Evening Star
Active Member
You know how almost every good story starts with “this one night we're out drinking…â€? Our second trip to Ibiza resulted from such a night. In August we (my fiancé Steve and I) took my 3 kids to almost 4 week long road trip across Europe. So this one night we were not out but sitting in a house in Lido (near Venice) trying to regain sanity with all the help you can get from two bottles of wine and started talking about our last trip to Ibiza at the end of July. Somehow talking about our previous trip resulted in purchased one way tickets to Ibiza again for 5[SUP]th[/SUP] of September, set budget for the trip, and no return ticket.
Wednesday the 5[SUP]th[/SUP]
What can I say… travel took most of the day and this time getting there was in no way easier than the last time, when we came from Afghanistan, had to take 4 planes, and total transfer time from point A to point B was 26 hours. This time we had just two flights from Riga to Barcelona to Ibiza but it still was terrible. We were supposed to have at least two hour layover between flights and normally it would be completely enough. I didn't check the time when we arrived but when we finally got our luggage there was only an hour left. We had to switch terminals so when we arrive in terminal 2, we have maybe 20minutes left to check in. I hold an EU passport so I could check in right away but Steve's from the States so he had to get a stamp on his ticket. So we get in the line to get the damn stamp… and now we have 8 minutes left. As if that wasn't enough, the girl in the check in tells us that our luggage is overweight and we have to take something out. Now we know we paid for extra 5 kilos (which is exactly the amount) but at this point, we just had no time to argue. We took some stuff out and checked in at the last minute. All of this was followed by getting through security, arguing with people at the gate who said our carry on items are too big (but they fitted in their damn measuring thingy), and finally us wearing several layers of clothes that they forced us to take out just to get on the plane.
Even though we were pretty annoyed, we were happy just to finally sit in the plane, going where we are supposed to go.
After landing came the next surprise. Since we were going to be there for a much longer period of time, we decided to explore the island and so we rented a car. Theoretically they were supposed to have a pickup point in the airport but, just to make things more interesting, of course it's not there… We couldn't reach them to any of their phone numbers and no one in the airport new anything about them, so we had little choice, and we rented a car from Hertz and decided to deal with this later.
Last time when we were here we stayed at PDB but this time we chose to try out Sant An. Since we planned on spending most of the days (and nights) out, then it really didn't matter all that much where to stay. We had booked a room in Fleming - a 2* hotel that was recommended by other spot-lighters and we can definitely add our recommendation to those. Good location, breakfast included in the price (and actually a very good breakfast, especially after a night out), self-laundry service, and it is possible to park our car outside on the street next to the hotel. Walls are thin so it sometimes gets loud but it doesn't really matter – you don't really go to Ibiza to get a good night's rest.
After checking-in, unpacking and shower it is too late to do much else so we decided to check out one of the bars (Tulp cafe) in the area. We feel tired, not very “heroicâ€, and we have a crazy schedule for next days, so we decide to take it easy and go out for dinner, drinks, and stay out as late as we can to adjust to the island's rhythm. We were pleasantly surprised that food (and drinks) in the Tulp were very good and not too pricy. After a while we got up and went for a walk in the West end, had few drinks here and there, found a very nice place called Villa Mercedes where they were playing live music and I had the best strawberry daiquiris ever. So even though the travel was a hustle and more than frustrating, the island was already working her magic on us and around 2am we headed home happy and satisfied to store up some energy for the days to follow.
Thursday the 6[SUP]th[/SUP]
We woke up refreshed and excited, and after a very nice breakfast got in the car and went exploring the northern coast of the island to find a beach that wouldn't be crowded and would be good for snorkeling. At first we got a bit of the road (we decided not to use a map), got lost, and had a lot of fun driving down roads that are so narrow, there is barely space for one car but you still sometimes have to pass by the car that's driving towards you. After a while we spotted a place that looked like it could have access to a beach and we just pulled over and went to check the place out. We were pretty high up in the mountains so it was no surprise that we ended up standing on the top of the cliff, looking at the stunningly beautiful rocky beach down below. A guy, who had pulled over shortly before us, after we asked him, is it possible to get to the beach from here, responded: only if you can fly. Well… neither that nor the fact that I was wearing a short summer dress and surf shoes seemed like a good enough reason not to try. We started climbing down one side but after approximately half an hour hit a cliff too steep to get down without any equipment so we turned back. We found another way that led down but it also ended in the middle of nowhere. There was a slope that seemed to have formed in some rockslide but we decided not to risk climbing down there as it is always possible to get down but it didn't look like it will be as easy to get back up. The hillside was still very steep and rocks there were not stable.
