Tell us how it was - Ibiza 2021

I am going to write a thorough review of my first time on the island, despite being absolutely exhausted after traveling around 17 hours in total today/yesterday. I have an afterglow from my experience and wanted to capture my feelings while they're fresh.

Dates you were there: August 28 to September 4 2021

Where you stayed:
Wi-Ki-Woo, Sant Antoni - I purchased a front-facing sea view room for the week. I absolutely loved it here, despite its flaws - which I will go over after the positives. The staff were not only stunningly gorgeous but equally helpful and enthusiastic to make your stay as unique as possible. I may or may not have fallen head over heels for one of the staff - and she knew it. Also may or may not have gone on a cheeky date at one point. The drinks at the hotel bar were fantastic, potent and original. There was not a single dead night at the Wi Ki Woo bar while I was there, and it f***ing ruled. The pool, which I spent a day hanging around, was great too.

I will go over the cons now. The morning-after stench from the Wiggly Woo (the "secret" club which can be rented) reminded me very much of my days in college, living in a fraternity house - and not in a cute way. Beer, sweat, other bodily fluids...I could practically smell it from my door on the first floor. The noise from the club - or rather, its denizens - kept me up a night or two. But honestly, I wasn't even mad because I knew what I was signing up for - a party environment. And I loved it all the same.

Club nights visited:
Only one real 'club' night. Pike's Wednesday night, for OuShe, an all-female DJ event led by Santanna Oush. I was adopted by a lovely group of British and French young people about my age, and we had an absolute blast dancing by our table. The DJs, on a rotation of sorts, had a really inconsistent vibe going, at point dipping to mid-90 BPM lounge after a half hour of great, bangin' house tracks. All was forgiven though because there was a course correction and things got back on track.

This is a general note. It really, really blew my mind how f***ing inconsistent security was, not just at Pike's but everywhere I went for nightlife, with dancing and enforcement. They would let us, they would stop us. They would let us, stop us. Ad nauseum. What is the point, if the EU is 70% vaccinated now? Another general point - masking. Nobody seemed to give a f*** about wearing one consistently, staff (whether it be at restaurants, bars, etc.) or tourists. I observed many a time a waitstaff taking off a mask to talk to a customer and then place it back on to walk back to the kitchen or bar. I did not care that they did not care - it simply did not compute to me that the Balearic government can lag so far behind in lifting restrictions. It was absurdity in the truest sense of the word.

Best night:
There were so many highlights, but I think I have two - my first night, and the last night. The first night, I arrived at 19:00h, exhausted but determined to get food. I walked from the hotel to Es Pueto (recommended by, ahem, staff) which proved to be extremely taxing. But I couldn't care less that my feet now hurt. I was in Ibiza. I walked past the Sunset Strip just as our radiant star took to its evening ritual, and I stopped in my tracks, awed by the sheer enormity of the sun on the crystalline horizon and the crowds. I felt a swelling in my chest as what felt like thousands of people, myself included, applauded. I felt a momentary pang of silliness, like those people that clap when the plane lands. I quickly smothered that sentiment with the fact that, I was indeed in Ibiza. The question driving my ethos the entire week appeared for the first time since planning the trip - Why not?

I reached Es Pueto at 21:00h and had to wait an hour for a table. f*** it, I thought, I didn't walk this distance for nothing. Plus, I had passed Lineker's, Itaca, etc. on my way over and intended to hit them up on the way back. This was exactly what I did - I was seated alone in Itaca at a depressing island table where I felt all the people with table reservations could laugh at me, a la a Roman arena. Thankfully, two drinks in a group of young Irish people (four girls, one guy) asked me to take their group pic in the booth behind me. I sidled up and started conversation, asking if I could join them - to which they heartily agreed. Rounds and rounds and rounds of Jägerbombs flowed free as rain that night, mostly on me, and I walked (stumbled) out later having proudly won an admission from the Irishman that I, "an American," had outdrank him. I spryly headed home, that same dumb grin plastered on my face from earlier.

I also love the night at Paradise Lost for how ridiculous it was (detailed below).

Worst night:
There are no bad nights in Ibiza. I will say, though, I headed to Formentera for my last day way too late in the day (15:00h) and did zero research on what to do there, so that was a pretty significant misstep on my part. It was a mess.

Best bar:
Paradise Lost in Ibiza Town, by far. Massive props to Jim/Jimmy, the owner and utter genius mixologist. I do not say that lightly. I got there early enough in the night to where it was just him and I at one point inside, and he made me some special drinks he was still working on. He was receptive to my feedback, and made a second one with my advice in mind which I found to be both extremely considerate and humble on his part - I mean, who the hell was I, after all? He had a demeanor of gruff seriousness about him, but as I spoke with him at length about John Milton and his inspiration for the bar, I learned as any person getting the glimpse of another tends to do, that he was a kind and understanding man with a deep intelligence for handling people. And drinks. The f***ing drinks were incredible. I will miss Paradise Lost sincerely.

