Tell us how it was - Ibiza 2025

Dates you were there:
22nd - 26th August

Where you stayed:
A villa just to the north of San Antonio. This was a villa swap from a bigger villa after some of my group dropped out, owing to a change in holiday reason. We went for four nights in total, over August Bank Holiday weekend (In the UK)

Club nights visited:
METAMORFOSI @ Hi
Pyramid @ Amnesia
Prydz @ UNVRS

Nights:
All three of them were good for different reasons. Sven Vath played the best set of the trip at Hi on the Friday, but the crowd quality dipped afterwards which was a shame.
Amnesia was good throughout the night, and was busy enough throughout the evening. It was also the only night our entire group were together from start to finish. Milo Spykers also played a lovely 'fast house' style set, the more commercial end of hard dance that the likes of Hannah Laing and Marlon Hoffstadt are playing at the moment.
The holo production at Prydz was incredible. The club itself felt a little bit sterile.

We also hit up the west end on the Saturday, and along the bar strip by Itaca. There was a festival on at the beach it made San An feel busy!

None of them were bad nights, they all had positives and negatives.

Best place to eat:
Golden Buddha is always good for a meal, and caught the tail end of a sunset as a result. We also went to a restaurant in the middle of San An called Es clot which had great food.

Best beach and/or beach club:
Didn't make it to one this trip other than the one in San An on the festival evening.

Money spent:
A small fortune, including flights, accommodation and spending money. But worthwhile!

Biggest regret:
Pushed myself on a running injury, which I'm still struggling with now, to be honest. There was some walking I should of skipped over (a 4km walk down to San An the first 3 nights, each) and should of taken regular breaks from dancing. Live and learn.

Going back?:
Booked for a non-clubbing trip next May for my cousins wedding.

Top tip:
Club buses are back which is great!

Observations and/or conclusion:
Quite simply one of my favourite trips, despite injury. This trip was meant to have a different significance for me personally, but it remained a great lads trip.
Compared to other trips, when I first started going, that were trance only, musically this was one of my favourites and shows where my own tastes have gone over the years. The villa we had was great - amazing location and great views over the northern part of San An, sadly you couldn't quite see the sunset from it.

It also felt like the end of a chapter, in a way, and it was great to share it with the people who had been able to make it out.
 
Eivissa 19-25 September

As our rusting white and blue GNV ferry set sail for Barcelona earlier, on a warmish September morning, I realised we would have over 8 hours to kill. So I took the opportunity to pen a few thoughts on the last few days. It was either that or total immersion in a muted Greek tv channel on a pixelated screen.

First, a bit of context. The truth is I didn’t think this trip would happen. It had been been a ‘challenging’ year for my gf & me since our last visit: financially & emotionally. There have been many times when I considered quitting the forum whenever it got stale or I grew despondent. And similarly I wondered if you can still get excited about somewhere with fewer and fewer surprises. But I persevered and Sept 19 saw me once again down Barcelona harbour, with my missus joining us later on the trip.

Now, GNV isn’t exactly a luxury Cunard liner. The toilets are putrid, the food options spartan, the diesel stench ubiquitous but, equally, it serves a purpose and can be done on the cheap. Indeed, it actually worked out cheaper to take the car over (cabin incl) and back, than fly over and hire a car. Amazingly, foot passengers can get tickets for as little as 8€. The journey is tedious but I quite enjoy the crossing. You come across all the misfits and oddballs you don’t really find any more in an increasingly conformist/sterile BCN. Ageing bikers, earth mothers, boho club chicks in wall to wall tats, guys in ponchos, bleary eyed renegades who look like they haven’t slept since the Zapatero administration. (And lots of men in pony tails. 30 years never happened). Many of them sprawled across the floor on makeshift airbeds. Of course, none of this is exactly revelatory, but it still hits you how different that island is to the mainland, a self-contained ecosystem which plays by its own rules.