So we admitted that the mountain has won this time and headed back to the car, while still being happy about the adventure itself. We both had several cuts and bruises but it was totally worth it and we would do that again if such an opportunity would come.
So – we get in the car and we are on our way further. We chose a random beach that we see on the road signs (Beniras) and although it was not as empty as we would like, it was also not too crowded and had beautiful cliffs to snorkel around. Further out in the bay is a big cliff that looks like a sitting man but there were too many bots around to get there safely. We get our gear and explore right coast of the bay. We actually swam out as far as the sitting man was but our common sense continuously repeated it is a stupid idea to try and cross the bay where boats are coming in and going out, so we sticked to the plan and stayed near cliffs. The waters of Ibiza are just perfect for snorkeling – it's warm (so you don't get cramps in your body after spending two hours in the water), crystal clear, and just beautiful. There are cliffs that form weird shapes and caves that are fun to get to, funny little and not so little fishes, and sometimes a naked guy that just happens to be swimming half a kilometer from the cost where you are innocently snorkeling… oh well… it is Ibiza after all.
We spend most of the day there, snorkeling and sunbathing. Closer to the evening, after realizing that we are hungry, we decide to head a bit more north and go to Portinax for dinner. From what we saw, the beaches there were beautiful and the place itself is peaceful and seemed nice. We had a nice dinner in one of the restaurants next to the road and after that we headed back to Sant An.
Hard to explain why but I was still incredibly tired. I blame the last 3 days before leaving Latvia when I didn't sleep for more than 4 hours per night, but whatever the reason, we get back to the hotel and I almost immediately passed out. I didn't hear Steve taking a shower, going out to see what's happening, or coming back so he decided that I need some rest and allowed me to sleep till the morning which I did… I woke up after 9am and couldn't believe that I passed out like that and slept for a bit more than 12 hours. Luckily nothing much had happened that night so I didn't miss anything but the restored energy reserves became in handy as it was the Fiesta del Agua night in Es Paradis.
Friday the 7[SUP]th[/SUP]
So as I said, I woke up slightly shocked but well rested and after breakfast we once again get in the car to search for other beaches we haven't been on yet. We went to Es Canar and the surrounding area but unfortunately currents had carried jellyfish to eastern coast that day so going snorkeling wasn't really an option (at least not on the east coast). After visiting several beaches we decided to go to the northern side of the island. Once again we drove “off the map†and found ourselves standing on top of the cliff looking to a magnificent bay down bellow. We didn't know if it will be possible to get down there so we decided to leave our snorkeling equipment in the car and just try to see if it's possible to get down. Half way down a rocky road that twines through a forest, and we realize it actually could be possible. However, we didn't felt like going back to the car to get everything and we decided to just take a swim if it will be possible to get down. The climb down took us approximately half an hour but we were rewarded with the sweet taste of victory after making it to a bay that was formed from huge rocks that were most likely parts of surrounding cliffs detached in rockslides. There were few locals there but they didn't mind us being there or going for a swim. The water once again was just perfect. It would've been an excellent place where to snorkel but we also enjoyed just swimming there. After a while we spotted something that looked a lot like jellyfish and since we didn't wanted to linger to prove it (we had few accidents with jellyfishes few weeks ago in Venice and we both now share a respectable paranoia from meeting them again), it was getting closer to evening, and we both were getting hungry, we got out of the water and headed back to the car. Now, if the walk down took us about half an hour and was quite tiring, then getting back up (especially after a swim) at some point seemed like mission impossible but after some 45 minutes we were back in the car, heading home. We were driving through a little village and stopped for dinner there. The food was phenomenally good… we also finished a bottle of Ibiza wine and all an all were perfectly happy about our day out. However, this is the night to go out so we got back home, got ready, mixed some rum and coke to go, and head out for a walk before going to Es Paradis for water party.
