ibiza town
July 23, 2019

Ibiza Travel Guide: One Week On The Quiet Side

You might have noticed from my instagram stories that myself and my sister jetted off for a week to Ibiza. We booked it last minute with the sole intention to relax. Despite what you might think, Ibiza is the perfect place to recharge your batteries and just enjoy the sun, sea and sand.

Getting there

We booked our flights just 3 weeks before we left with my go-to airline – Ryanair. In my opinion, our flight times were absolutely perfect. We left Dublin first thing in the morning, arriving into Ibiza at about 10am, and on the way home, we departed Ibiza Airport at 10pm. At the same time, it meant we didn’t waste any days travelling over and back and could fully enjoy our seven days away. On arrival, it was a short queue to get through passport control and we were straight into a taxi without much waiting around at all. It was all very efficient, which I love.

Staying there

As you may already be aware, San Antonio is known for its lively atmosphere and electric nightlife. It is located on the west coast of Ibiza, and is where most young tourists flock to every summer.

We had a different holiday in mind, so we decided to base ourselves on the east coast instead. We chose accommodation located in between Ibiza old town and Playa d’en Bossa. Don’t get me wrong, Playa d’en Bossa is comparable with San Antonio in terms of nightlife. However, you can avoid the madness, provided you know where to go!

Our Hotel

As we booked this trip very last minute, we didn’t have the best selection of hotels to choose from. That being said, our apartment was perfect. We stayed in Aparthotel Playasol Jabeque Soul. It was located less than a 5 minute walk from the marina, and about 10 minutes from the start of Playa d’en Bossa.

Our one-bedroom apartment overlooked the seafront with amazing views of the coastline. The apartment was fully equipped with everything we needed. Most importantly, the apartment had a decent hairdryer and a fridge to keep our water cold. The apartment was cleaned daily, and we never had any issues with it.

One thing that was super handy was the availability of pool towels from reception. You just paid a deposit of €20 per person to have towels for the pool and beach for the duration of your stay. As long as you didn’t lose the towel, you got your money back when you were checking out. It meant we didn’t have to bring a beach towel, or buy one over there and of course, saved us space in our hand luggage!

Within the hotel, they have two different pool areas. One is definitely more suited towards young adults looking to party. They have a DJ that comes in each day and plays music poolside from about 3pm and it is here that the bar is located. The larger pool area is much quieter and the music playing really wasn’t disruptive at all. Like most summer holiday destinations, getting a sun bed was a problem for late risers, but that was only an issue after 11am.

All in all, the hotel was perfect and we had no problems during our stay whatsoever.

Things to do

Visit Formentera

One of my favourite things that we did was visit Formentera island. It is just 30 minutes away and is home to one of the worlds best beaches, Ses Illetes. An absolute must do when you visit Ibiza.

First and foremost, do not get the tourist boat that is advertised along the marina and beaches. It may cost you a little less, but will take longer, and you will be packed into a small boat that will likely make you sick. So, do yourself a favour and head to the port in the Old Town, where you can take the fast ferry and get there in 30 minutes. We got our ferry tickets in our hotel reception, and took a taxi to get there for 10am.

On arrival in Formentera, we went straight to rent bicycles to explore the island. They cost less than €10 each, and were perfect for visiting a few nearby beaches and towns. Our first stop was Beso Beach. We decided to chill out here for an hour so, and then headed towards the beautiful beach of Ses Illetes for the rest of the day.

There are so many beautiful restaurants in Formentera, but if you plan on visiting, be sure to make a reservation! We made that mistake, and ended up grabbing something really small in a beach café beside Ses Illetes that cost us a fortune! Check out Juan y Andrea for a luxury dining experience or Beso Beach for more relaxed vibes.

Sunset in San Antonio

On our last night, we booked dinner in Savannah Restaurant in San Antonio, which is located right on sunset strip. It was such a lovely way to end our trip and the sunset was just out of this world. You don’t have to book a restaurant to enjoy the sunset though. We spotted plenty of people with a take away pizza and bottles of beer heading down to the beach to take in the views. Alternatively, Mambos is a popular spot which has an amazing atmosphere for drinks in the evening.

Visit a Happy Market

Ibiza is home to plenty of markets selling food, ceramics, jewellery and clothing. These are scattered all over the island. The biggest and most well known is Punta Arabí Hippy Market which takes place on Wednesday in Es Caná and the Las Dalias Hippy Market on Saturday in San Carlos. These are best reached if you have a car and are planning on driving during your trip. If not, and you are near the old town like we were, there is a small hippy market in Playa d’en Bossa that is perfect for a little stroll in the evening.

Explore dalt vila

Dalt Vila is such a beautiful area of Ibiza. It’s winding streets and stunning views are so beautiful, and it really gives the whole island another dimension. Along the streets you will find restaurant after restaurant offering local Mediterranean cuisine. It’s almost hard to find a spot that isn’t buzzing with people having a good time. The streets really reminded me of Greece or Italy, and the atmosphere around the town is really enchanting. Little trinket shops and jewellery stores are scattered around the town and around every corner there is another hidden gem. You can climb up to the top of the town, and look out over panoramic views of the city and the harbour. A must see if you are visiting Ibiza.

Go to a superclub

Although we wanted to chill out and relax, we felt it would be a waste being in Ibiza and not going to even one club. So, we bought tickets for BIG by David Guetta in Ushuaïa. We were able to get them from our hotel about two days before it was on and it cost us €55 each. The show kicks off at about 5pm but we were told not to bother going until at least 7pm and it was actually great advice. On arrival, we walked straight in and up to the front, and MK started playing moments later. An amazing special guest!

Drinks in Ushuaïa are around €20 each, but you can get a drinks package for €75 for 5 drinks. That being said, the queues are ridiculous and I would recommend just drinking before you arrive if that’s your plan. We chose to do that, and it worked out really well for us.

The atmosphere in Ushuaïa is just out of this world! I don’t think I have ever seen so many people in one place having such an amazing time. I had the time of my life and I would recommend it to anyone, both young and old, even if there is a small group of you!

places to eat & drink

One of my favourite things to do on holidays is visit nice restaurants and try local food. So, of course, this trip was no exception. My sister is a vegetarian so anywhere we went had to cater for her as well. That being said, Ibiza has plenty to offer for vegetarians and vegans alike so we didn’t really struggle with that!

Here are some of the places that we went to, that I would 100% recommend:

  • Retro Gusto, Ibiza Town
  • Cucha Ibiza (Curry & Champagne), Dalt Vila
  • Ohana, Playa d’en Bossa
  • El Principe, Ibiza Town
  • Savannah, San Antonio

For drinks we found these spots to be really nice and affordable too:

  • América Restaurante, Ibiza Town
  • One Ibiza Suites Rooftop Bar, Ibiza Town
  • Oli Beach Restaurant, Ibiza Town

all in all...

Ibiza is such a stunning part of Spain, with so much to do and see all around the island. I am already planning a return trip next year for a bit longer and will definitely be renting a car to explore more of the north and south of the island. If you have any questions, or if there is anything I have missed, please just let me know. I am more than happy to help!

Annmarie x