My time in the bar was cut short, however, by a character whom I will call "Eris" (the Greek goddess of strife and chaos), a gorgeous, blonde British woman who nearly got my shit f***ed up by a gang of locals in a botched drug deal where she got robbed. Long story short (though I relish each of the insane details that replay in my head) - she yanks me out of the bar after snagging me after I had placed an order. Grabs my hand, gives me a flash of her eyes that any man would turn their brain off for, and out we go into the night. There it is again, that question - why not? She tried buying drugs from local kids who couldn't have been older than 17-18 (against my will, I insisted seriously that she quit it - and realized at that moment I may have f***ed up) in the town center. She disappears with them, and reappears 10 minutes later saying they just took the money she offered them and ran. It becomes all she can talk about, and then yanks me again in their general direction. We end up in a dark street where she confronts the kids. A yelling match ensues between them as I try and hold her back by the waist. The guys are coming up in my face, yelling at me to get her out of there. More guys materialize from nearby doorways. Shit. Now I'm really trying to get her out of there but she is stoic. An older man whom I presume was the leader comes up and starts yelling at her. I feel her yield for a second - all I need to start dragging her by the waist to get out of there. I dump her on a street next to Paradise Lost with the leader, sprint into the bar to profusely apologize to Jim and to pay my tab, then sprint to the taxi queue by the ferry stop.

What the f*** just happened? I couldn't help but laugh my ass off in the taxi. After all, I had my money, cards, phone and keys on me. If I hadn't, I would have a much different opinion on what happened. I know Eris is still out there, just violently careening into other human beings like atoms in a Hadron collider.

Best place to eat:
Best food I had was at Es Tragón, a Michelin * restaurant - though the service took an incredible four and a half hours to finish. Thankfully I met a lovely Polish family that kept me company throughout, and made for excellent conversation. Second-best foo foo place to eat was at IT Ibiza, in Marina Botafoch. Great Italian food.

Favorite unpretentious food was getting a true Spanish breakfast at Restaurante Benitez in San An. Cheap as shit, too.

Best beach and/or beach club:
I had a great beach day at Cala Gracio on my first day on the island. I also went to Blue Marlin one day, but my time there was hamstrung by the fact that I had booked Pike's the same evening.

Money spent:
About $5,000 (USD), including $2,000 for the hotel, $1,500 for the flight (booked it cheaper, but had to move dates because of a new job), and $1,500 for expenditures for the week (this was actually lower than I thought originally).

Biggest regret:
Not making the right moves at the right time at a certain time during the week. Whoops.

Going back?:
Absolutely.

Top tip:
Let the island's spirit be your will.
 
I am going to write a thorough review of my first time on the island, despite being absolutely exhausted after traveling around 17 hours in total today/yesterday. I have an afterglow from my experience and wanted to capture my feelings while they're fresh.

Dates you were there: August 28 to September 4 2021

Where you stayed: Wi-Ki-Woo, Sant Antoni - I purchased a front-facing sea view room for the week. I absolutely loved it here, despite its flaws - which I will go over after the positives. The staff were not only stunningly gorgeous but equally helpful and enthusiastic to make your stay as unique as possible. I may or may not have fallen head over heels for one of the staff - and she knew it. Also may or may not have gone on a cheeky date at one point. The drinks at the hotel bar were fantastic, potent and original. There was not a single dead night at the Wi Ki Woo bar while I was there, and it f***ing ruled. The pool, which I spent a day hanging around, was great too.

I will go over the cons now. The morning-after stench from the Wiggly Woo (the "secret" club which can be rented) reminded me very much of my days in college, living in a fraternity house - and not in a cute way. Beer, sweat, other bodily fluids...I could practically smell it from my door on the first floor. The noise from the club - or rather, its denizens - kept me up a night or two. But honestly, I wasn't even mad because I knew what I was signing up for - a party environment. And I loved it all the same.

Club nights visited: Only one real 'club' night. Pike's Wednesday night, for OuShe, an all-female DJ event led by Santanna Oush. I was adopted by a lovely group of British and French young people about my age, and we had an absolute blast dancing by our table. The DJs, on a rotation of sorts, had a really inconsistent vibe going, at point dipping to mid-90 BPM lounge after a half hour of great, bangin' house tracks. All was forgiven though because there was a course correction and things got back on track.

This is a general note. It really, really blew my mind how f***ing inconsistent security was, not just at Pike's but everywhere I went for nightlife, with dancing and enforcement. They would let us, they would stop us. They would let us, stop us. Ad nauseum. What is the point, if the EU is 70% vaccinated now? Another general point - masking. Nobody seemed to give a f*** about wearing one consistently, staff (whether it be at restaurants, bars, etc.) or tourists. I observed many a time a waitstaff taking off a mask to talk to a customer and then place it back on to walk back to the kitchen or bar. I did not care that they did not care - it simply did not compute to me that the Balearic government can lag so far behind in lifting restrictions. It was absurdity in the truest sense of the word.

Best night: There were so many highlights, but I think I have two - my first night, and the last night. The first night, I arrived at 19:00h, exhausted but determined to get food. I walked from the hotel to Es Pueto (recommended by, ahem, staff) which proved to be extremely taxing. But I couldn't care less that my feet now hurt. I was in Ibiza. I walked past the Sunset Strip just as our radiant star took to its evening ritual, and I stopped in my tracks, awed by the sheer enormity of the sun on the crystalline horizon and the crowds. I felt a swelling in my chest as what felt like thousands of people, myself included, applauded. I felt a momentary pang of silliness, like those people that clap when the plane lands. I quickly smothered that sentiment with the fact that, I was indeed in Ibiza. The question driving my ethos the entire week appeared for the first time since planning the trip - Why not?