The walk was great – nice and warm evening, cold drink, and we got to find other places we had heard about before (Café Mambo, Café del Mar etc). We went back home to change shoes to something that we wouldn't mind getting ruined in the water and we are off to the club. None of us had ever been to Es Paradis before but since we are fans of Espuma party in Amnesia, we wanted to check out what it's like. The club was a bit odd but maybe because they are trying to replicate what their idea of “paradise†is, however, the crowd was cool and even though I didn't know the DJ's or songs that they played that night, I can't say anything bad about it. We still had few purple stars left from our previous trip so we purchased two bottles of water and started looking for a free spot. We found one… like in Amnesia they have the elevated platforms and we had fun dancing above the crowd. Unfortunately, when the stars hit in, Steve's legs gave up on him but mine… well sitting down really wasn't an option so we found a spot for him to sit down and I returned to the platform. Sometime later club's dancers came out and everyone was asked to clear the platforms for them so I got back down. There was a very nice 50(ish) years old lady that came to me and said “it is a shame they took you off the platform. You have such nice legs…â€
Very soon the sprinkler system in the ceiling started working and that felt perfect as I always get incredibly hot, especially if I have used some unprescribed medicine. The pool in the middle of dance floor started filling up with water, some people started swimming there but overall, crowd was having fun.
I went to check how Steve was doing and since his legs still refused to cooperate, he just sent me back to the dance floor. It is difficult for a woman to dance alone in a club without being hit on and usually I always get a creepy guy who keeps following me but this time I was lucky enough to meet guys who were not at all creepy and happy to just dance with me. Nice people... polite.. shared a gum (I had forgotten mine home). The night was not at all blurry but it seemed to go incredibly fast. It was close to the morning and we decided to bail a bit earlier to get some well deserved rest.
Saturday, the 8[SUP]th[/SUP]
I cannot remember what time we woke up. I think it was way past noon but we felt good and decided to go to Eivissa town and spend our day there. The town is remarkably beautiful and we ended up going there several more times before we left the island. We accidentally made it to the Red Bull flying contest (I have no idea what the actual name is) where teams build their airplanes and compete against each other. We had some fun watching people crash-landing in the water but as the evening approached we went back to San An. The plan was to go to ElRow in Privilege but it was still early and we were tired from the last night so we laid down for a quick nap. I have no clue how we missed the alarm but I woke up around 2am because I felt too rested. Upsetting but we knew that we have three sleepless nights in the row coming up so common sense said it is good to store up some rest. So we did and I fell asleep with a thought in my head that I am in a definite need for some sleepless nights after this one.
(this review will take a while to finish. I started writing this while I was still in Ibiza but I gave up after day 7.. Espuma, ASOT and Neon nights coming up next)
Wednesday the 5[SUP]th[/SUP]
What can I say… travel took most of the day and this time getting there was in no way easier than the last time, when we came from Afghanistan, had to take 4 planes, and total transfer time from point A to point B was 26 hours. This time we had just two flights from Riga to Barcelona to Ibiza but it still was terrible. We were supposed to have at least two hour layover between flights and normally it would be completely enough. I didn't check the time when we arrived but when we finally got our luggage there was only an hour left. We had to switch terminals so when we arrive in terminal 2, we have maybe 20minutes left to check in. I hold an EU passport so I could check in right away but Steve's from the States so he had to get a stamp on his ticket. So we get in the line to get the damn stamp… and now we have 8 minutes left. As if that wasn't enough, the girl in the check in tells us that our luggage is overweight and we have to take something out. Now we know we paid for extra 5 kilos (which is exactly the amount) but at this point, we just had no time to argue. We took some stuff out and checked in at the last minute. All of this was followed by getting through security, arguing with people at the gate who said our carry on items are too big (but they fitted in their damn measuring thingy), and finally us wearing several layers of clothes that they forced us to take out just to get on the plane.
Even though we were pretty annoyed, we were happy just to finally sit in the plane, going where we are supposed to go.
After landing came the next surprise. Since we were going to be there for a much longer period of time, we decided to explore the island and so we rented a car. Theoretically they were supposed to have a pickup point in the airport but, just to make things more interesting, of course it's not there… We couldn't reach them to any of their phone numbers and no one in the airport new anything about them, so we had little choice, and we rented a car from Hertz and decided to deal with this later.
Last time when we were here we stayed at PDB but this time we chose to try out Sant An. Since we planned on spending most of the days (and nights) out, then it really didn't matter all that much where to stay. We had booked a room in Fleming - a 2* hotel that was recommended by other spot-lighters and we can definitely add our recommendation to those. Good location, breakfast included in the price (and actually a very good breakfast, especially after a night out), self-laundry service, and it is possible to park our car outside on the street next to the hotel. Walls are thin so it sometimes gets loud but it doesn't really matter – you don't really go to Ibiza to get a good night's rest.