I certainly don’t know anywhere else where within 10 minutes of disembarking you’re confronted by hundreds of wasted punters pouring out of a ‘world class nightclub’, with police roadblocks not far away. Driving in Ibiza can be a hairy experience at that time. It is bizarre why there are so few traffic lights. The San Rafael junction with the Eivissa-SE road does unsettling things to your blood pressure.

We stayed at the Aparthotel Duquesa Playa in SE. Aside from a dripping ceiling in bathroom 1 and an unofficial ant colony in bathroom 2, I rather liked it. They offer guests a 10% discount on breakfast at the bar next door. Zumos and toasties from heaven. Two friends arrived later that day. One of them had landed a gig at Paradise Lost (the recorded highlights of which might make it to Soundcloud soon). I always enjoy it there. Our old mate Bekka has been DJing there for years. She has an immense musical knowledge, and is now opening a new record store in the old town near Sigma, or somewhere around Carrer de Carles III I think, so look out for that one.

Amidst the dearth of appealing music options, only one or two things really stood out. I’ve long respected Willie Graff, so we hotfooted up to Akasha. It was disappointing to hear Pippi in the garden banging out horrific 90s/00s cheese which spiritually felt so out of place there. I want to hear freaky drummers and mad psychedelic shit, not Junior Jack, Kid Creme and other bargain bin detritus. The tourists didn’t seem to care, enthusiastically lapping up the energetic stage dancers in a sea of videos I’d strongly wager not one will ever watch again. At some point, we made an emergency executive decision to take shelter in the market browsing through and pretending to be interested in fedora hats. 200€! Never trust a hippy either.

As mentioned in the Akasha thread, I was impressed by the club itself. A very unusual design insofar as the DJ is the focal point without being the focal point. High fidelity and expansive sound which covered the whole space. There was no specific ‘sweet spot’ because pretty much everywhere had a sweet spot. Agree with @Anselmi K that the music policy again seemed a bit odd. I mean, who wants to hear The Goodmen ‘give it up’ in 2025 in all its faux-batucada infamy? My guess is that they threw in the cheese to keep the garden stragglers happy before the professional clubbers took over. Don’t scare the horses etc. Either way, by the end I was flying. I know Graff spends a lot of time in NYC. There were nods to François K, Keith Worthy, Scott Ferguson and other titans of deep house. In a past life I guess this would’ve been a weekly adventure. Whereas I rarely get out now. Someone was telling me that in IBZ, you have to maximise anything even vaguely leftfield while it lasts, which usually isn’t long. Today’s NIU might be tomorrow’s UNVRS storage unit…

We also discussed the Sven Vath party but with the rave flu setting in by then, that idea soon died on its arse. Aside from a beaut of a sunset stop at Cala Gracio (partially ruined by shocking bassline garage on the cluster of party boats) we didn’t really venture west. Pomelo was decent enough although not nearly as down to earth as the old chiringuito. Driving through SA I noticed no discernible aesthetic improvement. The town was crawling with deadeyed, barechested blokes in manbags. We didn’t hang about…

I’ve come to realise over the years that so much of the adult fun is to be found along the stretch of land mass between the capital and Es Canar. Indeed, SE has almost become a second home in recent years. I mentioned elsewhere how much I enjoyed WOM. Excellent vibe & tuneage. We had good meals at The Royalty (the albóndigas, whoah) and Kathmandu. The crepes at Project Social (ez @Browny) are custom-designed for hangovers and the local supermercado Mercadona is a lifesaver for anyone on a budget. Over 6 days, I think we spent barely 400€. One of our friends generously paid for the apartment and we deftly swerved the corporate clubs as per usual.

Meanwhile, there were obligatory returns to Bar Anita, Cala Pado - and Cala Llonga. Last year we saw a man die there on the beach as the paramedics frantically tried to save him, and it really affected us, but this was an altogether happier visit. Can Nuts is excellent for a chalkboard special (another @Amigo top tip) and really stands out from anywhere else there. We weren’t so lucky elsewhere. Formentera never happened. Es Birra had no music, Can Pilot was shut, whilst the unexpected karaoke at Can Suldat prompted an abrupt u-turn. I wanted to meet Bernat who runs Babel but that appeared to be shut for renovation. And for the first time in living memory, we didn’t bother with Pikes at all.

