Tell us how it was - Ibiza 2025

September 2025 Family Edition

Dates:
21–30 September 2025

Stayed at:
2 nights – Hostal Roca, San Antonio
7 nights – Apartaments Vibra Riviera, San Antonio Bay

How it all came together?
The idea for this year’s trip was born already a year ago. Last summer my wife joined me in Ibiza for the first time in years, and in just a few days I somehow managed to give her a wonderful experience—so wonderful that she wanted to return this year. This time, our two sons (6 and 15) came along too.

Flights were booked at the end of November, hotel in February. I booked my own flights a few days earlier, suspecting that DJ Harvey’s closing party at Pikes might land right before our family holiday. And yes, I was spot on—so I booked a table there, thinking it would be the night of the year for me.

But as we all know… Harvey later cancelled all his Pikes dates. 😒

Club nights visited:
This wasn’t a clubbing trip as such—more of a relaxed family holiday with one gig on the side.

22 Sept: Pikes Monday + Peace & Music @ Akasha
28 Sept: Beat Hotel @ Las Dalias (Garden) + Balearic Breakfast @ Pikes

Best night:
Colleen Murphy at Freddie’s. Simply amazing! I was surprised by how many women there were. Could it be that she appeals more to women than men, or was this just a coincidence? If so, then my inner little girl took over and had me dancing all night and i loved it! 🤩

Worst night:
Without doubt, Pikes Monday! We kept the dinner reservation (would’ve cost €30 per head to cancel), and the food was fine—but my mood wasn’t. When I peeked into Freddie’s, a voice in my head shouted: “Get out—now!” 🤢
I walked straight out, grabbed a taxi, and went to Las Dalias instead. Best decision of the whole trip!!!

Best bar:
Bar Ibicenco, just outside San Antonio near the football field. I’ve followed their Instagram since the very first post. Last year I drove past a few times but never stopped. This year I finally did—and it became a special moment.

A small, cosy, very local spot. Not too fancy at all, but full of warmth and character. Friendly service, fair prices, and they welcomed a bald Finnish guy with beard and clumsy Spanish like an old friend. I ordered a caña and patatas bravas, sat on the terrace, and enjoyed the calm.

Then something unexpected happened. I can’t really explain it—nor did I think it could ever happen to me. 😅 Sitting there with a gentle breeze moving the citrus tree beside me, listening to some soft Balearic downtempo music (very similar to what I often play myself), watching the hills, the sky, and the passing cars and i feel very happy… suddenly my eyes filled with tears. 🥹 I was completely caught off guard. Maybe that’s what a perfect moment feels like. 🤷‍♂️

Best place to eat:
Nirvāna, the new Indian restaurant in Cala de Bou.
We ate there three times with the family and once I went alone. The kids were looked after with real care, service was warm and flexible, and the food was top quality. The chef used to run a small place in the same area before Covid, which I found years ago through a local’s recommendation. Now he’s back, cooking again with heart and pride. Big plus: they use mostly locally produced Ibizan ingredients. They told me they’ll start serving lunch after the season and stay open through winter.

Best beach / beach club:
Pomelo Playa, Cala Gració. Fell in love with this spot last year, and this time spent a few afternoons there with my older son—he wanted to hear what kind of music plays at these beach venues. Beat Hotel’s daytime event was also held there this year.

Money spent:
I like finding ways to travel affordably without sacrificing quality. This time the twist was doing it with two kids—and still keeping things comfortable. I also try to support small, local businesses whenever possible.
  • Flights for 4 person: €1,018
  • Hotels: my 2 nights at Roca €144, + 7 nights for 4 person at Apartaments Vibra Riviera €792 (one night €113!!!)
  • Car rental (9 days): €212.60
  • Pocket money: about €2k
So a total of about €4,170, which I think is a pretty reasonable price for two adults, one teenager, and one 6-year-old.

Biggest regret:
Not staying longer. Nine days isn’t enough—it takes a full week just to arrive mentally. Looking back, I realised I could’ve stayed another 3–4 days and even accepted two DJ gigs I was offered right before the trip.

Going back?
Absolutely! Maybe already around January–February, but definitely again late September next year.

