Amigo
Well-Known Member
Hi there
Heres a run down of my recent trip from beaches to food and everything in between and then leading into the clubbing tales:
So there I was, 1997 and already having a few years of UK, Irish and North European clubbing exploits under my rave belt, I felt it was time to find that Holy Grail they call Ibiza. Six weeks to departure we got a call from the travel agents and we were double booked. We ended up in Magaluf. Ouch. 1998 and we finally made it. 16 blokes on a mission to uncover just what it was everyone was talking about. It didn’t take long. We went to every single club, experienced things that blew our minds, Manumission was on fire that year (Murder @ The Manumission Motel), Space was pure heaven for anyone who has queued in the snow on a winters night to go to a club in their time. It felt like a reward!
After two weeks, we came home with a renewed spirit. It was the year of Stardust, The Music Sounds Better With You, so of course it was up to my cheesy self to say those immortal words to the missus on my return. Within the year we were there to experience it together. Even after such a cringe worthy Stardust statement from me, we are still together. So here we are in 2006 and its our tenth visit to the island. The never ending legend of Ibiza continues.
To make a huge saving, we flew from Belfast via East Midlands. For some reason its about £350 each for a flight only direct from Belfast in peak season and by flying via East Midlands, both of us got to Ibiza and back for the same price. That freed up some funds for drinks in Space. A ten hour wait in between flights was pain free due to the comforting thought of what we knew lay ahead. We arrived on time and checked into our hotel, the supremely located Hostal Parque in Ibiza Town. Set on the magical Placa Del Parque, the rooms were small but spotless and with air con and the staff were great.
The view from our third floor room made the knees go a bit. Spanning the town and beyond and down onto the hippys below in the square, the bustling café bars, there was a lot to take in. Perfect. We celebrated our arrival with some tapas on the square and a bottle of curiously label-less wine which was reccomended to us, followed by a barrel load of Hierbas, the unique taste of the island for me. Three hours later we were throwing up! Label-less wine? What were we thinking?!
I wont split it into days but I’ll try to sum up exactly what we got up to. Beach wise, we spent a lot of the time on Talamanca beach. Decent little spot, it was only a quick blast on the boat to get across from the port and the brilliant Café Sidney awaits you at the other side for brunch which has one of the most extensive menus on the island. The fish shack on Talamanca was also a highlight. No menu, they tell you what they have, you order, you eat. Its amazing! So simple and so, so, so good.
Other beaches we visited were Aguas Blancas up on the North coast which is just a stunning location and well worth the drive. We’ve visited a hell of a lot of beaches in Ibiza and every year, a new one we see blows us away. We also called in to bar Sol D’en Serra. A magical spot on the East coast by Cala Llonga with an incredible location and the good old lie down cushion thing to stretch out while supping your cerveza. Definitely one of our favourite spots.
Formentera we made it to at last. As beautiful as rumoured and much bigger than I thought. I’ve never seen so many bike and car hire shops in one place in my life in the port! Its scary. They could do with a supermarket there though. We had a superb lunch at Las Banderas on the east coast and waddled out to bathe the almost deserted beach.
Food wise, well, where do you start. Still so many people have the Ibiza Uncovered view of Ibiza. Little do they know that, without doubt, Ibiza has some of the best restaurants in the world. No problem. I remember on my first visit at the age of 23 eating at those questionable places along the front of San An where a baked potato with tuna salad meant a spud with a tin of John West tipped on top and a bonus lettuce leaf if you were very lucky! We’ve been to a few of the biggies over the years as we got our bearings. There are still a ridiculous amount we want to go to, including Ama Lur which sounds delightful but we were unsure if our budget could stretch.
We did however revisit our favourite restaurant, La Torreta in Ibiza Town (971 300 411). Consistently brilliant, incredible standard of food and compared to some restaurants on the island, still quite reasonable in terms of prices. The service is simply the best and the location up there is soooo Ibiza. Magic and thoroughly recommended. Look out for the magician that wanders around that area. He’s not annoying like som of those performers. Hes a lovely guy and a class magician. Can Den Parra was lovely too (971 391 114). Just round the corner from Toretta, the tables weave their way up the lane to the bar.