As ever, it is about the people though. The zany French girl at Paradise Lost, the eccentric waiter at the Cala Martina chiringuito, the wild stories David Phillips shared with us at WOM, the octogenarian flamenco guitarist on Carrer de la Virgen... Whilst i was collecting my missus at the airport, our friends checked out Huey (ex-FLC) promote his new book at the Soho Farmhouse and he was apparently pretty cool & generous (despite some rumoured Trump-esque leanings..) I really enjoyed Can Jordi Blues Station too. There’s a real bonhomie there, all ages & nationalities and it feels like the musicians on the porch really enjoy it.

I always feel a bit sad leaving Ibiza even though this time I felt pretty knackered and fluey by the end. As ever though, everyone we met in bars, shops, and restaurants was super nice. At no point were there any issues with cabs, cops, queues, bouncers, barging, balconing or dangerous anarchists wielding water pistols. At 50 you have neither the will nor the ability to go wild anymore but the island has so much else to offer the ‘seniors’
 
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The Sun God said:
Eivissa 19-25 September

As our rusting white and blue GNV ferry set sail for Barcelona earlier, on a warmish September morning, I realised we would have over 8 hours to kill. So I took the opportunity to pen a few thoughts on the last few days. It was either that or total immersion in a muted Greek tv channel on a pixelated screen.

First, a bit of context. The truth is I didn’t think this trip would happen. It had been been a ‘challenging’ year for my gf & me since our last visit: financially & emotionally. There have been many times when I considered quitting the forum whenever it got stale or I grew despondent. And similarly I wondered if you can still get excited about somewhere with fewer and fewer surprises. But I persevered and Sept 19 saw me once again down Barcelona harbour, with my missus joining us later on the trip.

Now, GNV isn’t exactly a luxury Cunard liner. The toilets are putrid, the food options spartan, the diesel stench ubiquitous but, equally, it serves a purpose and can be done on the cheap. Indeed, it actually worked out cheaper to take the car over (cabin incl) and back, than fly over and hire a car. Amazingly, foot passengers can get tickets for as little as 8€. The journey is tedious but I quite enjoy the crossing. You come across all the misfits and oddballs you don’t really find any more in an increasingly conformist/sterile BCN. Ageing bikers, earth mothers, boho club chicks in wall to wall tats, guys in ponchos, bleary eyed renegades who look like they haven’t slept since the Zapatero administration. (And lots of men in pony tails. 30 years never happened). Many of them sprawled across the floor on makeshift airbeds. Of course, none of this is exactly revelatory, but it still hits you how different that island is to the mainland, a self-contained ecosystem which plays by its own rules.

I certainly don’t know anywhere else where within 10 minutes of disembarking you’re confronted by hundreds of wasted punters pouring out of a ‘world class nightclub’, with police roadblocks not far away. Driving in Ibiza can be a hairy experience at that time. It is bizarre why there are so few traffic lights. The San Rafael junction with the Eivissa-SE road does unsettling things to your blood pressure.

We stayed at the Aparthotel Duquesa Playa in SE. Aside from a dripping ceiling in bathroom 1 and an unofficial ant colony in bathroom 2, I rather liked it. They offer guests a 10% discount on breakfast at the bar next door. Zumos and toasties from heaven. Two friends arrived later that day. One of them had landed a gig at Paradise Lost (the recorded highlights of which might make it to Soundcloud soon). I always enjoy it there. Our old mate Bekka has been DJing there for years. She has an immense musical knowledge, and is now opening a new record store in the old town near Sigma, or somewhere around Carrer de Carles III I think, so look out for that one.

