Day 5 – Ibiza
Got up on the early side to make sure there was no drama at the airport. Flights from Geneva to Barcelona and Barcelona to Ibiza were drama-free. But, for the second year in a row, we have a lost baggage situation! This time, one of our two checked bags (Patricia’s) didn’t arrive in Ibiza. Unfortunately, we don’t have the same kind of pull with Vueling Airlines that we do with last year’s culprit, Delta, so we are waiting with fingers crossed. “Fortunately” we are so scarred from last year’s debacle that we packed all of the “essentials” in our carry-ons.
As mentioned yesterday, Ibiza is a special place for us. It’s one of the first places that we travelled to, together and has all of the elements that we love in a vacation destination: sun, water, good food, good music and just a generally friendly and happy place.
Pro-tip: We are here for five days and rented a car. Cabs are expensive here and are often hard to get if you are at remote locations or beaches. Another pro-tip is to rent from a major agency (Hertz, Avis, etc.). The cheaper providers equate to a bunch of hidden fees, long lines and other pains in the @$$.
We are staying three nights at the Ushuaia Beach Hotel. Less than 10 years old, Ushuaia and it’s sister nightclub “Hi” (the old “Space”) now dominate the nightlife and DJ scene in Ibiza. Ushuaia’s outdoor, amphitheater-style stage, is particularly noteworthy and attracts top acts (Swedish House Mafia’s only Ibiza show this year is on Friday, here). The combination of beach, beach club, hotel, restaurants and club make it the epicenter of the Ibiza tourist business. The price point isn’t cheap, but when you factor the fact that you get an INSANE breakfast (caviar, champagne, etc.) included, free access to the club venue, free access to “Hi” for late night DJs, free drinks (on the sly, in your room) and just a generally first-rate experience, the price is actually lower than other top 5-star hotels in the area.
After checking in (room wasn’t ready), we used their shared shower facility, changed clothes and hit the beach. Eventually, our room was ready and we showered and changed into dinner clothes and headed to the legendary “Café del Mar” in the town of San Antonio. Café del Mar and nearby Café Mambo are two of the best spots in Ibiza to catch the sunset. A tradition is for travelers to enjoy the sunset from one sea-side restaurants (including the two mentioned above), along with other beach goers and clap when the sun goes down. It’s quite a spectacle and worth the short drive. Drinks are watered down, but the food is decent and it’s more about the experience than anything else.
By the time we got back to Ushuaia, the daily concert was wrapped up, but we still had free access to “Hi” for a variety of amazing DJs including Fedde Le Grand, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano and the legendary Armin Van Buuren. Great way to end the night and our first day in Ibiza!