Top tip:
Ibiza is a state of mind – and you shape it with your own attitude.

Observations & conclusion:
This trip felt complete because the whole family was there. Our younger son snorkelled for the first time, and the older one got to experience how differently a DJ can play depending on the setting. He also played two DJ gigs at Plastik. Someone there wondered how a 15 year old can master deep and soulful house so skillfully and not focus on taking social media photos and jumping around the DJ booth like a crazy monkey.
So something has gone right in the training! 😉

My wife and I also got to dance when we went to check out Belanuit and Russ Farelo's b2b gig at Las Dalias, a Beat Hotel event. We hadn't been able to do that for a long time!

I met only one familiar name from the forum— @TheSunGod and his group at Akasha—but made several new friends around DJ booths and had long, inspiring chats about Balearic music, the current state of dance and club culture, and Ibiza’s past and future.

Last year I led two road trips for our friends to the north; this year we also explored the south. Morning swim at Benirràs, lunch at Bar Anita (fish & lamb—superb), and by 6 pm we were in Es Cubells, staring at the view and silence you can’t really describe. Nearly five hours of driving, mostly on small roads. Our friends, visiting the island for the first time, were visibly moved—you could see them fall in love with Ibiza. ❤️

Even with some rain near the end, September once again proved to be the perfect time to be there..
 
September 2025 Family Edition

Dates:

21–30 September 2025

Stayed at:
2 nights – Hostal Roca, San Antonio
7 nights – Apartaments Vibra Riviera, San Antonio Bay

How it all came together?
The idea for this year’s trip was born already a year ago. Last summer my wife joined me in Ibiza for the first time in years, and in just a few days I somehow managed to give her a wonderful experience—so wonderful that she wanted to return this year. This time, our two sons (6 and 15) came along too.

Flights were booked at the end of November, hotel in February. I booked my own flights a few days earlier, suspecting that DJ Harvey’s closing party at Pikes might land right before our family holiday. And yes, I was spot on—so I booked a table there, thinking it would be the night of the year for me.

But as we all know… Harvey later cancelled all his Pikes dates. 😒

Club nights visited:
This wasn’t a clubbing trip as such—more of a relaxed family holiday with one gig on the side.

22 Sept: Pikes Monday + Peace & Music @ Akasha
28 Sept: Beat Hotel @ Las Dalias (Garden) + Balearic Breakfast @ Pikes

Best night:
Colleen Murphy at Freddie’s. Simply amazing! I was surprised by how many women there were. Could it be that she appeals more to women than men, or was this just a coincidence? If so, then my inner little girl took over and had me dancing all night and i loved it! 🤩

Worst night:
Without doubt, Pikes Monday! We kept the dinner reservation (would’ve cost €30 per head to cancel), and the food was fine—but my mood wasn’t. When I peeked into Freddie’s, a voice in my head shouted: “Get out—now!” 🤢
I walked straight out, grabbed a taxi, and went to Las Dalias instead. Best decision of the whole trip!!!

Best bar:
Bar Ibicenco, just outside San Antonio near the football field. I’ve followed their Instagram since the very first post. Last year I drove past a few times but never stopped. This year I finally did—and it became a special moment.

A small, cosy, very local spot. Not too fancy at all, but full of warmth and character. Friendly service, fair prices, and they welcomed a bald Finnish guy with beard and clumsy Spanish like an old friend. I ordered a caña and patatas bravas, sat on the terrace, and enjoyed the calm.

Then something unexpected happened. I can’t really explain it—nor did I think it could ever happen to me. 😅 Sitting there with a gentle breeze moving the citrus tree beside me, listening to some soft Balearic downtempo music (very similar to what I often play myself), watching the hills, the sky, and the passing cars and i feel very happy… suddenly my eyes filled with tears. 🥹 I was completely caught off guard. Maybe that’s what a perfect moment feels like. 🤷‍♂️

Best place to eat:
Nirvāna, the new Indian restaurant in Cala de Bou.
We ate there three times with the family and once I went alone. The kids were looked after with real care, service was warm and flexible, and the food was top quality. The chef used to run a small place in the same area before Covid, which I found years ago through a local’s recommendation. Now he’s back, cooking again with heart and pride. Big plus: they use mostly locally produced Ibizan ingredients. They told me they’ll start serving lunch after the season and stay open through winter.