Amidst the dearth of appealing music options, only one or two things really stood out. I’ve long respected Willie Graff, so we hotfooted up to Akasha. It was disappointing to hear Pippi in the garden banging out horrific 90s/00s cheese which spiritually felt so out of place there. I want to hear freaky drummers and mad psychedelic shit, not Junior Jack, Kid Creme and other bargain bin detritus. The tourists didn’t seem to care, enthusiastically lapping up the energetic stage dancers in a sea of videos I’d strongly wager not one will ever watch again. At some point, we made an emergency executive decision to take shelter in the market browsing through and pretending to be interested in fedora hats. 200€! Never trust a hippy either.

As mentioned in the Akasha thread, I was impressed by the club itself. A very unusual design insofar as the DJ is the focal point without being the focal point. High fidelity and expansive sound which covered the whole space. There was no specific ‘sweet spot’ because pretty much everywhere had a sweet spot. Agree with @Anselmi K that the music policy again seemed a bit odd. I mean, who wants to hear The Goodmen ‘give it up’ in 2025 in all its faux-batucada infamy? My guess is that they threw in the cheese to keep the garden stragglers happy before the professional clubbers took over. Don’t scare the horses etc. Either way, by the end I was flying. I know Graff spends a lot of time in NYC. There were nods to François K, Keith Worthy, Scott Ferguson and other titans of deep house. In a past life I guess this would’ve been a weekly adventure. Whereas I rarely get out now. Someone was telling me that in IBZ, you have to maximise anything even vaguely leftfield while it lasts, which usually isn’t long. Today’s NIU might be tomorrow’s UNVRS storage unit…

We also discussed the Sven Vath party but with the rave flu setting in by then, that idea soon died on its arse. Aside from a beaut of a sunset stop at Cala Gracio (partially ruined by shocking bassline garage on the cluster of party boats) we didn’t really venture west. Pomelo was decent enough although not nearly as down to earth as the old chiringuito. Driving through SA I noticed no discernible aesthetic improvement. The town was crawling with deadeyed, barechested blokes in manbags. We didn’t hang about…

I’ve come to realise over the years that so much of the adult fun is to be found along the stretch of land mass between the capital and Es Canar. Indeed, SE has almost become a second home in recent years. I mentioned elsewhere how much I enjoyed WOM. Excellent vibe & tuneage. We had good meals at The Royalty (the albóndigas, whoah) and Kathmandu. The crepes at Project Social (ez @Browny) are custom-designed for hangovers and the local supermercado Mercadona is a lifesaver for anyone on a budget. Over 6 days, I think we spent barely 400€. One of our friends generously paid for the apartment and we deftly swerved the corporate clubs as per usual.

Meanwhile, there were obligatory returns to Bar Anita, Cala Pado - and Cala Llonga. Last year we saw a man die there on the beach as the paramedics frantically tried to save him, and it really affected us, but this was an altogether happier visit. Can Nuts is excellent for a chalkboard special (another @Amigo top tip) and really stands out from anywhere else there. We weren’t so lucky elsewhere. Formentera never happened. Es Birra had no music, Can Pilot was shut, whilst the unexpected karaoke at Can Suldat prompted an abrupt u-turn. I wanted to meet Bernat who runs Babel but that appeared to be shut for renovation. And for the first time in living memory, we didn’t bother with Pikes at all.

As ever, it is about the people though. The zany French girl at Paradise Lost, the eccentric waiter at the Cala Martina chiringuito, the wild stories David Phillips shared with us at WOM, the octogenarian flamenco guitarist on Carrer de la Virgen... Whilst i was collecting my missus at the airport, our friends checked out Huey (ex-FLC) promote his new book at the Soho Farmhouse and he was apparently pretty cool & generous (despite some rumoured Trump-esque leanings..) I really enjoyed Can Jordi Blues Station too. There’s a real bonhomie there, all ages & nationalities and it feels like the musicians on the porch really enjoy it.

