of options outside of the beach hub of Playa d’en Bossa, each with their own pros and cons. Here are a few recommendations:

• Casa Cook: Just opened in 2019, but it due to fully be finished in 2020. Casa Cook brand is mostly in Greece, but the vibes are very bohemian chic and it’s a great fit in Ibiza. Additionally, it faces west, for great sunsets
• ME Ibiza: Located more on the eastern side of the island, ME is enough off the beaten path to not have the rest of the island as a distraction, but it’s close enough to the town of Santa Eulalia to have access to good restaurants and is next door to Nikki Beach Ibiza, one of the hot spots for day clubbing and lounging.
• Nobu: Just east of Ibiza Town, this luxury addition to the global Nobu brand is close enough to the action (like Pacha) that you can easily get to it if you want, but it’s also separate enough to feel like it’s its own space.

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Each hotel is in a different part of the island, so depending on which one you choose, check out that local town. Casa Cook is near San Antonio, ME is near Santa Eulalia, and Nobu is near Ibiza Town. All of them are great areas to explore, shop and eat.

Day 5 – Thursday

Boat day is the best day!

– Everyone who has gone

If you are traveling with at least four people, we 100% recommend getting a boat for the day and touring around Ibiza and Formentera. Boat rentals can be found all over the island, and we’ve used Smart Charter Ibiza and Boats Ibiza in the past, and loved both. The best option is if you have ~8 people and can split a ~$1500 boat for the day. This size will give you enough room for a sundeck, seating, bathroom, etc. Smaller sizes (and lower costs) are available, but you’ll want something sizable to make the crossing to Formentera anyway.

A typical day will be 8 hours on the water. We recommend either 10:00am – 6:00pm or 12:00pm – 8:00pm. For the earlier times, you’ll get about 3 hours of time sailing around Ibiza, crossing to Formentera, swimming in Formentera, having lunch and still have a couple of hours to explore Formentera and get back. For the later times, you lose a little bit of prime sunshine/beach time, but you’ll be on the water for sunset, which is quite an experience in itself.

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For lunch in Formentera, we always recommend the legendary Juan y Andrea, but there are lots of great beach-side options.

Boat day will definitely take it out of you, between the motion of the waves, the sun and the inevitable drinking. We recommend taking it easy this night and just hanging at your hotel. Of course, you are in Ibiza, so if you want to go crazy, that’s always a choice!

Day 6 – Friday

It’s getting to the tail end of the week, so it’s time to really relax a bit. No need to head back home hung over and tired from too much partying. We recommend splitting this day between your hotel pool and a new beach club that you haven’t been to yet. Some of them are pretty low-key, not matter when you go and some become crazy parties in the afternoon, like Blue Marlin and Nikki Beach. Do a bit of research about which days are the big party days at which venues, so you know where to go and where to avoid.

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For sunset today, get a reservation at Café Del Mar, in San Antonio. The view from the café is directly over the water and the sunsets from this vantage point are not to be missed. Get there about an hour before sunset, and enjoy the people watching, grab a pitcher of sangria and a bite to each and wait for the main event. About 15 minutes before the sun hits the horizon, the crowd will start to gather on the rocky shores that run throughout San Antonio. As the last rays of light are extinguished by the sea, the crowd will clap! Well done, sunset!

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It’s your last night in Ibiza, so do what you wish. If you’ve got the energy, hit one of the clubs you haven’t been to yet, or grab a late dinner somewhere. There are so many options of places to see and visit that making a list is almost impossible. Not matter what, you’ll enjoy it. We can almost guarantee it!

Day 7 – Saturday

Back to reality. Try to get a later flight so you can make the most of your last day. Get a late check out to give yourself the most time. Depending on your hotel, you might want to spend your last day unwinding by the pool, but there are also lots of options to explore if you are in the mood, from the shops of Ibiza Town to the hippie markets on the eastern end of the island. Or you might want to have one last meal on the sands of your favorite beach club. You really can’t go wrong. Ibiza truly is a magical island!

