Ibiza
Ibiza is the most-well known party destination in the world. It offers complete tranquility whilst providing world-class parties, with just as many happening during the day as night. You will be drawn into stunning sunsets, magical exploration opportunities including unfrequented coves and its pine-carpeted hills. Aiming to visit on a budget is a must.
Attracting over 7 minion tourists annually, it isn’t hard to understand why. In truth , Ibiza has much more to offer than its desirable parties, with the majority of the white isle more peaceful. This guide will focus on our trip which was for the parties, but will also offer some ideas for some alternative adventures.
These activities should be helpful whether you’re here for a short or long stay. This beautiful, well-known party Island has an endless amount of things to do. We’re going to focus on some key things you must do to have an amazing time in Ibiza.
Our journey and where to stay
Short 3 night break to San Antonio, Ibiza on a smallish budget…
This trip was described by Guy as the best week of his life. As Aston Villa fans, we went straight from celebrating promotion to the Premier League at Wembley, by going straight on a flight to Ibiza. We’d pre booked our flight from Stansted airport in the hope we got promoted, if not we were drowning our sorrows. Fortunately it all went our way.
It’s probably impossible to visit this stunning island on a small budget, especially if you’re wanting to go to events and quirky parties. However it can be done on a smaller budget if you stick to the West End, but we were wanting more events and so should you.
Think about where is the best location for you to stay. The main party area of Ibiza is located around Playa d’en Bossa, to the south of Ibiza Town. You’ll find the bigger beach and nightclubs like Ushuaïa, Bora Bora, Hï and Sankeys. The party atmosphere is constant, this is where you can rack up a huge drinks bill.
Then you have the well known San Antonio just 22 minutes away, you’ll see plenty of accommodation here which is more affordable. There are the famous clubs such as Ibiza Rocks Hotel, Ocean Beach, Cafe Mambo and the West End which has much cheaper bars and offers. You could use this as a base and still travel to the super clubs of Playa d’en Bossa.
If you’re wanting a quieter stay but a chance to explore the island then look at places such as Es Cana, Cala Llonga or Santa Eulalia. All these are good alternatives for a quieter more peaceful stay.
Keeping it cheap. When to go and where to stay
It is possible to book flights and accommodation on the cheap. Be prepared to travel to and from different UK airports to get the cheapest price, have a play with the airports on SkyScanner. Accommodation wise, we booked from Expedia. We just searched for the cheapest hotels for 3-nights and then made sure it was in a central location and had at least 4 stars on tripadvisor. We wanted to mix some partying with relaxing but we had no pool. Thankfully, nearby we found azuLine Hotel Llevant which welcomed people from outside the hotel. It had a nice pool, sun loungers and a lovely snack bar.
Another important thing to consider when thinking of things to do in Ibiza is when to go. The best time to visit is from May to October, as this is when the weather is nicer and the events start. We visited at the end of May as it was half term. The weather was fantastic, with a mid 20’s temperature with clear, blue skies. May is a great time to go, there’s lots of events still on, great weather and it isn’t as busy as the renowned July, August months.
Tips – Barcelona has very cheap flights to Ibiza and it may workout cheaper for you to go there before flying directly to Ibiza. We noticed certainly this year that return flights were costing up to £400. Return flights to Barcelona were £150. You’ll see how we love linking trips up for smaller prices here.
If you’re after more Spain tour packages, check out here where you can find great reviews and offers.
Where to go out and things to do
Chances are that if you’re already planning on going to Ibiza, you’ll already know where you want to go. We’ll just suggest a few that we enjoyed. We’re all about the day drinks now, so that the next day isn’t a write off. This didn’t affect our fun at night time, as we still went out. We just ended up going with the flow rather than having a real plan. Unless you’ve bought tickets for the amazing event nights, then head to the West End for a cheaper night. We’re sure you’ll want to visit the super clubs such as Amnesia, Pacha, Ushuaïa Beach Club. You will find these in different areas to San Antonio, however getting taxis won’t be a problem.
Buy tickets in advance to guarantee a place at the event and to avoid getting ripped off. Finally, check where the clubs are located, they tend to be scattered away from San Antonio. It shouldn’t cost too much in a taxi to get there. Ibiza Spotlight is a fantastic website which has guides of the different clubs and different events coming up. Check out their website here.
Some of our favourites
San Antonio
We’re going to stick with our favourite in San Antonio from our visit in May.
Bongos Bingo at Ibiza Rocks
We have to recommend going to Bongos Bingo. It’s as good as going to the event in England but obviously even better because of the sun. There’s even more of a party atmosphere and it turns into absolute carnage (in a good way). It was hosted at Ibiza Rocks Hotel, which was the perfect venue. Book your tickets in advance to save on money. The only issue really is drink, make sure you pre-drink! Prices at these places and other events are very expensive (around €12 euro a pint).
Ocean Beach
We tried out the well known Ocean Beach, which is owned by Wayne Lineker. Again, this was great for going to a party during the day, but again watch out on prices. You may find this place a little pretentious, but it’s a party during the day, it has a pool, alcohol and great weather. You’ll have a great time if you’re with good company. A little tip, if you say that you’re a summer worker then a lot of bars give you cheaper drinks than that of the tourists.
Cafe Mambo
If you’re in San Antonio then don’t miss out on the famous sunset. We stayed and ate next to Cafe Mambo one night, where the minimum payment to eat there was €100. We soon filled that price with a meal, wine and some cocktails so it was worth it. You can also stay here for a deep-house party until the early hours which isn’t to be missed.
Watch the sunset
If wanting to catch the famous, mesmerising sunset and you’re on a budget then you still can! Near to Cafe Mambo, you’ll see a rocky path next to sea. Here you’ll find many others hoping to capture the stunning colours of the sky. It’s quite a special moment and one that seems to be celebrated by everyone, even the people on boats.
Other places of interest
Away from San Antonio, there are plenty of other things you can do where you will take in magical memories and visit stunning scenery.
Dalt Vila
This old part of Ibiza Town offers some amazing beaches, with fantastic architecture nearby. You will be able to capture some breath-taking panoramic views and relax on beautiful beaches such as Cala Comte, Cala Jondal, Salines, Cala Bassa and Cala d’Hort.
Formentera
Just a 30 minute boat ride away is another picturesque, peaceful island called Formentera. Just like much of Ibiza, you can expect higher costs which will make visits hard on a budget. The crystal clear waters and fine white sand will soon make you forget the costs of visiting this spectacular, small-inhabited island.
To summarise Ibiza, has so much more to offer than its party capital reputation. Although for this trip, we explored the party atmosphere, we are left wanting another to investigate the other things that Ibiza has to offer.
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