I always feel a bit sad leaving Ibiza even though this time I felt pretty knackered and fluey by the end. As ever though, everyone we met in bars, shops, and restaurants was super nice. At no point were there any issues with cabs, cops, queues, bouncers, barging, balconing or dangerous anarchists wielding water pistols. At 50 you have neither the will nor the ability to go wild anymore but the island has so much else to offer the ‘seniors’
Click to expand...
East and North are where I find myself gravitating towards these days too. Vibe is a bit less “Insta”
 
Our second visit to the island this season . I wrote a report on the first one in this thread a couple of months ago.

Dates: mid September for 10 days

Hotel: Garbi , as always for the past 8 years. I think it was our 20th stay or so. It is not a luxury hotel but it has everything we need: big rooms with the sea view , right on the beach , free parking and the very nice staff who treat us like good friends.

Clubs Visited: 10 nights in a row .
UNVRS Elrow , Klagnkunstler
Chinois Saga
Hi Martinez Bros , Metamorphosis , Black
Coffee
Amnesia Resistance , Pyramid
DC - Solid Grooves , Circoloco

Best Night: top ones: Saga , Resistance, Metamorphosis and Martinez Bros (with Paco Osuna) at Hi.

Worst Night: there was not a major disappointment, but the musically weakest was Solid Grooves (as always), followed by Black Cofee. Even Carola played shite (he was in the Solid Grooves lineup). Generally speaking, we are getting tired of DC’s constant extreme over-crowding , shitty crowd and rude security. I doubt we will go there next year.

Best place to eat: We dined in the luxury ones and mid - range. The one we went twice was the 666 in PDB. Very nice starters and smash burgers . Though the prices are not cheap.

Money spent: about 10 k euro

Observation/ tips: I don’t know if it is us but musically this season Ibiza clubs tend to play more mellow commefcial style shit. Even big names known for energy and roughness (Carola, Cox , Etc) were a big disappointment this season .

What did you notice this season in terms of the musical trends ?
 
Dates you were there:
23nd - 26th sept

Where you stayed:
San Antonio--Hotel Galera

Club nights visited:
Amnesia--Kevin and Perry
Cocoon--528
Eden--Marcus Shultz
Es paradise
Univrs---Fisher Closing

Nights:
kev n perry--- Spot on Great line up --had balcony tik's which were also spot on 10/10

Cocoon---Top Draw , amazing location , slight problem with afters ....just way too busy not organised well ...still 10/10
because of above , popped into eden nice but a little quiet , so then went to es paradise Brilliant end to the night and because wed been to kev n perry half price entry...winner winner chicken dinner

Fisher closing ....well what a venue , spent time in wild comet and the bunker , was a bit apprehensive about going but actually loved it , got really busy around 2pm but then slacked off about 02:45. a bit of room for dancing moving .10/10

Best place to eat:
Eating was lowish priority .....but had kebabs two mornings sat on the front and one morning at Ohio a full English

Best beach and/or beach club:
had a dip in the sea just in front of eden bit of sun bathing

Money spent:
excluding hotel / flights club tix probs 600-700 Quid

Biggest regret:
Non

Going back?:
Hopefully
:)

Top tip:
Drinks packages Amnesia and unvrs = No brainer
528 Food and drink reasonably priced
Ibiza Rocks Hotel --Daypass nice afternoon great value
Did mambo two nights for sunset beers on the rock's ...then grabbed a few beers from mambo and stood out front (Lovely Laura and ben top draw)
Had a nice few hours in Ithaca

Observations and/or conclusion:
Taxis were easy to get , well priced , same with buses :-)
 
Dates you were there: 26th-28th September 2nd visit of the Year

Where you stayed: Hotel Tagomago San Antonio. Lovely Hotel and a great few Nights

Club nights visited: Godskitchen at Amnesia

Best night: Godskitchen was Brilliant. The Terrace seemed fairly quiet when we walked through on way to the Balcony. Balcony is a cool area but we hardly went up there to be honest. Main room was ace. It really was like being taken back 20 years. Heard loads of my favourite Tunes. PVD was class, Tall Paul was his normal brilliant self and after all these years he’s still playing Gabriel and Dresdens mix of Sarah McLachlan Fallen which is one of my favourite records. Eddie Halliwell last Tune was Plastic Boy Silver Bath. Fergie played TDV The Dawn. It was Tune after Tune. For me anyway. Amazing Night. Got in at 11.30 and left just after 5