Best beach / beach club:
Pomelo Playa, Cala Gració. Fell in love with this spot last year, and this time spent a few afternoons there with my older son—he wanted to hear what kind of music plays at these beach venues. Beat Hotel’s daytime event was also held there this year.

Money spent:
I like finding ways to travel affordably without sacrificing quality. This time the twist was doing it with two kids—and still keeping things comfortable. I also try to support small, local businesses whenever possible.
  • Flights for 4 person: €1,018
  • Hotels: my 2 nights at Roca €144, + 7 nights for 4 person at Apartaments Vibra Riviera €792 (one night €113!!!)
  • Car rental (9 days): €212.60
  • Pocket money: about €2k
So a total of about €4,170, which I think is a pretty reasonable price for two adults, one teenager, and one 6-year-old.

Biggest regret:
Not staying longer. Nine days isn’t enough—it takes a full week just to arrive mentally. Looking back, I realised I could’ve stayed another 3–4 days and even accepted two DJ gigs I was offered right before the trip.

Going back?
Absolutely! Maybe already around January–February, but definitely again late September next year.

Top tip:
Ibiza is a state of mind – and you shape it with your own attitude.

Observations & conclusion:
This trip felt complete because the whole family was there. Our younger son snorkelled for the first time, and the older one got to experience how differently a DJ can play depending on the setting. He also played two DJ gigs at Plastik. Someone there wondered how a 15 year old can master deep and soulful house so skillfully and not focus on taking social media photos and jumping around the DJ booth like a crazy monkey.
So something has gone right in the training! 😉

My wife and I also got to dance when we went to check out Belanuit and Russ Farelo's b2b gig at Las Dalias, a Beat Hotel event. We hadn't been able to do that for a long time!

I met only one familiar name from the forum— @TheSunGod and his group at Akasha—but made several new friends around DJ booths and had long, inspiring chats about Balearic music, the current state of dance and club culture, and Ibiza’s past and future.

Last year I led two road trips for our friends to the north; this year we also explored the south. Morning swim at Benirràs, lunch at Bar Anita (fish & lamb—superb), and by 6 pm we were in Es Cubells, staring at the view and silence you can’t really describe. Nearly five hours of driving, mostly on small roads. Our friends, visiting the island for the first time, were visibly moved—you could see them fall in love with Ibiza. ❤️

Even with some rain near the end, September once again proved to be the perfect time to be there..

Another great review 🙂 Did WOM get recorded?
 
Dates you were there: 4-11 October

Where you stayed: The Standard Ibiza Town and MIM Ibiza in Figuretas , MIM is easily the better of the two becasue their staff are all great.

Club nights visited: DC-10 Circoloco. Pacha for CamelPhat closing, Pacha for Music On Closing Part 1


Best night: Camelphat ( purely because there was plenty of room to dance all night down on floor in front of the dj booth)

Best Dj : Gerd Janson doing the 4.30-6am closing of the terrace for Circoloco

However by staying to the end , dont expect to get a taxi before 7am.... but there will be plenty of loopers to chat shit with as you do.

Worst night: Mambos, (sunset was cloudy, not their fault) but €150pp (minimum spend) for shit food and drinks little to no atmosphere, never again.

The most expensive meal of the week per person cost and it was no better than some shitty pub food, had the rib eye taco and there was no f***ing meat in it ........

Best bar: San Ciriaco in Dalt Vila... The Mojitos.

Best place to eat: Breakfast at the Melbourne Street Cafe in San Antonio , such wonderful people run that.

Best beach and/or beach club: Not a beach club person.

Money spent: I refuse to add up the costs .......

Biggest regret: Mambos (see above)

Going back?: God only knows , might try and do a short trip end of April for some of the Pacha opening nights

Top tip: If Pacha discount drinks again in 2026 then make sure to buy them in advance.
It was €18 for a TSL in DC-10 and they free pour, just throw them a tip and go back to the same person and you be well looked after.