After checking-in, unpacking and shower it is too late to do much else so we decided to check out one of the bars (Tulp cafe) in the area. We feel tired, not very “heroicâ€, and we have a crazy schedule for next days, so we decide to take it easy and go out for dinner, drinks, and stay out as late as we can to adjust to the island's rhythm. We were pleasantly surprised that food (and drinks) in the Tulp were very good and not too pricy. After a while we got up and went for a walk in the West end, had few drinks here and there, found a very nice place called Villa Mercedes where they were playing live music and I had the best strawberry daiquiris ever. So even though the travel was a hustle and more than frustrating, the island was already working her magic on us and around 2am we headed home happy and satisfied to store up some energy for the days to follow.
Thursday the 6[SUP]th[/SUP]
We woke up refreshed and excited, and after a very nice breakfast got in the car and went exploring the northern coast of the island to find a beach that wouldn't be crowded and would be good for snorkeling. At first we got a bit of the road (we decided not to use a map), got lost, and had a lot of fun driving down roads that are so narrow, there is barely space for one car but you still sometimes have to pass by the car that's driving towards you. After a while we spotted a place that looked like it could have access to a beach and we just pulled over and went to check the place out. We were pretty high up in the mountains so it was no surprise that we ended up standing on the top of the cliff, looking at the stunningly beautiful rocky beach down below. A guy, who had pulled over shortly before us, after we asked him, is it possible to get to the beach from here, responded: only if you can fly. Well… neither that nor the fact that I was wearing a short summer dress and surf shoes seemed like a good enough reason not to try. We started climbing down one side but after approximately half an hour hit a cliff too steep to get down without any equipment so we turned back. We found another way that led down but it also ended in the middle of nowhere. There was a slope that seemed to have formed in some rockslide but we decided not to risk climbing down there as it is always possible to get down but it didn't look like it will be as easy to get back up. The hillside was still very steep and rocks there were not stable.
So we admitted that the mountain has won this time and headed back to the car, while still being happy about the adventure itself. We both had several cuts and bruises but it was totally worth it and we would do that again if such an opportunity would come.
So – we get in the car and we are on our way further. We chose a random beach that we see on the road signs (Beniras) and although it was not as empty as we would like, it was also not too crowded and had beautiful cliffs to snorkel around. Further out in the bay is a big cliff that looks like a sitting man but there were too many bots around to get there safely. We get our gear and explore right coast of the bay. We actually swam out as far as the sitting man was but our common sense continuously repeated it is a stupid idea to try and cross the bay where boats are coming in and going out, so we sticked to the plan and stayed near cliffs. The waters of Ibiza are just perfect for snorkeling – it's warm (so you don't get cramps in your body after spending two hours in the water), crystal clear, and just beautiful. There are cliffs that form weird shapes and caves that are fun to get to, funny little and not so little fishes, and sometimes a naked guy that just happens to be swimming half a kilometer from the cost where you are innocently snorkeling… oh well… it is Ibiza after all.
We spend most of the day there, snorkeling and sunbathing. Closer to the evening, after realizing that we are hungry, we decide to head a bit more north and go to Portinax for dinner. From what we saw, the beaches there were beautiful and the place itself is peaceful and seemed nice. We had a nice dinner in one of the restaurants next to the road and after that we headed back to Sant An.
Hard to explain why but I was still incredibly tired. I blame the last 3 days before leaving Latvia when I didn't sleep for more than 4 hours per night, but whatever the reason, we get back to the hotel and I almost immediately passed out. I didn't hear Steve taking a shower, going out to see what's happening, or coming back so he decided that I need some rest and allowed me to sleep till the morning which I did… I woke up after 9am and couldn't believe that I passed out like that and slept for a bit more than 12 hours. Luckily nothing much had happened that night so I didn't miss anything but the restored energy reserves became in handy as it was the Fiesta del Agua night in Es Paradis.