Worst night: never a bad night

Best Bar: quick beer in Mambo and Cafe Del Mar Friday and Saturday. Only went in Mambo to try find the Carl Cox DJ magazine. Watched the sunset outside CDM on the rocks with a few cans. Couple of Beers at Sunset Ashram as well

Best place to eat: chicken pitta in Ibiza rocks bar always great. Ate at Tapeo just behind our hotel and that was really good. And we had a Roast at Pikes Sunday. Few beers, their amazing Bloody Mary and a Hierbas

Best beach and/or beach club: when to Cala Conta which is beautiful. It’s always beautiful. I walked round and found the cave/Sa Figuera Borda. What a place that is and on the way back to the mrs who was on CC beach I had a swim at Cala Escondida

Money spent: enough

Biggest regret: no regrets. I swam in the sea, ate well, visited some of my old favourites and classics. Had a dance in incredible Amnesia that took me back years and saw some of my favourite djs.

Going back?: I’ll be going back forever. Maybe 3 visits next year. I haven’t done that since 2011

Top tip: explore the island. Find something new to do every time you set foot on the island. This time it was the cave, back in May it was the lighthouse at Cala st Vincent time before that it was walk to the tiny Chapel overlooking San Antonio………. Always find something new you’ve never seen before

Observations and/or conclusion: it’s still my island, my happy place and when I’m on the island I feel plugged in and connected to it. I’m sure it’s a feeling most of us have even though the island has changed. Everything changes, but when I land in Ibiza I feel the same as I did 22 years ago walking out that airport

When I’m not on the island I wish I was there. And when I’m there I just don’t want to leave 🌅
 
Ibizajames1980 said:
Dates you were there: 26th-28th September 2nd visit of the Year

Where you stayed: Hotel Tagomago San Antonio. Lovely Hotel and a great few Nights

Club nights visited: Godskitchen at Amnesia

Best night: Godskitchen was Brilliant. The Terrace seemed fairly quiet when we walked through on way to the Balcony. Balcony is a cool area but we hardly went up there to be honest. Main room was ace. It really was like being taken back 20 years. Heard loads of my favourite Tunes. PVD was class, Tall Paul was his normal brilliant self and after all these years he’s still playing Gabriel and Dresdens mix of Sarah McLachlan Fallen which is one of my favourite records. Eddie Halliwell last Tune was Plastic Boy Silver Bath. Fergie played TDV The Dawn. It was Tune after Tune. For me anyway. Amazing Night. Got in at 11.30 and left just after 5

Worst night: never a bad night

Best Bar: quick beer in Mambo and Cafe Del Mar Friday and Saturday. Only went in Mambo to try find the Carl Cox DJ magazine. Watched the sunset outside CDM on the rocks with a few cans. Couple of Beers at Sunset Ashram as well

Best place to eat: chicken pitta in Ibiza rocks bar always great. Ate at Tapeo just behind our hotel and that was really good. And we had a Roast at Pikes Sunday. Few beers, their amazing Bloody Mary and a Hierbas

Best beach and/or beach club: when to Cala Conta which is beautiful. It’s always beautiful. I walked round and found the cave/Sa Figuera Borda. What a place that is and on the way back to the mrs who was on CC beach I had a swim at Cala Escondida

Money spent: enough

Biggest regret: no regrets. I swam in the sea, ate well, visited some of my old favourites and classics. Had a dance in incredible Amnesia that took me back years and saw some of my favourite djs.