Observations and/or conclusion:

Dont travel from Ibiza town to San Antonio for a hike on your last day, when there are weather warnings.
Dont then go stand in the rain at the taxi rank , spinning out of control like a top at 7pm when your flights at 10pm and your soaking wet and the taxi men wont take you to Ibiza town to your hotel to collect your luggage to then get you to the aiport ....as the tunnels are flooded.
Do remember to check that the Public Bus services are still running and the L3 bus will get you from San Antonio to Ibiza town in under 40minutes for €2.50
Do wear really good running shoes and remember to check google maps when you get off the bus and need to find your hotel.
And then run ....
Dont forget that Uber literally breaks down on Ibiza when the weather goes apocalyptic.
Do check and see if your hotel has its own Driver service and while a premium price ....book it for the airport.
Do keep checking your airline app for updates and pray for a delay......

And once you make that flight , and realise that there were a load of flights cancelled out of Ibiza that night, remember that the island looked after you.... Its a magical place Ibiza 🍒
 
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Dates you were there: 4-11 October

Where you stayed: The Standard Ibiza Town and MIM Ibiza in Figuretas , MIM is easily the better of the two becasue their staff are all great.

Club nights visited: DC-10 Circoloco. Pacha for CamelPhat closing, Pacha for Music On Closing Part 1


Best night: Camelphat ( purely because there was plenty of room to dance all night down on floor in front of the dj booth)

Best Dj : Gerd Janson doing the 4.30-6am closing of the terrace for Circoloco

However by staying to the end , dont expect to get a taxi before 7am.... but there will be plenty of loopers to chat shit with as you do.

Worst night: Mambos, (sunset was cloudy, not their fault) but €150pp (minimum spend) for shit food and drinks little to no atmosphere, never again.

The most expensive meal of the week per person cost and it was no better than some shitty pub food, had the rib eye taco and there was no f***ing meat in it ........

Best bar: San Ciriaco in Dalt Vila... The Mojitos.

Best place to eat: Breakfast at the Melbourne Street Cafe in San Antonio , such wonderful people run that.

Best beach and/or beach club: Not a beach club person.

Money spent: I refuse to add up the costs .......

Biggest regret: Mambos (see above)

Going back?: God only knows , might try and do a short trip end of April for some of the Pacha opening nights

Top tip: If Pacha discount drinks again in 2026 then make sure to buy them in advance.
It was €18 for a TSL in DC-10 and they free pour, just throw them a tip and go back to the same person and you be well looked after.

Observations and/or conclusion:

Dont travel from Ibiza town to San Antonio for a hike on your last day, when there are weather warnings.
Dont then go stand in the rain at the taxi rank , spinning out of control like a top at 7pm when your flights at 10pm and your soaking wet and the taxi men wont take you to Ibiza town to your hotel to collect your luggage to then get you to the aiport ....as the tunnels are flooded.
Do remember to check that the Public Bus services are still running and the L3 bus will get you from San Antonio to Ibiza town in under 40minutes for €2.50
Do wear really good running shoes and remember to check google maps when you get off the bus and need to find your hotel.
And then run ....
Dont forget that Uber literally breaks down on Ibiza when the weather goes apocalyptic.
Do check and see if your hotel has its own Driver service and while a premium price ....book it for the airport.
Do keep checking your airline app for updates and pray for a delay......

And once you make that flight , and realise that there were a load of flights cancelled out of Ibiza that night, remember that the island looked after you.... Its a magical place Ibiza 🍒
Nice review.

Was there at DC-10 that nght too. Completely agree on Gerd's set as well. Was best set of the night by far. Loved it. I did sneak off before 6 to miss those taxi queues!
 
Nice review.

Was there at DC-10 that nght too. Completely agree on Gerd's set as well. Was best set of the night by far. Loved it. I did sneak off before 6 to miss those taxi queues!
i knew that the cost of staying to last tune was that it would be 730am getting into a taxi but so worth it , a fantastic dj set from Gerd and he closed with Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" .... and it was quite the moment , as thats my eldest daughters favorite tune so got a little video of it.
 
