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26th March 2012
11:00am BST
With beautiful beaches, a pleasant climate virtually all year round and no end of places to party, Ibiza is one of the most popular holiday destinations around. Here are ten tips to make the most of your trip.
Clubber’s guide
Ibiza is synonymous with club scene and you’ll do well to spend a week there without bumping into a famous DJ or two. David Guetta and Fatboy Slim were just two of the world class DJs who performed there in 2012 and you can expect names of a similar ilk there throughout 2013.
Here’s a quick clubbing guide to get you started.
There are seven major clubs on the island of Ibiza:
• Amnesia - located in the middle of the island, near San Rafael
• DC10 - located near the airport on the road to Las Salinas.
• Eden - located on the waterfront in San Antonio.
• Es Paradis - located on the waterfront in San Antonio
• Pacha - located very near the Ibiza Marina
• Privilege - located in the middle of the island, near San Rafael
• Space - located in Playa d'en Bossa, near the beach.
If you’ve money to burn, then Pacha is the place for you. It does attract DJs such as David Guetta and Erick Morillo and it has VIP tables everywhere, but clubbers can expect to pay between €40 and €60 to get into any of the Pacha parties and once inside you’re looking at approximately €12 for a beer. Yikes!
Eden, Ibiza’s second super club, is located right in the centre of San Antonio and is far more reasonably-priced than Pacha. Entry costs between €20 and €40 and drinks cost around €6. Don’t rock up in a t-shirt and flip flops, however, because there is a dress code which means no football shirts, no beachwear and tops to be kept on at all times. That's ALL TIMES lads.
The best time for clubbers to make the trip
Now that you know where to go, when is the best time to go? Every year the Ibiza clubs kick the season off in late May/early June with their infamous opening parties which tend to attract the best acts of the summer, so if it’s the beats you’re after this tends to be a great week to hit the strip.
Seven nights in Ibiza during the opening parties, departing Dublin on 31 May and returning on 7 June will cost just €415pp including return flights, accommodation, airport transfers and rep service.
You can't see his legs, but they are there
If, however, you prefer to head off on your holidays later in the summer you could opt to hold out for the closing parties. As Ibiza begins to wind down after the summer the clubs like to make sure you have one last party before they shut their doors.
Again they bring back the best DJs for the last big night of the summer so you’re guaranteed some great nights out. Seven nights in Ibiza during the closing parties, departing Dublin on 13 September and returning on 20 September will cost €435pp including return flights, accommodation, transfers and rep service.
Looking for a more chilled out holiday? No problem
Yes, Ibiza has a reputation for being something of a clubber’s paradise, but that doesn’t mean that the island caters exclusively for night owls. If you’re looking for a more relaxed, more chilled-out atmosphere, then the Sunset Bars will be right up your street.
There are plenty of them on Sunset Strip in San Antonio, where you can sit by the shores of the bay of Calo des Moro in San Antonio and admire the stunning sunsets to a backdrop of ambient and eclectic music provided by the DJ in the bar. Bliss.
Visit the hippy markets
The clubbing culture is not one traditionally associated with hippies, but they got to Ibiza first in the early 60s, when artisans, painters and designers flocked to the island to experience its unique atmosphere.
Who knows, you might run into this guy...
You can still get that artistic sense when you visit the hippy markets, where you can pick up hippy clothing and hippy artefacts amongst other hippy goods. The original and biggest market is the Hippy Market Punta Arabí, which is held every week on a Wednesday in Es Caná from 10am – 6.30pm from April through to October.
Check out the Las Salinas Salt Flats
If you’re planning on doing a bit of touring as well as partying in Ibiza, then a visit to one of Ibiza’s most famous landmarks, Las Salinas Salt flats, should be right at the top of your list.
Located to the south of the Spanish island, the salt fields were created by the Carthaginian group of merchants and traders over 2000 years ago as a means of extracting salt from the evaporating sea water. As the water evaporates during the hot summer months, a sparkling layer of pure salt is left sparkling at the bottom of the lakes. Holidaymakers are advised to arrive in the early evening to get a picture at this incredible sunset spot.
Sample the local cuisine
Like any popular tourist spot, there’s plenty of places where you can get the type of food you eat at home on a regular basis but if you’re looking to broaden your palate, you should sample some of the local cuisine, for example:
Paella – For those who haven’t tried it before, Paella is a dish of saffron rice & seafood, slow cooked in their own juices. You can also have an all-meat Paella (Paella de carne).
Tapas – If you want a little bit of everything, tapas are the best option, with snack-sized portions of tastily cooked fish, meat, poultry, eggs & vegetables on offer.
Sofrit Pages – If you’re feeling hungry, try this local dish of lightly spiced pork, lamb & chicken, local sausages 'Sobresada' and 'Butifarra', whole sweet garlics, peppers & potatoes, all vaporised in their own rich juices and sauteed with cinnamon, parsley & saffron. Sounds like a lot but it’s delicious.
Ensaimada – A Balearic croissant filled with cream, chocolate, sweet pumpkin or simply dusted with icing sugar. Perfect for an after-dinner treat.
Flao – The local cheesecake made with herbs and honey.
Go to San Antonio
San Antonio is not only a beautiful resort for holiday makers with a picturesque harbour, a broad sandy beach and a palm-lined promenade leading from Caló des Moro through to the bay; it is also the stepping stone to Ibiza's famous clubbing scene.
San Antonio is home to a huge range of bars, clubs and restaurants as well as waterfront clubs such as Eden and Es Paradis. Ibiza's other super clubs like Amnesia, Pacha, Space, Ushuaía Ibiza Beach Hotel and Privilege are only about 15-25 minutes away in a taxi, which will set you back about 15-30 Euros a trip.
For live sports action, head to Lineker’s during the day and stay into the night when it transforms into one of the hottest after-hours venues in town.
The sunset strip already mentioned is undeniably one of San Antonio’s most talked about landmarks and definitely worth a visit.
Aside from offering tourists a perfect night-time package, San Antonio is also full of daytime entertainment, whether it’s adrenaline-fuelled excursions such as parasailing or scuba-diving you’re after or just a relaxing day at the beach.
For more information on Ibiza and similar holidays catering for 18-30 year olds, check out the Thomas Cook website.