I reached Es Pueto at 21:00h and had to wait an hour for a table. f*** it, I thought, I didn't walk this distance for nothing. Plus, I had passed Lineker's, Itaca, etc. on my way over and intended to hit them up on the way back. This was exactly what I did - I was seated alone in Itaca at a depressing island table where I felt all the people with table reservations could laugh at me, a la a Roman arena. Thankfully, two drinks in a group of young Irish people (four girls, one guy) asked me to take their group pic in the booth behind me. I sidled up and started conversation, asking if I could join them - to which they heartily agreed. Rounds and rounds and rounds of Jägerbombs flowed free as rain that night, mostly on me, and I walked (stumbled) out later having proudly won an admission from the Irishman that I, "an American," had outdrank him. I spryly headed home, that same dumb grin plastered on my face from earlier.

I also love the night at Paradise Lost for how ridiculous it was (detailed below).

Worst night: There are no bad nights in Ibiza. I will say, though, I headed to Formentera for my last day way too late in the day (15:00h) and did zero research on what to do there, so that was a pretty significant misstep on my part. It was a mess.

Best bar: Paradise Lost in Ibiza Town, by far. Massive props to Jim/Jimmy, the owner and utter genius mixologist. I do not say that lightly. I got there early enough in the night to where it was just him and I at one point inside, and he made me some special drinks he was still working on. He was receptive to my feedback, and made a second one with my advice in mind which I found to be both extremely considerate and humble on his part - I mean, who the hell was I, after all? He had a demeanor of gruff seriousness about him, but as I spoke with him at length about John Milton and his inspiration for the bar, I learned as any person getting the glimpse of another tends to do, that he was a kind and understanding man with a deep intelligence for handling people. And drinks. The f***ing drinks were incredible. I will miss Paradise Lost sincerely.

My time in the bar was cut short, however, by a character whom I will call "Eris" (the Greek goddess of strife and chaos), a gorgeous, blonde British woman who nearly got my shit f***ed up by a gang of locals in a botched drug deal where she got robbed. Long story short (though I relish each of the insane details that replay in my head) - she yanks me out of the bar after snagging me after I had placed an order. Grabs my hand, gives me a flash of her eyes that any man would turn their brain off for, and out we go into the night. There it is again, that question - why not? She tried buying drugs from local kids who couldn't have been older than 17-18 (against my will, I insisted seriously that she quit it - and realized at that moment I may have f***ed up) in the town center. She disappears with them, and reappears 10 minutes later saying they just took the money she offered them and ran. It becomes all she can talk about, and then yanks me again in their general direction. We end up in a dark street where she confronts the kids. A yelling match ensues between them as I try and hold her back by the waist. The guys are coming up in my face, yelling at me to get her out of there. More guys materialize from nearby doorways. Shit. Now I'm really trying to get her out of there but she is stoic. An older man whom I presume was the leader comes up and starts yelling at her. I feel her yield for a second - all I need to start dragging her by the waist to get out of there. I dump her on a street next to Paradise Lost with the leader, sprint into the bar to profusely apologize to Jim and to pay my tab, then sprint to the taxi queue by the ferry stop.

What the f*** just happened? I couldn't help but laugh my ass off in the taxi. After all, I had my money, cards, phone and keys on me. If I hadn't, I would have a much different opinion on what happened. I know Eris is still out there, just violently careening into other human beings like atoms in a Hadron collider.

Best place to eat: Best food I had was at Es Tragón, a Michelin * restaurant - though the service took an incredible four and a half hours to finish. Thankfully I met a lovely Polish family that kept me company throughout, and made for excellent conversation. Second-best foo foo place to eat was at IT Ibiza, in Marina Botafoch. Great Italian food.

Favorite unpretentious food was getting a true Spanish breakfast at Restaurante Benitez in San An. Cheap as shit, too.

Best beach and/or beach club: I had a great beach day at Cala Gracio on my first day on the island. I also went to Blue Marlin one day, but my time there was hamstrung by the fact that I had booked Pike's the same evening.

Money spent: About $5,000 (USD), including $2,000 for the hotel, $1,500 for the flight (booked it cheaper, but had to move dates because of a new job), and $1,500 for expenditures for the week (this was actually lower than I thought originally).

Biggest regret: Not making the right moves at the right time at a certain time during the week. Whoops.

Going back?: Absolutely.

Top tip: Let the island's spirit be your will.
👏
 
I am going to write a thorough review of my first time on the island, despite being absolutely exhausted after traveling around 17 hours in total today/yesterday. I have an afterglow from my experience and wanted to capture my feelings while they're fresh.

Dates you were there: August 28 to September 4 2021

Where you stayed: Wi-Ki-Woo, Sant Antoni - I purchased a front-facing sea view room for the week. I absolutely loved it here, despite its flaws - which I will go over after the positives. The staff were not only stunningly gorgeous but equally helpful and enthusiastic to make your stay as unique as possible. I may or may not have fallen head over heels for one of the staff - and she knew it. Also may or may not have gone on a cheeky date at one point. The drinks at the hotel bar were fantastic, potent and original. There was not a single dead night at the Wi Ki Woo bar while I was there, and it f***ing ruled. The pool, which I spent a day hanging around, was great too.

I will go over the cons now. The morning-after stench from the Wiggly Woo (the "secret" club which can be rented) reminded me very much of my days in college, living in a fraternity house - and not in a cute way. Beer, sweat, other bodily fluids...I could practically smell it from my door on the first floor. The noise from the club - or rather, its denizens - kept me up a night or two. But honestly, I wasn't even mad because I knew what I was signing up for - a party environment. And I loved it all the same.

Club nights visited: Only one real 'club' night. Pike's Wednesday night, for OuShe, an all-female DJ event led by Santanna Oush. I was adopted by a lovely group of British and French young people about my age, and we had an absolute blast dancing by our table. The DJs, on a rotation of sorts, had a really inconsistent vibe going, at point dipping to mid-90 BPM lounge after a half hour of great, bangin' house tracks. All was forgiven though because there was a course correction and things got back on track.