Going back?: I’ll be going back forever. Maybe 3 visits next year. I haven’t done that since 2011

Top tip: explore the island. Find something new to do every time you set foot on the island. This time it was the cave, back in May it was the lighthouse at Cala st Vincent time before that it was walk to the tiny Chapel overlooking San Antonio………. Always find something new you’ve never seen before

Observations and/or conclusion: it’s still my island, my happy place and when I’m on the island I feel plugged in and connected to it. I’m sure it’s a feeling most of us have even though the island has changed. Everything changes, but when I land in Ibiza I feel the same as I did 22 years ago walking out that airport

When I’m not on the island I wish I was there. And when I’m there I just don’t want to leave 🌅
Click to expand...
Chicken Pitta at IR used to be a staple meal pre Space 🤩
 
Dates you were there:

21st - 28th Sept

Where you stayed:

Gran Sol - San Antonio

Club nights visited:

Sonny Fodera @ Pacha
Kevin & Perry @ Amnesia
Cocoon @ 528
Shine @ 528


Best Night:

Difficult to decide for various reasons. There was 6 of us that did Sun - Sun with various friends and my kids & partners flying in and out while we were there. Loved 528 (first time I'd been since the refurb) and Cocoon was absolutely brilliant but K&P was the first time my youngest daughter had been to Amnesia with me. I took her sister to Cream and I had always promised to take her if it was still going when she was old enough, so this was the next best thing. I don't think I've seen an Oakenfold set I've liked for about 20 years but him, Seb, Chicane and Lange were all absolutely brilliant, Paul even played Anahera (which my kids mum walked down the isle to in Ibiza a few years ago when we got married) so it was the nostalgia you'd expect, which I was properly in the mood for that night.

Worst Night:

It's my fault so in no way a worst night but I'm too old to do drugs any more (although a lot of people at the nights I went to didn't think that :p) so I was just drinking. You have the over excited boozy first day after a 3am alarm call, disco nap then an over excited boozy first evening, Pacha on the Monday with people who had never been, K&P on the Tues, boozy pool day then Cocoon on the Wed so by the time Shine came round I was done in. We got there around 8.30 and I had one coke, went into the club for 20 mins when PvD finished outside and then I left. My mrs, her sister and my sister carried on though and had a great night.

Best Bar:

Itaca and Ibiza Rocks are great for people watching. Monkey (formerly Kanya) was next to our hotel and we went there a couple of times for sunset.


Best place to eat:

Tapas as always was brilliant and one we visit at least once. Relish was great, Pizzaman lovely and we went to Sunset Ashram as well. There were so many of us there at different times we were all very much San An based so didn't travel around the island for food the way we normally would.


Money spent:

Hotel plus flights were £1000 between us from LHR which I thought was brilliant. About £2.5k spends with all the club tickets and drinks packages thrown in.


Biggest regret:

Not staying for 10 days!


Going back?:

Next August for the eclipse and then the same week in September


Top tip:

Don't attempt to do 4 nights in a row in your 50's :)


Observations and/or conclusion:

West End was absolutely mobbed on Saturday night, it was like being back in the 90's for an hour. There was something going on near Mambo with a stage and music plus the pirate festival thingy on the marina so it was heaving. At the beginning of the week everywhere seemed much quieter than usual
 
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Dates you were there:
16-20th April
26th-30th May
29th July - 5th August

Where you stayed:
Vibra District
Hotel Rosamar
Sal Rossa Apartments

Club nights visited:
Cafe Mambo cancelled opening :( turned into Jason Bye ANL @ Mint by Mambo
Ibiza Talents Easter Edition @ Eden
Seth Troxler Trip @ Chinois
Calvin opening @ Ushuaia
UNVRS Opening @ Pacha
Pure Pacha Robin Schulz @ Pacha
Camelphat @ Pacha
Dom Dolla @ Hi
Defected @ Pacha
Radio 1 @ 528
Music On @ Pacha
Claptone @ Chinois
Carl Cox @ UNVRS
Sonny Fodera @ Pacha



Best night:
Pure Pacha Robin Schulz @ Pacha - This night was so much fun, we hadn't booked it before we flew out in fear of being too rough after UNVRS opening but all suprisingly felt fresh as we only lasted till 7am. But wow what a f***ing groovy night this was ended up bumping into a couple who lived near us at home that we'd never met before being there and had a party.