El Ayoun (971 198 335) was OK this year. We had the misfortune of having a ridiculously smug waiter who seemed preoccupied with looking down his nose at us. This smugness deteriorated as quickly as his already declining tip just after he knocked our wine off the table while handing us the desert menu! Ha ha! El Ayoun is a lovely spot though but I don’t remember it being so expensive before. The exotic dancer who appeared now and again made up for that though! She was mesmerising. The missus actually had to kick me in the ankles a few times. Other highlights were Shanti Shakti, Kumharas (first time there, amazing! They have live Mcs and play some outrageous dub reggae at sunset. Lovely place and great atmosphere), El Destino.
One of our favourite non clubbing experiences this time was a night out in the cracking village of San Jose, as recommended by our very own Stephen. Remarkable tapas at El Destino which you are talked through in detail by the waiter. He takes you into the restaurant and shows you everything before you order. Delightful food and an eye opening desert tray that is brought to your table afterwards. Raco Verde was the next stop for a stunning night of live jazz with the locals. A beautiful voiced singer (similar to Sia from Zero 7) and a seamless band who treated us to some incredible freestyle action during the singers break. One of the best nights EVER I’ve had out in Ibiza and I would urge everyone to head up there one night. Jazz on Thursdays and Saturdays). Thanks for the tips Stephen.
Some great bars this year. Da Da Da @ Demiedo on a Wednesday night is great if you like bleeps, rock, electro and some filthy dirt. Thanks to Mc Boobies for the directions. Bodega just by the ramp in Ibiza Town is a great Spanish little bar with those mad pipe things to smoke too. Noctambula was cool, Villa Mercedes is always a favourite and seems so un-San An if you know what I mean. San An gets a bad rep still but if you think about it, there is a hell of a lot to do there. Es Reco in the West End is a great little bar too run by one of the maddest and most welcoming Spanish guys I have ever met. Always great to see that nut job.
Now, down to the nitty gritty. The clubs. Having been to them all over the years we were happy for a “quieter” holiday this year. Some chance. Each time we went out it got rudely messy! We did plan to go to a couple of others but money got the better of us. My favourite has always been Space. It has evolved magnificently over the years but the whole approach to the Sunday has changed forever. With Jonathan Ulycheese and a few others on the Sunset, its always a great vibe but there’s only so much “funky house” I can take I’m afraid. The atmosphere keeps you smiling no matter what though.
The new terrace has changed everything though. Really, there are no guests on in the club until around 8pm now though. But that’s fine. The residents do a sterling job and its an event run with military precision. The first Sunday we saw Ralph Lawson who was superb as ever. He mixed it up a bit and played right across the board which was refreshing as that new terrace tends to lean very much towards the electro sound.
I know Barbie and few others weren’t keen on this trend for that room. I think they could be a bit more diverse with their Djs on Sunday though. Apart from a few Sundays here and there, it’s the same musical policy on that new terrace which can get a bit samey. Even at the start of the night the likes of the Unabombers, Metro Area or Mr Scruff or something just to mix it up would be great and very refreshing. 12 Hours is a long time and gives you a great canvas to really build a night differently. But that’s just a minor gripe and to be fair they are trying some new things.
The horrific David Guetta followed and knocked out a lorry load of cheese to a surprisingly happy crowd. I didn’t think he was very We Love to be honest so I was surprised at the crowds reaction. Awful, terrible, ghastly music and he played his vocal version of The Egg twice! He started and ended with it and looped up “Don’t let me go” at the end. Painful. I was more than happy to let him go.
One other thing Barbie and others mentioned and I agree with it whole heartedly, is that incredibly rude and disrespectful new VIP area. How dare they infringe on OUR terrace so extensively! I have never known a VIP area to be so intrusive. Pacha do it pretty well I think, as you can still walk around the club. But this is just slap bang in the middle of our territory really. Personally I think it’s a disgrace and one which Space would sort out quickly. Surely it’s us, the loyal and loving regulars who own that terrace!!
Paul Woolford was great after Guetta and things got nicely deep down and dirty after that.
A great day and we met some lovely people, especially up in the yellow tube in the Premier Etage. A top spot for talking some top notch nonsense with strangers! A nocturnal trip to Bora Bora followed where we met the usual bunch of hilarious wandering misfits who we shared drinks with before heading to Mohar (I think its called that) just across from Tahiti for some beers and Hierbas before ending up at some crazed villa party near KM5 until silly O’clock which involved all levels of madness and a hell of a lot of laughs. The journey back to the hotel was painful though.