This is a general note. It really, really blew my mind how f***ing inconsistent security was, not just at Pike's but everywhere I went for nightlife, with dancing and enforcement. They would let us, they would stop us. They would let us, stop us. Ad nauseum. What is the point, if the EU is 70% vaccinated now? Another general point - masking. Nobody seemed to give a f*** about wearing one consistently, staff (whether it be at restaurants, bars, etc.) or tourists. I observed many a time a waitstaff taking off a mask to talk to a customer and then place it back on to walk back to the kitchen or bar. I did not care that they did not care - it simply did not compute to me that the Balearic government can lag so far behind in lifting restrictions. It was absurdity in the truest sense of the word.

Best night: There were so many highlights, but I think I have two - my first night, and the last night. The first night, I arrived at 19:00h, exhausted but determined to get food. I walked from the hotel to Es Pueto (recommended by, ahem, staff) which proved to be extremely taxing. But I couldn't care less that my feet now hurt. I was in Ibiza. I walked past the Sunset Strip just as our radiant star took to its evening ritual, and I stopped in my tracks, awed by the sheer enormity of the sun on the crystalline horizon and the crowds. I felt a swelling in my chest as what felt like thousands of people, myself included, applauded. I felt a momentary pang of silliness, like those people that clap when the plane lands. I quickly smothered that sentiment with the fact that, I was indeed in Ibiza. The question driving my ethos the entire week appeared for the first time since planning the trip - Why not?

I reached Es Pueto at 21:00h and had to wait an hour for a table. f*** it, I thought, I didn't walk this distance for nothing. Plus, I had passed Lineker's, Itaca, etc. on my way over and intended to hit them up on the way back. This was exactly what I did - I was seated alone in Itaca at a depressing island table where I felt all the people with table reservations could laugh at me, a la a Roman arena. Thankfully, two drinks in a group of young Irish people (four girls, one guy) asked me to take their group pic in the booth behind me. I sidled up and started conversation, asking if I could join them - to which they heartily agreed. Rounds and rounds and rounds of Jägerbombs flowed free as rain that night, mostly on me, and I walked (stumbled) out later having proudly won an admission from the Irishman that I, "an American," had outdrank him. I spryly headed home, that same dumb grin plastered on my face from earlier.

I also love the night at Paradise Lost for how ridiculous it was (detailed below).

Worst night: There are no bad nights in Ibiza. I will say, though, I headed to Formentera for my last day way too late in the day (15:00h) and did zero research on what to do there, so that was a pretty significant misstep on my part. It was a mess.

Best bar: Paradise Lost in Ibiza Town, by far. Massive props to Jim/Jimmy, the owner and utter genius mixologist. I do not say that lightly. I got there early enough in the night to where it was just him and I at one point inside, and he made me some special drinks he was still working on. He was receptive to my feedback, and made a second one with my advice in mind which I found to be both extremely considerate and humble on his part - I mean, who the hell was I, after all? He had a demeanor of gruff seriousness about him, but as I spoke with him at length about John Milton and his inspiration for the bar, I learned as any person getting the glimpse of another tends to do, that he was a kind and understanding man with a deep intelligence for handling people. And drinks. The f***ing drinks were incredible. I will miss Paradise Lost sincerely.

My time in the bar was cut short, however, by a character whom I will call "Eris" (the Greek goddess of strife and chaos), a gorgeous, blonde British woman who nearly got my shit f***ed up by a gang of locals in a botched drug deal where she got robbed. Long story short (though I relish each of the insane details that replay in my head) - she yanks me out of the bar after snagging me after I had placed an order. Grabs my hand, gives me a flash of her eyes that any man would turn their brain off for, and out we go into the night. There it is again, that question - why not? She tried buying drugs from local kids who couldn't have been older than 17-18 (against my will, I insisted seriously that she quit it - and realized at that moment I may have f***ed up) in the town center. She disappears with them, and reappears 10 minutes later saying they just took the money she offered them and ran. It becomes all she can talk about, and then yanks me again in their general direction. We end up in a dark street where she confronts the kids. A yelling match ensues between them as I try and hold her back by the waist. The guys are coming up in my face, yelling at me to get her out of there. More guys materialize from nearby doorways. Shit. Now I'm really trying to get her out of there but she is stoic. An older man whom I presume was the leader comes up and starts yelling at her. I feel her yield for a second - all I need to start dragging her by the waist to get out of there. I dump her on a street next to Paradise Lost with the leader, sprint into the bar to profusely apologize to Jim and to pay my tab, then sprint to the taxi queue by the ferry stop.

What the f*** just happened? I couldn't help but laugh my ass off in the taxi. After all, I had my money, cards, phone and keys on me. If I hadn't, I would have a much different opinion on what happened. I know Eris is still out there, just violently careening into other human beings like atoms in a Hadron collider.

Best place to eat: Best food I had was at Es Tragón, a Michelin * restaurant - though the service took an incredible four and a half hours to finish. Thankfully I met a lovely Polish family that kept me company throughout, and made for excellent conversation. Second-best foo foo place to eat was at IT Ibiza, in Marina Botafoch. Great Italian food.

Favorite unpretentious food was getting a true Spanish breakfast at Restaurante Benitez in San An. Cheap as shit, too.

