Dates you were there:
August 6 - 11
Where you stayed:
Hostal Juanita (Ibiza Town): This was only for one night. I'd booked the hotel below (Can Beia) thinking I would only be there those dates, then had to change my dates and add an additional day. The room I stayed in had a shared bathroom which was totally fine by me, but also I only stayed here one night. The location was also good for going out in Ibiza town. Air con worked well, staff were friendly, and it was clean. There is no lift, but only had to take the luggage up a couple of flights. I would stay here again if I was on my own as I'd rather spend money on food/doing things than accommodation.
Can Beia Hostal Boutique (San Antonio):
Absolutely loved this place. The staff were incredibly warm and friendly, rooms were cleaned every day and very quickly. Once I popped out to get some drinks/snacks and it was cleaned right away. It is very nicely decorated. The breakfast is good. I don't normally order hotel breakfast as I find the selection to be minimal, but this was not the case here. It was a quiet location and hotel guests all seemed to respect the quiet atmosphere as well.
Club nights visited:
Only Circoloco/ DC10 -August 8th Really enjoyed the music and atmosphere. I arrived at about 10 pm and it wasn't busy, but was filling up. Everyone seemed happy to be there and was in good spirits. Security seemed more hands off than in any previous visit. I found people to be really friendly and had a lot of great random chats. Terrace got pretty busy, especially for Seth and DJ Tennis, but this was not unexpected. Throughout the years, I have always loved my visits to DC10 and although it has changed immensely since the daytime days, I still love it. One thing I noticed this year, (or maybe I just didn't see it) was that I didn't notice any aggressive behaviour. Even when I've had amazing nights, there have always been instances of some guy charging and pushing through the crowd. No music in the garden, but I don't usually spend my time there anyway.
Best night:
Circoloco
Worst night:
N/A as I only went out to Circoloco. Had been planning another night, but only had one night out this time.
Best bar:
Didn't really go to bars. Had a couple drinks with my meals and that's it.
Best place to eat:
So hard to decide between La Gaia and Es Tragon. Both very different! The price is totally worth it! I also had a really nice meal at Es Ventall which is very close to Can Beia.
Best beach and/or beach club:
I ate at La Escollera; I guess it's not really a beach bar, but the only place I ate at on the beach.
Money spent:
Haven't really calculated it
, but my Ibiza trip was at the end of a longer trip, so it definitely all added up
Biggest regret:
Only staying 5 days. I had a 5 year hiatus from Ibiza and had booked a bigger trip around it, so when I booked, I was thinking of just making it a short one due to the rest of the travelling. I definitely packed a lot in, but was kind of tired and would have liked an extra couple of days (at least!!). Also, and still undecided about this one, maybe not, but hiring a car. I have hired a car on every single other visit previously and always recommended that people do this as it's hard to get around.
Going back?:
Of course! I just live so far away, I can only really go when I attach it on to some other travelling.
Top tip:
-Explore the island. I honestly NEED to do this each time I'm there and definitely need my alone/exploring time to recharge for the evenings. As much as I love the energy/chaos of DC10, I need to find that beach/place to swim where I'm the only one there. And, this is completely possible, even in the peak season of August. You just need to walk/hike down. If you're not used to it, I would recommend making sure you have a trail app such as AllTrails or maps.me. When I arrived at busy beaches, I just couldn't... had to leave. Favourite spots this year to swim alone (mostly) were:
- Ses Balandres - done this before a few times. The trail is pretty easy to follow.
- Walking from Ibiza town through PDB, then along the coast, through the trails to La Escollera. When looking for a place to stop and swim there is a quiet(er) little cove about 3/4 way through. In some sections the water is coming in pretty strong to the rocks.
- Punta Galera - walked from San An along the coast - pretty easy to follow. When you get to the rocks, (where everyone has has their towels laid out) keep going all the way up and around to the right. There was a spot away from everyone just around a corner. Throughout the afternoon, it was in the shade and no one else was round. From here, you can walk down the rocks, depending on how you feel about climbing down rocks - you have to hold on a bit. It might be better to have a pair of water shoes. (I had a pair of vibram five fingers).
- Do a hike with
@stivi 
-Take the discobus. I took it for the first time when I came last time in 2017 and then again this year. I'm surprised I never took it before. Very cheap and convenient and no worries about waiting for a taxi or having to drive (bad idea!) after. It also now stops at DC10.
- If you find you're waiting too long for a taxi, take the bus! Easy and cheap. Harder to get to the North of the island. When I arrived at the airport, I could see the bus was right there and looked at the long queue for the taxis. Easy decision. Some drivers were still enforcing masks, so make sure you have a couple spare if you're taking the bus.
- Read the restaurant reviews and eat some good food. There are so many amazing choices from street food to Michelin star restaurants. Book ahead for the pricier/fancier ones
- If you can, ask the restaurant/ hotel to help you book a taxi when you need one.
- airport queues were smaller than expected
- bring water shoes or something similar if you plan on jumping off rocks/cliffs
- you don't need to take a taxi from PDB to Ibiza town; it's close enough to walk
Observations and/or conclusion:
This has been my longest stretch without an Ibiza holiday - 5 years! Has it changed immensely over the years? Absolutely, but so have I! I still found new places to eat, swim and explore. I definitely can't do two nights in a row anymore! I think back to when I was out 9 nights/days in a row.....How!??! (well I know how, but still!). The cost of accommodation is still so high. I get that I was there in peak season and that it's also expensive elsewhere, but it adds up so much. In regards to hiring a car, not sure if the prices will drop next season. I remember laughing uproariously when I saw the cost of a 5 day car hire. I think, with buses, walking and the taxis, I still spent much less than I would have if I'd hired a car, but it would have been nice on a couple of the days to have had some more time to explore further afield. Makes a difference if you have more than one person to share the cost. I also don't think I've ever been in peak, peak season before. July yes, but not beginning of August.
I wrote about this in another post, but in regards to the San Antonio vs PDB debate, I'd pick San Antonio hands down. Years ago, I would have said the opposite, but since Space is gone, and what Space was (day parties etc) and Bora Bora soon to be, I don't see that PDB has a lot to offer. I also found, when booking, that the low/mid range hotels are much more expensive in PDB than in San An. In San An, you also feel like you're in a real town (with way more food/ restaurant options) as well, whereas I did not feel that in PDB. I also just felt that it hasn't been updated since the early 2000s. Sure, it's closer to the airport/ DC10/ Ibiza town, but I really didn't like the vibe/atmosphere.
Don't think I will ever go to Hi; it has always been Space for me and I want to keep it that way!
One thing I've noticed on the forums recently, is that people seem to be concerned with age. Please don't be! There are honestly all ages. Even though August may be a bit younger, I never felt out of place. I think I just don't care! Having said that, I recall one of my first forum posts back in 2004 when I was 27, I think I asked the very same thing and was concerned that I was too old!! (
). I think when we are in our late twenties/ thirties, we think we are more concerned with being 'old' and I actually thought that throughout my late twenties and early thirties when going out clubbing. Now that I'm much older than that, I don't care at all and don't think I'm old. I actually really enjoyed observing/watching the the groups of really young people on their holidays. They were clearly having the best time!
Ibiza was the last stop on my holiday and it wasn't even on my original holiday plan, but so glad I got back in the game. Hopefully I'll be writing another review in 2023!
husband and I are staying in Ses Savines in September..