The next outing was Underground for Superfreq which by all accounts was the last one for now. It was excellent as always. Lovely people, lovely setting, top music, free in, Ibiza. Perfect. We had a ball there. Again we met some great fellow nutters and gave the Havianas a battering on the dance floor once again! We rolled out at the very end as the sun was coming up. I really hope they sort it all out there as it’s a cracking venue.
The second Sunday at Space was a weird one because of the World Cup final. It was very quiet and we caught The Gucci Sound System who were pretty good. It was so quiet though so we decided to head out for cheap booze until the footie finished. We headed to Bora Bora to meet up with friends to get a bit messy. It was rocking as always over there. Its such a happy place, it really is. As the day progressed we were soon dancing in the sand barefoot with a full moon beaming up above.
We staggered back to Space to catch Tiefschwarz who were very, very good. Their Essential Mix was a bit boring but they cranked it for the terrace and it was a fitting end to our clubbing exploits. They hit the vibe on the head and it was bordering on techno at times but never got too much and they didn’t make it too moody. We did plan Cocoon but as I say, money beat us. I did miss not going to DC10 though. Ill just have to raid the memory banks but it aint the same. Gutted. Maybe September! By all reports it’s as good if not better than ever. Actually I’m really gutted I missed it the more I think about it. Ah well.
So that was our 2006 trip. As fantastic as ever. As soon as I step on to the runway off the plane, a calm comes over me and it feels so good to be back. No matter what age you are and no matter what type of holiday you are looking for. No matter what tempo, no matter what vibe, Ibiza has everything and most things are a matter of minutes away. From the ridiculous to the sublime, from the manic to the tranquil, from the absurd to the educational, you don’t need me to tell you, it’s a special place and that’s why we all love it.
The building work that’s going on is depressing and somewhat sickening. That main road is a disgrace and I still cant get my head round it. I have my no volem autopista sticker and badge now though. But, finally, people in work and some friends who dont know the score always ask me “You’re going again? Don’t you ever feel like going somewhere else for goodness sake?” My answer is simple…. Ibiza is where my heart is, and as any old romantic knows, you’ve got to follow your heart.
Hasta 2007.
(or maybe September for a cheeky weekend! 8) )
Amigo
Heres a run down of my recent trip from beaches to food and everything in between and then leading into the clubbing tales:
So there I was, 1997 and already having a few years of UK, Irish and North European clubbing exploits under my rave belt, I felt it was time to find that Holy Grail they call Ibiza. Six weeks to departure we got a call from the travel agents and we were double booked. We ended up in Magaluf. Ouch. 1998 and we finally made it. 16 blokes on a mission to uncover just what it was everyone was talking about. It didn’t take long. We went to every single club, experienced things that blew our minds, Manumission was on fire that year (Murder @ The Manumission Motel), Space was pure heaven for anyone who has queued in the snow on a winters night to go to a club in their time. It felt like a reward!
After two weeks, we came home with a renewed spirit. It was the year of Stardust, The Music Sounds Better With You, so of course it was up to my cheesy self to say those immortal words to the missus on my return. Within the year we were there to experience it together. Even after such a cringe worthy Stardust statement from me, we are still together. So here we are in 2006 and its our tenth visit to the island. The never ending legend of Ibiza continues.
To make a huge saving, we flew from Belfast via East Midlands. For some reason its about £350 each for a flight only direct from Belfast in peak season and by flying via East Midlands, both of us got to Ibiza and back for the same price. That freed up some funds for drinks in Space. A ten hour wait in between flights was pain free due to the comforting thought of what we knew lay ahead. We arrived on time and checked into our hotel, the supremely located Hostal Parque in Ibiza Town. Set on the magical Placa Del Parque, the rooms were small but spotless and with air con and the staff were great.
The view from our third floor room made the knees go a bit. Spanning the town and beyond and down onto the hippys below in the square, the bustling café bars, there was a lot to take in. Perfect. We celebrated our arrival with some tapas on the square and a bottle of curiously label-less wine which was reccomended to us, followed by a barrel load of Hierbas, the unique taste of the island for me. Three hours later we were throwing up! Label-less wine? What were we thinking?!
I wont split it into days but I’ll try to sum up exactly what we got up to. Beach wise, we spent a lot of the time on Talamanca beach. Decent little spot, it was only a quick blast on the boat to get across from the port and the brilliant Café Sidney awaits you at the other side for brunch which has one of the most extensive menus on the island. The fish shack on Talamanca was also a highlight. No menu, they tell you what they have, you order, you eat. Its amazing! So simple and so, so, so good.