Best beach and/or beach club: I had a great beach day at Cala Gracio on my first day on the island. I also went to Blue Marlin one day, but my time there was hamstrung by the fact that I had booked Pike's the same evening.

Money spent: About $5,000 (USD), including $2,000 for the hotel, $1,500 for the flight (booked it cheaper, but had to move dates because of a new job), and $1,500 for expenditures for the week (this was actually lower than I thought originally).

Biggest regret: Not making the right moves at the right time at a certain time during the week. Whoops.

Going back?: Absolutely.

Top tip: Let the island's spirit be your will.
Great review! Sounds like you had a brilliant time. Some great sentences that made me chuckle in that post too
 
I am going to write a thorough review of my first time on the island, despite being absolutely exhausted after traveling around 17 hours in total today/yesterday. I have an afterglow from my experience and wanted to capture my feelings while they're fresh.

Dates you were there: August 28 to September 4 2021

Where you stayed: Wi-Ki-Woo, Sant Antoni - I purchased a front-facing sea view room for the week. I absolutely loved it here, despite its flaws - which I will go over after the positives. The staff were not only stunningly gorgeous but equally helpful and enthusiastic to make your stay as unique as possible. I may or may not have fallen head over heels for one of the staff - and she knew it. Also may or may not have gone on a cheeky date at one point. The drinks at the hotel bar were fantastic, potent and original. There was not a single dead night at the Wi Ki Woo bar while I was there, and it f***ing ruled. The pool, which I spent a day hanging around, was great too.

I will go over the cons now. The morning-after stench from the Wiggly Woo (the "secret" club which can be rented) reminded me very much of my days in college, living in a fraternity house - and not in a cute way. Beer, sweat, other bodily fluids...I could practically smell it from my door on the first floor. The noise from the club - or rather, its denizens - kept me up a night or two. But honestly, I wasn't even mad because I knew what I was signing up for - a party environment. And I loved it all the same.

Club nights visited: Only one real 'club' night. Pike's Wednesday night, for OuShe, an all-female DJ event led by Santanna Oush. I was adopted by a lovely group of British and French young people about my age, and we had an absolute blast dancing by our table. The DJs, on a rotation of sorts, had a really inconsistent vibe going, at point dipping to mid-90 BPM lounge after a half hour of great, bangin' house tracks. All was forgiven though because there was a course correction and things got back on track.

This is a general note. It really, really blew my mind how f***ing inconsistent security was, not just at Pike's but everywhere I went for nightlife, with dancing and enforcement. They would let us, they would stop us. They would let us, stop us. Ad nauseum. What is the point, if the EU is 70% vaccinated now? Another general point - masking. Nobody seemed to give a f*** about wearing one consistently, staff (whether it be at restaurants, bars, etc.) or tourists. I observed many a time a waitstaff taking off a mask to talk to a customer and then place it back on to walk back to the kitchen or bar. I did not care that they did not care - it simply did not compute to me that the Balearic government can lag so far behind in lifting restrictions. It was absurdity in the truest sense of the word.

Best night: There were so many highlights, but I think I have two - my first night, and the last night. The first night, I arrived at 19:00h, exhausted but determined to get food. I walked from the hotel to Es Pueto (recommended by, ahem, staff) which proved to be extremely taxing. But I couldn't care less that my feet now hurt. I was in Ibiza. I walked past the Sunset Strip just as our radiant star took to its evening ritual, and I stopped in my tracks, awed by the sheer enormity of the sun on the crystalline horizon and the crowds. I felt a swelling in my chest as what felt like thousands of people, myself included, applauded. I felt a momentary pang of silliness, like those people that clap when the plane lands. I quickly smothered that sentiment with the fact that, I was indeed in Ibiza. The question driving my ethos the entire week appeared for the first time since planning the trip - Why not?

I reached Es Pueto at 21:00h and had to wait an hour for a table. f*** it, I thought, I didn't walk this distance for nothing. Plus, I had passed Lineker's, Itaca, etc. on my way over and intended to hit them up on the way back. This was exactly what I did - I was seated alone in Itaca at a depressing island table where I felt all the people with table reservations could laugh at me, a la a Roman arena. Thankfully, two drinks in a group of young Irish people (four girls, one guy) asked me to take their group pic in the booth behind me. I sidled up and started conversation, asking if I could join them - to which they heartily agreed. Rounds and rounds and rounds of Jägerbombs flowed free as rain that night, mostly on me, and I walked (stumbled) out later having proudly won an admission from the Irishman that I, "an American," had outdrank him. I spryly headed home, that same dumb grin plastered on my face from earlier.

I also love the night at Paradise Lost for how ridiculous it was (detailed below).

Worst night: There are no bad nights in Ibiza. I will say, though, I headed to Formentera for my last day way too late in the day (15:00h) and did zero research on what to do there, so that was a pretty significant misstep on my part. It was a mess.

Best bar: Paradise Lost in Ibiza Town, by far. Massive props to Jim/Jimmy, the owner and utter genius mixologist. I do not say that lightly. I got there early enough in the night to where it was just him and I at one point inside, and he made me some special drinks he was still working on. He was receptive to my feedback, and made a second one with my advice in mind which I found to be both extremely considerate and humble on his part - I mean, who the hell was I, after all? He had a demeanor of gruff seriousness about him, but as I spoke with him at length about John Milton and his inspiration for the bar, I learned as any person getting the glimpse of another tends to do, that he was a kind and understanding man with a deep intelligence for handling people. And drinks. The f***ing drinks were incredible. I will miss Paradise Lost sincerely.