Friday the 7[SUP]th[/SUP]
So as I said, I woke up slightly shocked but well rested and after breakfast we once again get in the car to search for other beaches we haven't been on yet. We went to Es Canar and the surrounding area but unfortunately currents had carried jellyfish to eastern coast that day so going snorkeling wasn't really an option (at least not on the east coast). After visiting several beaches we decided to go to the northern side of the island. Once again we drove “off the map†and found ourselves standing on top of the cliff looking to a magnificent bay down bellow. We didn't know if it will be possible to get down there so we decided to leave our snorkeling equipment in the car and just try to see if it's possible to get down. Half way down a rocky road that twines through a forest, and we realize it actually could be possible. However, we didn't felt like going back to the car to get everything and we decided to just take a swim if it will be possible to get down. The climb down took us approximately half an hour but we were rewarded with the sweet taste of victory after making it to a bay that was formed from huge rocks that were most likely parts of surrounding cliffs detached in rockslides. There were few locals there but they didn't mind us being there or going for a swim. The water once again was just perfect. It would've been an excellent place where to snorkel but we also enjoyed just swimming there. After a while we spotted something that looked a lot like jellyfish and since we didn't wanted to linger to prove it (we had few accidents with jellyfishes few weeks ago in Venice and we both now share a respectable paranoia from meeting them again), it was getting closer to evening, and we both were getting hungry, we got out of the water and headed back to the car. Now, if the walk down took us about half an hour and was quite tiring, then getting back up (especially after a swim) at some point seemed like mission impossible but after some 45 minutes we were back in the car, heading home. We were driving through a little village and stopped for dinner there. The food was phenomenally good… we also finished a bottle of Ibiza wine and all an all were perfectly happy about our day out. However, this is the night to go out so we got back home, got ready, mixed some rum and coke to go, and head out for a walk before going to Es Paradis for water party.
The walk was great – nice and warm evening, cold drink, and we got to find other places we had heard about before (Café Mambo, Café del Mar etc). We went back home to change shoes to something that we wouldn't mind getting ruined in the water and we are off to the club. None of us had ever been to Es Paradis before but since we are fans of Espuma party in Amnesia, we wanted to check out what it's like. The club was a bit odd but maybe because they are trying to replicate what their idea of “paradise†is, however, the crowd was cool and even though I didn't know the DJ's or songs that they played that night, I can't say anything bad about it. We still had few purple stars left from our previous trip so we purchased two bottles of water and started looking for a free spot. We found one… like in Amnesia they have the elevated platforms and we had fun dancing above the crowd. Unfortunately, when the stars hit in, Steve's legs gave up on him but mine… well sitting down really wasn't an option so we found a spot for him to sit down and I returned to the platform. Sometime later club's dancers came out and everyone was asked to clear the platforms for them so I got back down. There was a very nice 50(ish) years old lady that came to me and said “it is a shame they took you off the platform. You have such nice legs…â€
Very soon the sprinkler system in the ceiling started working and that felt perfect as I always get incredibly hot, especially if I have used some unprescribed medicine.
The pool in the middle of dance floor started filling up with water, some people started swimming there but overall, crowd was having fun.I went to check how Steve was doing and since his legs still refused to cooperate, he just sent me back to the dance floor. It is difficult for a woman to dance alone in a club without being hit on and usually I always get a creepy guy who keeps following me but this time I was lucky enough to meet guys who were not at all creepy and happy to just dance with me. Nice people... polite.. shared a gum (I had forgotten mine home). The night was not at all blurry but it seemed to go incredibly fast. It was close to the morning and we decided to bail a bit earlier to get some well deserved rest.
Saturday, the 8[SUP]th[/SUP]
I cannot remember what time we woke up. I think it was way past noon but we felt good and decided to go to Eivissa town and spend our day there. The town is remarkably beautiful and we ended up going there several more times before we left the island. We accidentally made it to the Red Bull flying contest (I have no idea what the actual name is) where teams build their airplanes and compete against each other. We had some fun watching people crash-landing in the water but as the evening approached we went back to San An. The plan was to go to ElRow in Privilege but it was still early and we were tired from the last night so we laid down for a quick nap. I have no clue how we missed the alarm but I woke up around 2am because I felt too rested. Upsetting but we knew that we have three sleepless nights in the row coming up so common sense said it is good to store up some rest. So we did and I fell asleep with a thought in my head that I am in a definite need for some sleepless nights after this one.
(this review will take a while to finish. I started writing this while I was still in Ibiza but I gave up after day 7.. Espuma, ASOT and Neon nights coming up next
)