Other beaches we visited were Aguas Blancas up on the North coast which is just a stunning location and well worth the drive. We’ve visited a hell of a lot of beaches in Ibiza and every year, a new one we see blows us away. We also called in to bar Sol D’en Serra. A magical spot on the East coast by Cala Llonga with an incredible location and the good old lie down cushion thing to stretch out while supping your cerveza. Definitely one of our favourite spots.
Formentera we made it to at last. As beautiful as rumoured and much bigger than I thought. I’ve never seen so many bike and car hire shops in one place in my life in the port! Its scary. They could do with a supermarket there though. We had a superb lunch at Las Banderas on the east coast and waddled out to bathe the almost deserted beach.
Food wise, well, where do you start. Still so many people have the Ibiza Uncovered view of Ibiza. Little do they know that, without doubt, Ibiza has some of the best restaurants in the world. No problem. I remember on my first visit at the age of 23 eating at those questionable places along the front of San An where a baked potato with tuna salad meant a spud with a tin of John West tipped on top and a bonus lettuce leaf if you were very lucky! We’ve been to a few of the biggies over the years as we got our bearings. There are still a ridiculous amount we want to go to, including Ama Lur which sounds delightful but we were unsure if our budget could stretch.
We did however revisit our favourite restaurant, La Torreta in Ibiza Town (971 300 411). Consistently brilliant, incredible standard of food and compared to some restaurants on the island, still quite reasonable in terms of prices. The service is simply the best and the location up there is soooo Ibiza. Magic and thoroughly recommended. Look out for the magician that wanders around that area. He’s not annoying like som of those performers. Hes a lovely guy and a class magician. Can Den Parra was lovely too (971 391 114). Just round the corner from Toretta, the tables weave their way up the lane to the bar.
El Ayoun (971 198 335) was OK this year. We had the misfortune of having a ridiculously smug waiter who seemed preoccupied with looking down his nose at us. This smugness deteriorated as quickly as his already declining tip just after he knocked our wine off the table while handing us the desert menu! Ha ha! El Ayoun is a lovely spot though but I don’t remember it being so expensive before. The exotic dancer who appeared now and again made up for that though! She was mesmerising. The missus actually had to kick me in the ankles a few times. Other highlights were Shanti Shakti, Kumharas (first time there, amazing! They have live Mcs and play some outrageous dub reggae at sunset. Lovely place and great atmosphere), El Destino.
One of our favourite non clubbing experiences this time was a night out in the cracking village of San Jose, as recommended by our very own Stephen. Remarkable tapas at El Destino which you are talked through in detail by the waiter. He takes you into the restaurant and shows you everything before you order. Delightful food and an eye opening desert tray that is brought to your table afterwards. Raco Verde was the next stop for a stunning night of live jazz with the locals. A beautiful voiced singer (similar to Sia from Zero 7) and a seamless band who treated us to some incredible freestyle action during the singers break. One of the best nights EVER I’ve had out in Ibiza and I would urge everyone to head up there one night. Jazz on Thursdays and Saturdays). Thanks for the tips Stephen.
Some great bars this year. Da Da Da @ Demiedo on a Wednesday night is great if you like bleeps, rock, electro and some filthy dirt. Thanks to Mc Boobies for the directions. Bodega just by the ramp in Ibiza Town is a great Spanish little bar with those mad pipe things to smoke too. Noctambula was cool, Villa Mercedes is always a favourite and seems so un-San An if you know what I mean. San An gets a bad rep still but if you think about it, there is a hell of a lot to do there. Es Reco in the West End is a great little bar too run by one of the maddest and most welcoming Spanish guys I have ever met. Always great to see that nut job.
Now, down to the nitty gritty. The clubs. Having been to them all over the years we were happy for a “quieter” holiday this year. Some chance. Each time we went out it got rudely messy! We did plan to go to a couple of others but money got the better of us. My favourite has always been Space. It has evolved magnificently over the years but the whole approach to the Sunday has changed forever. With Jonathan Ulycheese and a few others on the Sunset, its always a great vibe but there’s only so much “funky house” I can take I’m afraid. The atmosphere keeps you smiling no matter what though.