Where to stay

Ushuaia ($500+ per night, $700-$900 for a Club Suite) (Platja d’en Bossa, 10, 07817 Sant Jordi de ses Salines, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.theushuaiaexperience.com) One of our favorite hotels in the world, but you have to know what you are getting into. It’s a party – day and night. Music, party people, lots of drinking, lots of socializing. If you are looking for a quiet getaway, this isn’t it. But if you want to see the biggest DJs in the world from your bedroom patio, this is it! Rooms are small unlesss you splurge for the Suite (which we recommend) and furnishings are a little dated, but it’s all over the top, as intended (think clear bathtub in the middle of the room).

• General Rating: 99 (Four Star!)
• Four Star Rating: 83 (Exceptional)
• Notes: Quite expensive, but less so when you factor in that one of the best clubs in the world is on your patio.

ME Ibiza ($500-$600) (Avinguda de s’Argamassa, 153, 07849 s’Argamassa, Illes Balears, Spain) (www.melia.com) On the “quiet” side of the island, this is a much more relaxed atmosphere. On the other hand, it is adjacent to Nikki Beach Ibiza so there is plenty to do if you want. Rooms are great and grounds/pool are impeccable. A great escape.

• General Rating: 85 (Exceptional)
• Four Star Rating: 73 (Great)
• Notes: Still a little on the high side for what you get, but in Ibiza, you get what you pay for. Dropping down into the $200-$300 per night range is disappointing and $300-$500 is hit and miss)

Nobu Hotel Ibiza ($700-$800 per night) (Carrer de Ses Feixes, 52, 07800 Eivissa, Illes Balears, Spain) (www.nobuhotelibizabay.com) Probably the most luxurious of the hotels, it also splits the difference between the quieter ME Ibiza and the racuous Ushuaia. Everything you’d expect from the Nobu brand including dining, spa and a great pool scene.

• General Rating: 96 (Four Star!)
• Four Star Rating: 81 (Exceptional)
• Notes: Very expensive, but very nice. Again, you get what you pay for. At this price, we recommend embracing the party vibe of Ibiza and doing a suite at Ushuaia, but you can’t go wrong either way

Beach Clubs

• Amante (Cala Sol d’en Serra Calle Afueras, s/n, 07849 Cala Llonga, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.amanteibiza.com)
• Blue Marlin (Cala Jondal, s/n, 07800 Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.bluemarlinibiza.com)
• Cotton Beach Club (Carrer Posta de Sol, Carrer de Cala Tarida, 21, 07829, Illes Balears, Spain) (www.cottonbeachclub.com)
• El Chirinquito (07818, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.elchirinquitoibiza.com)
• Experimental Beach (Playa des Codolar Salinas, s/n, 07817 Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.eccbeach.com)
• Tropicana (Cala Jundal, s/n, 07830 Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.tropicanaibiza.com)
• Ushuaia Beach Club (see above)

Night Clubs

• Ushuaia (see above)
• Hï (Platja d’en Bossa, 07817 Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.hiibiza.com)
• Pacha (Av. 8 d’Agost, 07800 Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.pachaibiza.com)
• Amnesia (Ctra. Ibiza a San Antonio, Km 5, 07816 Ibiza, Islas Baleares, Spain) (www.amnesia.es)
• Privilege (Urbanización San Rafael, s/n, 07816 Sant Antoni de Portmany, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.privilegeibiza.com)

Where to Eat & Drink

• Amante (see above)
• Beachouse (Ctra. de Platja d’en Bossa, 2, 07817 Sant Jordi de ses Salines, Illes Balears, Spain) (www.beachouseibiza.com)
• Café Del Mar (Calle Vara de Rey, 27, 07820 Sant Antoni de Portmany, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.cafedelmarmusic.com)
• Chirinquito Blue (Paseo Marítimo 15, 07840, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.chirinquitoblueibiza.com)
• Experimental Beach (see above)
• Nobu (see above)
• Juan y Andre (in Formentera) (Playa Illetes, s/n, 07871 Illes Baleas, Illes Balears, Spain) (www.juanyandrea.com)

Boat Rentals

• Smart Charter Ibiza (1st Floor, Plaça sa Tertúlia, 2, 07800 Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.smartcharteribiza.com)
• Boats Ibiza (Marina Botafoch, Carrer d’Ibosim, 07800 Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain) (www.boatsibiza.com)