.Then something unexpected happened. I can’t really explain it—nor did I think it could ever happen to me. 😅 Sitting there with a gentle breeze moving the citrus tree beside me, listening to some soft Balearic downtempo music (very similar to what I often play myself), watching the hills, the sky, and the passing cars and i feel very happy… suddenly my eyes filled with tears. 🥹 I was completely caught off guard. Maybe that’s what a perfect moment feels like. 🤷‍♂️
Great review and loved reading your words on the bar. Ibiza is such a special place. Glad you and your family had a great time.
 
Dates you were there: 10-15 October

Where you stayed: Ebano hotel apartments & spa

Club nights visited: Pacha - Music On Closing Part 2, Ushuaia - Closing Party, Amnesia - Closing Fiesta Day 2, UNVRS Closing party, DC10 - Circo Loco Closing party


Best night: Amnesia closing fiesta day 2 - Its my favourite club, the club room was thumping, the crowd and energy were immense, happy place

Best Dj : Nina Kraviz - Not someone I'd usually pick, but really enjoyed the Club room this night and was there for her entire set and was lost in it

Worst night: Pacha - Music On - It wasn't bad, really enjoyed the music, it was just too crowded, couldn't even get past the entry foyer and wasn't in the mood for trying, so just took it easy around the outskirts and in the rooftop garden - On a side note Cloonee who was playing, was on my flight out and next to me during the passport queue, only realised when some young lads asked for a picture.

Best bar: Unfortunately, despite having a nice crawl planned on the Friday to some of my favoured spots in bossa & town, we didn't really hit up any, due to the weather really, with intermittent downpours - We had one drink in Top 21 Ibiza & one Murphys on the friday night after a bite to eat - Pole dancers in Muphys, I've never seen the next dancer scrub and disinfect the pole so much after the dancer before 🤣 Must be something going around hahaha

Best place to eat: We ate very little, but we had Breakfast twice at Ibiza Jet Cafe, can't go far wrong with a toasted baguette scrambled eggs and avocado, with a decent black coffee, Had a Guacamole Burger from Steak & Shake prior to the afternoon at DC10 which was well needed and tasted godly. We had a couple of quick pre night bites at Friends Kitchen Ibiza alongside beers, pretty basic stuff but all very edible, seemed popular with the locals and families with the arcade and bowling inside.

Best beach and/or beach club: only saw the beach from the end of the road, and noted the big waves.

Money spent: Hotel £190, Flights £185, Tickets & Drink packages £540, Spends Cash around £700, so about £1600 Total

Biggest regret: Doing to much - While I enjoyed everything we were flagging far to early, we left Pacha around 5am (arrived at 1), Amnesia around 6am (arrived at 1, UNVR around 6am (arrived for the opening!), DC10 we left at 12.30am (although it was always the plan just to do the garden) - I think Id have rather concentrated on two big full session events, than spread myself this thin again - end of an era, it was in hindsight to much for me at 43

Going back?: Yes, Yes & Yes

Top tip: If you know what you are doing, book as soon as tickets come out, get the drink packages, saves a fortune. also 2CB is fun 😜

Observations and/or conclusion: Much bigger police presence than I've ever known, we got a full search and massive questioning before Pacha, torches down pants and all, only saved from more of a grilling because it started to piss down.
Loved UNVRS, can't wait to go again, going when it was empty was great to have a good wander around, but then you turn around and its packed, its like wow. Excellent trip, very sick on return (stomach bug) 3 days for my mind to get straight, just back in work today!
 
Dates you were there:

14th -18th October (Solo)

Where you stayed:

Moon Dreams Atlantic, Es Canar

Club nights visited:

14/10 - Las Dalias Garden for Hernan Catteneo
15/10 - Chinois for Trip
17/10 - Akasha for Tales of the Unexpected

Best night:

Chinois - Was my first time in there and I was blown away tbh. The club is really nice, I liked the subtle visuals, layout and sound system is quality. Staff are friendly, crowd was great and it wasn't too packed at all, nice room to dance which I did for a solid 5 hours. All 4 DJs were good and particularly Craig Richards B2B Christian AB. I think all the DJs did 100% vinyl? Drinks deal worked really well, pretty much means I got free entry. Only pisser was I bought a 15 Euro 0,0 Beer last thing, went up to the terrace and got chatting to a bird and her boyfriend and she knocked the almost full bottle off the table with her bag (90% sure it was her not me). She didn't admit liability but quickly left. :mad:

Tales of Unexpected - Was indeed unexpected and didn't really get going that much for me, in fact Jeremy Weeks on warm up for Dan Ghenacia played the best. Was just expecting a bit more electronica as opposed to House. That said, the crowd seemed up for it, but was only a 6/10 for me musically. I did notice it was quite busy when I went in around 12.15am but very quickly thinned out to about 2/3 of the original numbers by around 2am which was a mystery to me?