The new terrace has changed everything though. Really, there are no guests on in the club until around 8pm now though. But that’s fine. The residents do a sterling job and its an event run with military precision. The first Sunday we saw Ralph Lawson who was superb as ever. He mixed it up a bit and played right across the board which was refreshing as that new terrace tends to lean very much towards the electro sound.
I know Barbie and few others weren’t keen on this trend for that room. I think they could be a bit more diverse with their Djs on Sunday though. Apart from a few Sundays here and there, it’s the same musical policy on that new terrace which can get a bit samey. Even at the start of the night the likes of the Unabombers, Metro Area or Mr Scruff or something just to mix it up would be great and very refreshing. 12 Hours is a long time and gives you a great canvas to really build a night differently. But that’s just a minor gripe and to be fair they are trying some new things.
The horrific David Guetta followed and knocked out a lorry load of cheese to a surprisingly happy crowd. I didn’t think he was very We Love to be honest so I was surprised at the crowds reaction. Awful, terrible, ghastly music and he played his vocal version of The Egg twice! He started and ended with it and looped up “Don’t let me go” at the end. Painful. I was more than happy to let him go.
One other thing Barbie and others mentioned and I agree with it whole heartedly, is that incredibly rude and disrespectful new VIP area. How dare they infringe on OUR terrace so extensively! I have never known a VIP area to be so intrusive. Pacha do it pretty well I think, as you can still walk around the club. But this is just slap bang in the middle of our territory really. Personally I think it’s a disgrace and one which Space would sort out quickly. Surely it’s us, the loyal and loving regulars who own that terrace!!
Paul Woolford was great after Guetta and things got nicely deep down and dirty after that.
A great day and we met some lovely people, especially up in the yellow tube in the Premier Etage. A top spot for talking some top notch nonsense with strangers! A nocturnal trip to Bora Bora followed where we met the usual bunch of hilarious wandering misfits who we shared drinks with before heading to Mohar (I think its called that) just across from Tahiti for some beers and Hierbas before ending up at some crazed villa party near KM5 until silly O’clock which involved all levels of madness and a hell of a lot of laughs. The journey back to the hotel was painful though.
The next outing was Underground for Superfreq which by all accounts was the last one for now. It was excellent as always. Lovely people, lovely setting, top music, free in, Ibiza. Perfect. We had a ball there. Again we met some great fellow nutters and gave the Havianas a battering on the dance floor once again! We rolled out at the very end as the sun was coming up. I really hope they sort it all out there as it’s a cracking venue.
The second Sunday at Space was a weird one because of the World Cup final. It was very quiet and we caught The Gucci Sound System who were pretty good. It was so quiet though so we decided to head out for cheap booze until the footie finished. We headed to Bora Bora to meet up with friends to get a bit messy. It was rocking as always over there. Its such a happy place, it really is. As the day progressed we were soon dancing in the sand barefoot with a full moon beaming up above.
We staggered back to Space to catch Tiefschwarz who were very, very good. Their Essential Mix was a bit boring but they cranked it for the terrace and it was a fitting end to our clubbing exploits. They hit the vibe on the head and it was bordering on techno at times but never got too much and they didn’t make it too moody. We did plan Cocoon but as I say, money beat us. I did miss not going to DC10 though. Ill just have to raid the memory banks but it aint the same. Gutted. Maybe September! By all reports it’s as good if not better than ever. Actually I’m really gutted I missed it the more I think about it. Ah well.
So that was our 2006 trip. As fantastic as ever. As soon as I step on to the runway off the plane, a calm comes over me and it feels so good to be back. No matter what age you are and no matter what type of holiday you are looking for. No matter what tempo, no matter what vibe, Ibiza has everything and most things are a matter of minutes away. From the ridiculous to the sublime, from the manic to the tranquil, from the absurd to the educational, you don’t need me to tell you, it’s a special place and that’s why we all love it.
The building work that’s going on is depressing and somewhat sickening. That main road is a disgrace and I still cant get my head round it. I have my no volem autopista sticker and badge now though. But, finally, people in work and some friends who dont know the score always ask me “You’re going again? Don’t you ever feel like going somewhere else for goodness sake?” My answer is simple…. Ibiza is where my heart is, and as any old romantic knows, you’ve got to follow your heart.
Hasta 2007.
(or maybe September for a cheeky weekend! 8) )
Amigo