My time in the bar was cut short, however, by a character whom I will call "Eris" (the Greek goddess of strife and chaos), a gorgeous, blonde British woman who nearly got my shit f***ed up by a gang of locals in a botched drug deal where she got robbed. Long story short (though I relish each of the insane details that replay in my head) - she yanks me out of the bar after snagging me after I had placed an order. Grabs my hand, gives me a flash of her eyes that any man would turn their brain off for, and out we go into the night. There it is again, that question - why not? She tried buying drugs from local kids who couldn't have been older than 17-18 (against my will, I insisted seriously that she quit it - and realized at that moment I may have f***ed up) in the town center. She disappears with them, and reappears 10 minutes later saying they just took the money she offered them and ran. It becomes all she can talk about, and then yanks me again in their general direction. We end up in a dark street where she confronts the kids. A yelling match ensues between them as I try and hold her back by the waist. The guys are coming up in my face, yelling at me to get her out of there. More guys materialize from nearby doorways. Shit. Now I'm really trying to get her out of there but she is stoic. An older man whom I presume was the leader comes up and starts yelling at her. I feel her yield for a second - all I need to start dragging her by the waist to get out of there. I dump her on a street next to Paradise Lost with the leader, sprint into the bar to profusely apologize to Jim and to pay my tab, then sprint to the taxi queue by the ferry stop.

What the f*** just happened? I couldn't help but laugh my ass off in the taxi. After all, I had my money, cards, phone and keys on me. If I hadn't, I would have a much different opinion on what happened. I know Eris is still out there, just violently careening into other human beings like atoms in a Hadron collider.

Best place to eat: Best food I had was at Es Tragón, a Michelin * restaurant - though the service took an incredible four and a half hours to finish. Thankfully I met a lovely Polish family that kept me company throughout, and made for excellent conversation. Second-best foo foo place to eat was at IT Ibiza, in Marina Botafoch. Great Italian food.

Favorite unpretentious food was getting a true Spanish breakfast at Restaurante Benitez in San An. Cheap as shit, too.

Best beach and/or beach club: I had a great beach day at Cala Gracio on my first day on the island. I also went to Blue Marlin one day, but my time there was hamstrung by the fact that I had booked Pike's the same evening.

Money spent: About $5,000 (USD), including $2,000 for the hotel, $1,500 for the flight (booked it cheaper, but had to move dates because of a new job), and $1,500 for expenditures for the week (this was actually lower than I thought originally).

Biggest regret: Not making the right moves at the right time at a certain time during the week. Whoops.

Going back?: Absolutely.

Top tip: Let the island's spirit be your will.
Fab review 😀 Love to hear that you had a great time. We’ll be checking out Paradise Lost in October after reading this. We’ve been meaning to try Es Tragon but never made it.
Do you blog elsewhere about your travels?
 
Fab review 😀 Love to hear that you had a great time. We’ll be checking out Paradise Lost in October after reading this. We’ve been meaning to try Es Tragon but never made it.
Do you blog elsewhere about your travels?
Glad to hear you enjoyed the review! Paradise Lost was a bit tricky to find for me but their Facebook page has all the relevant info. If you have a deep well of patience I'd absolutely recommend Es Tragón 😂😂

I do not have a blog elsewhere. This is really the first time I've felt compelled to document a trip beyond photos.
 
Where you stayed: Wi-Ki-Woo, Sant Antoni - I purchased a front-facing sea view room for the week. I absolutely loved it here, despite its flaws - which I will go over after the positives. The staff were not only stunningly gorgeous but equally helpful and enthusiastic to make your stay as unique as possible. I may or may not have fallen head over heels for one of the staff - and she knew it. Also may or may not have gone on a cheeky date at one point. The drinks at the hotel bar were fantastic, potent and original. There was not a single dead night at the Wi Ki Woo bar while I was there, and it f***ing ruled. The pool, which I spent a day hanging around, was great too.
Great review! Also reminds me I still need to write mine from our August trip...

We stayed in a front facing sea view room at Wi-Ki-Woo for 3 nights at the end of our trip (Room 101!) and also loved it. NEVER thought I would stay in, let alone enjoy, a pink Instagram hotel in San Antonio, but the staff are great and really friendly. Brilliant location too. When we went back to Pikes for a Sunday after staying in Pikes for 4 nights, it made us realise that the staff at Pikes weren't the most friendly at times.

Intrigued to know which member of staff it was, as we chatted with all of them!

Paradise Lost is also fantastic. Glad you got out of that situation ok...
 

Great review! Also reminds me I still need to write mine from our August trip...

We stayed in a front facing sea view room at Wi-Ki-Woo for 3 nights at the end of our trip (Room 101!) and also loved it. NEVER thought I would stay in, let alone enjoy, a pink Instagram hotel in San Antonio, but the staff are great and really friendly. Brilliant location too. When we went back to Pikes for a Sunday after staying in Pikes for 4 nights, it made us realise that the staff at Pikes weren't the most friendly at times.

Intrigued to know which member of staff it was, as we chatted with all of them!

Paradise Lost is also fantastic. Glad you got out of that situation ok...
we were spiritually neighbors at the hotel then - I was in 102! I totally agree with you, I never thought I'd enjoy an "instagram hotel" as much as I did. As for who it was...I shall leave that up to your imagination ;)

And thanks Clara/everyone for your thoughts after that night in Ibiza town - yes, rookie mistake/awful street smarts on my part but it's a great story at the end of the day. Lol
 
we were spiritually neighbors at the hotel then - I was in 102! I totally agree with you, I never thought I'd enjoy an "instagram hotel" as much as I did. As for who it was...I shall leave that up to your imagination ;)

And thanks Clara/everyone for your thoughts after that night in Ibiza town - yes, rookie mistake/awful street smarts on my part but it's a great story at the end of the day. Lol
I actually stayed at the Wiki Woo hotel on my first Ibiza excursion years ago, when it was known as the Costa Mar.

