Dates you were there:
30th July - 13th August
Where you stayed:
Villa Casa Stellar - Cala Vadella: Stayed here for the first week with 5 of our friends. The villa itself was fantastic and kitted out with everything you need as a larger group. Walking distance to Supermercado Cala Vadella for supplies and Bistro Can Pa for good food and cañas! It's also walking distance to Cala Vadella itself, although the walk back up the hill is not for the faint hearted in August heat! The only possible negative (from our perspective at least) was how secluded it was, we didn't hire a car (big mistake) and the taxi situation on the island at present made it hard for us to get around, we ended up spending a fortune on overpriced 'private transfers' just because they actually turned up when they said they would.
Apartamentos Vibra Riviera - San Antonio Bay: The wife and I stayed here for our second week after our friends left. The apartment itself was quite basic, but very clean, well equipped and the location within the bay is good for access to bars, beaches, shops, etc. This is not the hotel for a relaxed week though, pool was always very busy and the reps organise a lot of games etc to get people off their sunbeds. Also our apartment was directly above the new Plastik in the bay, so we could hear that popping off until 4/5am every night.
Club nights visited:
Flower Power - Pacha.
Fatboy Slim - Pikes.
Ants - Ushuaia (Radio 1).
Should've done more, but a nasty chest infection hit at the start of our second week and wiped us both out for a few days towards the end of the holiday.
Best night:
All three nights were great, but I had the best time at Flower Power. The crowd was great and the overall vibe just felt good. This was where it really hit home that Ibiza was back in full swing!
Freddies was rammed (as to be expected) and a pure sweatfest. Spent most of the night outside chatting to randoms, which is kind of the whole point of Pikes I suppose.
Ushuaia was a real surprise for me, I've never really been bothered about going, however the other half insisted this time. Ended up having a blast and would probably return for Ants again next time we're out.
Worst night:
Not a club night, but we went to watch the sunset at Mambo on our first Sunday and ended up staying out for drinks in the West End. Whilst it was fun (and almost felt like a bit of a rite of passage for some of the first timers we had with us), it's just not for me anymore. Also, spending an hour in the taxi rank queue trying to get home probably didn't help the mood!
Best bar:
We enjoyed El Kiosko in the bay for more of an authentic experience, pizza looked good in there as well.
Kumharas was also a great spot for sunset and live music on Sunday.
One night in the second week we stumbled into a bar in the bay called Millenium. It was absolute chaos, but funny to watch at the same time. Our vodka mixers were a good 85% vodka (outstanding value!
) and at one point we were left with a bottle of tequila and told to just 'crack on'. Hilarious for the hour we were in there but felt like I'd been on the slingshot after I left. Ended up in Plastik later that evening which was ok, expensive for what it is and doesn't seem as busy now it's in the bay.
Best place to eat:
We had some really good meals whilst we were there, the top feed was probably the fish and seafood paella (probably the best I've had) from Maria Luisa in Cala Vadella, closely followed by the fish fry at Cana Sofia just a little further around the corner.
Other honourable mentions go to:
Mundo Street Food - San Antonio - Great value cocktails and really good bao buns.
Salvaje - San Antonio Bay - Peruvian cuisine and some interesting entertainment whilst dining!
Bistro Can Pa - Cala Vadella - Excellent tapas and pizza.
Relish - San Antonio Bay - Very good tapas and very reasonably priced, the mussels were the standout for us.
Pamelas - Pikes - Everyone's food here was great, the chips were like the ones you get from the chippy which was a surprise!
The restaurant at the Playa Bella hotel in the bay is also good for a cheap lunch!
Best beach and/or beach club:
Best beach for us was Cala Vadella. Great sunset and a good selection of bars/restaurants without being too crowded or rowdy.
We also visited Cotton Beach Club in Cala Tarida on the recommendation of one of the guys in our group. We had a great lunch here, the monkfish and the steak 'experience' were particular highlights. The food was very good quality, although as you would expect in a place like this, the prices for everything were very high. A good day all in all, but wouldn't rush back when there are so many other options.
The other half also wanted us to check out Reggae Beach at Cala de Bou whilst we were in the bay. We had a nice chilled afternoon here listening to the music, however the beach was packed and cocktails were expensive for what they were.
Money spent:
Biggest regret:
Having to cancel the tickets for Solomun at Destino due to both of us coughing our lungs up all day and night! This is the second visit running where I have bought and then subsequently had to cancel tickets for events at Destino (first being Music On daytime in 2019) due to not feeling up to it, it's my sole mission to get myself over there next year!
Also, not hiring a car and exploring more of the island was a big mistake - I think we'll come back in lower season to do this though, as it seemed parking was a nightmare everywhere we went.
Going back?:
Absolutely, I'm trying to convince the other half to head back out for the weekend of 15th October for Amnesia closing, as it's my birthday - but I think I might be dreaming there.
2023 is a definite though (mostly to rectify the wrongs listed above), as well as every other year following...
Top tip:
If you do get ill like we did, get yourself out in the sun. It's much better to feel rough on the beach than it is in a dingy hotel room - I also hear that hierbas has antibiotic qualities...
Observations and/or conclusion
The island is back on top form.
Taxis have been a real pain this year and the app was pretty much useless whenever we attempted to book via that. So just relax and be prepared to wait, you're in Ibiza after all, life doesn't get much better.
did have a bight to eat one afternoon at Tulp (i think) and that was nice/cheap enough!