Worst night:

Wed 16th - stayed around Es Canar and it was extremely flat. There was a DJ on at Es Birra but there was only me and 4 other people in the gaff. I was up early on Friday so called it a day about 12.30am

Best bar:

Only went in Bar Anita of any note, a few bars in Es Canar but they are pretty standardly nothing special. Oh, met Stivi in a proper locals bar around his manor which I really liked; cheap drinks too.

Best place to eat:

Was Half Board (seriously!!) but had a pizza in Bar Anita, snacks in other bars and a nice Fish Chips/pint combo at Marvent in EC.
I'm not that fussed on eating nice meals when solo, it's bit awkward I find. I just like to eat and %$@ off when finished when on my own.

Best beach and/or beach club:

Didn't get to as many beaches as I had anticipated due to logistics of other activities, placement and bad weather on Friday afternoon . Did manage to get to Cala Boix for the day which is a favourite already; south facing and a great Chiringuito/Kiosk.

Money spent:

This was a last minute trip. It came about as I had priced up traveling from my home town of Warrington to Brighton to see Garnier on 18/10. It was very pricey and it made me think "Maybe I could go to Ibiza for longer and not much more money?"

Hence -

Flights - £80
Hotel (half board) - £235
Home to Airport Travel - £50
Car Hire (incl Hire, taxes, fuel and excess ins) - £80
Spends (food, drinks, club tix, hike) - £410

Total = £850

Accommodation wasn't my initial choice of Hotel and really wanted a great deal I had seen at the Hostal Mar Y Heurta at less than £160, but I snoozed and lost. The hotel I stayed in was okay and fine for what I needed.

I had a great group hike with three other people on the Friday and I must reiterate that it's well worth doing this with @stivi or his guides. It really is a highlight the trips now and have done it 3 times. The group hikes are excellent value at 50 Euros each and a good way to meet new people. We went down to Atlantis btw.

Biggest regret:

1. A lot of the cheaper accommodation when booking was in San An, in hindsight I ought to have booked the Gran Sol at about £10 more for just B&B. I think, eating my words slightly that San An may have been a better option given the time of year and maybe jiggled my nights around a bit?
That said, I did drink a lot less with me having the car. I drove to all the club nights drinking 2 bottles max per the night, and on Thursday I did drink a few but wasn't feeling it, preferring the "sober" vibe. I never thought I would ever say that.

2. Ought to have pushed myself for Hernan at Akasha, after the garden. I had been up since 3am that day and was a tad tired but still shoulda done a few hours.

Going back?:

Affirmative

Top tip(s):

Go for a hike
Go with the flow

Observations:

October is my favourite month, plenty going on for my taste after the so called closings.

EDIT

@W_I_C sorry if I battered your head at Las Dalias, hope next year is a better one for you.
 
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Thank you , nice review

Thats the question : Where to stay. Close to Eivissa or Figueretes with no parking space but most things are easy to reach ? Or Es canar , a little out of the world ?
What I saw : Hotels with parking spaces which you have to pay seperately. 25 Euro / Day ( saw 20, too ). This is a little strange ...
 
Thank you , nice review

Thats the question : Where to stay. Close to Eivissa or Figueretes with no parking space but most things are easy to reach ? Or Es canar , a little out of the world ?
What I saw : Hotels with parking spaces which you have to pay seperately. 25 Euro / Day ( saw 20, too ). This is a little strange ...
depends on whether you want the added cost and responsibility of having a car?
 
depends on whether you want the added cost and responsibility of having a car?
No car : Eivissa or Figueretes or Talamanca. With car : Outside. I never pay 25 Euros / day for a parking spot. Certainly not , if its on the hotel ground. This is rip off.
 
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