Obviously it wasn’t as cool and flashy back then, but the location was spot on.

We’ve called in to the Wiki Woo a few times and really enjoyed it, it’s a cool set up especially at night time :D 👍

Also every time I call in I get random funny memories from my first holiday coming back to me.

I remember some lads from Glasgow smashed their balcony sliding door one day somehow, and were trying to tell the hotel manager that a bird had flown into it 😄🤷‍♂️

He was having none of it!
 
I actually stayed at the Wiki Woo hotel on my first Ibiza excursion years ago, when it was known as the Costa Mar.

Obviously it wasn’t as cool and flashy back then, but the location was spot on.

We’ve called in to the Wiki Woo a few times and really enjoyed it, it’s a cool set up especially at night time :D 👍

Also every time I call in I get random funny memories from my first holiday coming back to me.

I remember some lads from Glasgow smashed their balcony sliding door one day somehow, and were trying to tell the hotel manager that a bird had flown into it 😄🤷‍♂️

He was having none of it!
Need to wander up that way this year, never gone further than Mambos(!) before and feel like I’m missing out on some good shiz
 
Need to wander up that way this year, never gone further than Mambos(!) before and feel like I’m missing out on some good shiz

Its worth a look mate, it’s a nice area with a good atmosphere. We always find ourselves back there whenever we visit Ibiza.

I don’t actually know what this little area is actually called or known as, we just always called it Kanya beach, although I’m pretty sure this isn’t the correct name for the place?
 
Back in 98 (yawn!) a number of us got pulled out the water by the police on Calo des moro at 7am ish after our first night. We were err, not fully clothed and the police made us stand in a line in all our glory, whilst of course taking the p*ss . The ones of us who hadnt gone skinny dipping were in hysterics from a safe distance. We thought a trip to the cop shop was in order but they started smiling and with a shake of the head told us to get home to bed and stop being idiots , great days!! :D
 
Dates you were there: aug 31-sept 7

Where you stayed: the conveniently located Hostal Rey, Santa Eularia. Old-fashioned, faded decor, with a catalan speaking old lady on desk who was usually in an armchair watching the telly when we passed through reception. I really liked it. V sad to leave.

Club nights visited: (lol)

Best night: pikes for the music, social. Wasn't too messy for a change (I had an uncharacteristically clean week) but the right kind of boozy fun to the kind of music I really like. Felt like a long overdue reunion with the balearic dj community i hadn't seen in 2 + years

Worst night: no real duds. The GNV ferry is an 'acquired' taste with minimum (spartan) facilities and a surly bar steward, but our cabin wasn't nearly as bad as the online reviews ('mysterious third party's pubic hairs' 'blood on sheets' 'filthy floor') had suggested. Slightly surreal watching a Italian talkshow dissecting Princess Diana's death 24 years later but all part of the experience. Balearia next time I think..

Best bar: chirincana (cala martina) for the tranquility and neo-hippy vibes, also really liked the down to earth local bar at the far end in sta eularia walking south along the sea after W and the thai place. Again mainly just because the staff were good fun. My gf really liked the Giri garden in Sant Joan (albeit a bit snotty imo) Anitas was a lot of fun too for meal + classic hierbas. Had a long chat with waiter about those mysterious letterboxes. Genuinely love that place & actually preferred being inside.

Best place to eat: Comidas de San Juan (old town) every bit as ace as anticipated.

Best beach and/or beach club: Es Cavallet water was very warm. SE was convenient. Es Fig was lovely once you got past the reeds.

Money spent: guessing around 1500€ between us for the week. Will deal with the fallout at the weekend.

Biggest regret: El Chiringuito , Es Cavallet. Prohibitively expensive [#naive] Also Can Cosmi (SE) useful for a drink but swerve the menu del dia. Dalias Chiringuito at Es Fig is laughably overpriced too, but our fault for going in blind. W gets the good djs but a tad swanky (with a silent s..) Punta Arabi Hippy Market is Camden Town level tat. Don't bother, even on a rainy Wednesday. Mostly minor quibbles though.

Going back?: A distinct possibility..

Top tip: take your own booze to certain public sunset spots and save a whole load of grief, explore north, sant miquel has a lovely walk up to the church, autosmari weren't cheap but no hidden extras and v convenient dropoffs.

Overall, a lot of fun. Nothing too mental. A few stressful bits when there are 2 of you. (Parking/finding a launderette in the old town was perhaps ill-advised..) it was mostly cathartic just to have a proper holiday after the relentless shitness of the last 2 years.

*Great to see Jimmiz and Stivi again after so long.

Till next year! 😎

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Writing this review as I sit on the plane heading into a chaotic heathrow airport having just spent yet another fantastic 5 days on the island, my second time this summer.



This time round we decided we would stay in Santa eulalia. Somewhere I’d only ever visited once but got a great vibe from. It also felt like a more couple friendly type of town where you can grab some tapas, drinks and watch the world go by. A relaxing town like this was exactly what I needed after August’s riotous visit with the boys!



We also wanted to try some of the more well known restaurants so had evenings at Lio, bambuddah and chiringuito blue. But of course we made sure to squeeze in a couple of afternoons of tapas and one huge paella! Review below, hope it’s useful:





Dates you were there: 20th-24th September



Where you stayed: sol beach house - highly recommend it!



Club nights visited: hahaha don’t make me laugh.



Best night: Lio ( although not for the price of the food!) the show itself was brilliant and the sheer talent on display was something else. Both my wife and I were nearly in tears watching one of the performances. I believe they were Cuban dance partners who just blew the roof off with their lifts and displays, literally one of the most beautiful performances I’ve ever seen. Also in the audience was the legendary Pepe from space celebrating his birthday, he even got up and had a little dance to sex bomb by Tom jones, what a man!



Would 100% go back although I have to say I’ve had better food! But I guess you pay for the food AND the show so it’s not something I’d complain about.



Worst night: none!!!



Best bar: honestly we actually only visited a couple this time round. But the roof bar at sol beach house was pretty special. We also had a great night with m&t in Santa eulalia although the names of the bars escape me- one too many drinks!



Best place to eat: too many to choose from! But a special mention to chiringuito blue And San martino in Santa eulalia. Amazing pizzas at San martino.





Best beach / beach club: Nikki beach, I know it can be considered posey but the service was exceptional and the vibe was great, even though it was certainly a more quiet day in terms of number of guests. We didn’t manage to visit any beaches this time round as the weather was so unpredictable!



Money spent? - around 2000. To be expected with the restaurants we visited and Nikki beach on top but this trip was always about experiencing those type of places and channeling the usual clubbing funds into experiencing some of the more pricey restaurants!



Biggest regret: honestly, none.



Going back? - does a bear shit in the woods? I think I’ll be back in October - depending on a few bits of expected news ;)



Top tip? - don’t panic about the covid testing, restrictions etc. If you’re prepared before you go, you’ll be fine! Try to book the bigger and more well known restaurants in advance ( Lio, bambuddah etc) to avoid disappointment and for the love of GOD have a pizza at San martino!

Oh and allow for extra time when checking in at Ibiza airport for your flight home. Today we saw several people miss their flight because of delays at check in, May be just a one off but better to be safe than sorry!



That’s me done, all being well I’ll be back in October and perhaps again in winter, I’ve always wanted to visit low season so I think 2022 will be time to tick that box. If anyone has any questions just drop me a message on here / Instagram! I’m off to try and tackle heathrow border control and find somewhere to put petrol in my car thanks to panic buying brits - god I love being British!!!
 
Writing this review as I sit on the plane heading into a chaotic heathrow airport having just spent yet another fantastic 5 days on the island, my second time this summer.



This time round we decided we would stay in Santa eulalia. Somewhere I’d only ever visited once but got a great vibe from. It also felt like a more couple friendly type of town where you can grab some tapas, drinks and watch the world go by. A relaxing town like this was exactly what I needed after August’s riotous visit with the boys!



We also wanted to try some of the more well known restaurants so had evenings at Lio, bambuddah and chiringuito blue. But of course we made sure to squeeze in a couple of afternoons of tapas and one huge paella! Review below, hope it’s useful:





Dates you were there: 20th-24th September



Where you stayed: sol beach house - highly recommend it!



Club nights visited: hahaha don’t make me laugh.



Best night: Lio ( although not for the price of the food!) the show itself was brilliant and the sheer talent on display was something else. Both my wife and I were nearly in tears watching one of the performances. I believe they were Cuban dance partners who just blew the roof off with their lifts and displays, literally one of the most beautiful performances I’ve ever seen. Also in the audience was the legendary Pepe from space celebrating his birthday, he even got up and had a little dance to sex bomb by Tom jones, what a man!



Would 100% go back although I have to say I’ve had better food! But I guess you pay for the food AND the show so it’s not something I’d complain about.



Worst night: none!!!



Best bar: honestly we actually only visited a couple this time round. But the roof bar at sol beach house was pretty special. We also had a great night with m&t in Santa eulalia although the names of the bars escape me- one too many drinks!



Best place to eat: too many to choose from! But a special mention to chiringuito blue And San martino in Santa eulalia. Amazing pizzas at San martino.





Best beach / beach club: Nikki beach, I know it can be considered posey but the service was exceptional and the vibe was great, even though it was certainly a more quiet day in terms of number of guests. We didn’t manage to visit any beaches this time round as the weather was so unpredictable!



Money spent? - around 2000. To be expected with the restaurants we visited and Nikki beach on top but this trip was always about experiencing those type of places and channeling the usual clubbing funds into experiencing some of the more pricey restaurants!



Biggest regret: honestly, none.



Going back? - does a bear shit in the woods? I think I’ll be back in October - depending on a few bits of expected news ;)



Top tip? - don’t panic about the covid testing, restrictions etc. If you’re prepared before you go, you’ll be fine! Try to book the bigger and more well known restaurants in advance ( Lio, bambuddah etc) to avoid disappointment and for the love of GOD have a pizza at San martino!

Oh and allow for extra time when checking in at Ibiza airport for your flight home. Today we saw several people miss their flight because of delays at check in, May be just a one off but better to be safe than sorry!



That’s me done, all being well I’ll be back in October and perhaps again in winter, I’ve always wanted to visit low season so I think 2022 will be time to tick that box. If anyone has any questions just drop me a message on here / Instagram! I’m off to try and tackle heathrow border control and find somewhere to put petrol in my car thanks to panic buying brits - god I love being British!!!
Apologies for the format of this review - wrote up on notes on my iPhone :(
 
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