Worst night:
Music On @ Pacha - Was so excited for this night and never felt so let down, Stussy and Carola had me very excited. Never been in a more oversold place in my life it was genuinley scary this night needs moving venue. I got crushed trying to get near the dancefloor

Best bar:
Would have to be Flaherty's purely because its the only one i went in and even that was just to watch a bit of football.

Best place to eat:
Tapas Ibiza - Food was unbelieveable and a lovely chilled vibe to close out my mini easter Ibiza break.

Best beach and/or beach club:
Never visited one beach 😂 - Playa d'en Bossa if i had to pick one as i could see it from Sal Rossa pool but never went near it.

Money spent:
Honestly no idea 3-5k maybe over the summer period

Biggest regret:
Paying 130 euro for Music On to walk out after 30 minutes or leaving UNVRS opening at 7am as too tired.

Going back?:
Of course

Top tip:
Dont book 9 events for 7 days ever again. If doing a week add a rest day but better yet split your Ibiza trip into two 4 day breaks.
Dont book the early entry tickets youll regret it.

Observations and/or conclusion:
Book it because it truly is heaven on earth.
 
Dates you were there:
26th - 29th Sept

Where you stayed:
Ocean Drive Talamanca

Club nights visited:
Off Brand @ Akasha
House Party @ Pikes
All I Need@ Playa Soleil
Bedouin (closing party) @ Chinois

Best Night:
Bedouin closing was brilliant. First time at Chinois. Had read such good things about it. Apart from the staff on the door/bar who were not up for any craic it was ace. Awen did her great hybrid set with loads of live vocals. But when Jospeh Capriati came on the place went off. Bedouin continued to keep the place absolutely rocking. The crowd were friendly even though it was packed. Left at 4.30 as had a 9am flight, so not sure when it ended. (The toilets don't seem to fit the opulence of the venue.)

Worst Night:
Akasha was just a bit too quiet. But what a great club it would be on the right night. All I Need was a bit "cock heavy" as they say.

Best Bar:
Only drank at the hotel bar. The roof terrace has great views back over to the old town. I would highly recommend the hotel.

Best place to eat:
The Fish Shack. The first time we have managed to get there. Had to wait for about 40 mins for a table. But so worth the wait.

The food at Playa Soleil was great but the service was terrible. Not attentive even though the place was pretty empty. They had sold out of all rose wine, well apart from the 300 euro bottle (of course).

Money spent:
£1250 ish

Biggest regret:
Having to leave Bedouin before the end.

Going back?:
Always time for one more good one.

Top tip:
Try new places. Everything we did on this trip was new to us.

Observations and/or conclusion:
My first time staying in Talamanca and I would definitely go back to that area. Had no issues ever getting cabs.
 
Dates you were there:
19th - 29th September

Where you stayed:
Palladium Palmyra - San Antonio. Really sad that this is the last time I'll probably stay there as it's closing after this season for a 5* refurb. Sounds like they are gutting the place which is a shame. While parts of it were starting to look worn I really liked the lounge area - great for people watching and really comfy sofas.

Club nights visited:
Andy Manumission closing at 528 - couldn't turn this one down given it was €20 for a ticket which included a free drink - which included spirit and mixer! The outside bit was good but once this one went inside it lost me a bit. Didn't help that I might have overindulged a bit so ended up leaving around 2ish.

Glitterbox at Hi - I'd been wanting to visit a Glitterbox night for ages, so when the opportunity presented itself that a couple of friends were going too I jumped at it. Armand Van Helden was the name that interested me most so was really looking forward to that, however when I saw he wasn't on until 4:30am I was less excited as staying out that late isn't my thing anymore. Was a good night though - enjoyed Fat Tony but the theatre was starting to get really busy so we headed for the club room where Riva Starr was playing where there was room to dance and a great crowd. Wanted to see the Shapeshifters but Wild Corner was jammed so gave up. We were hoping it would be quieter given Carl Cox closing was on. Still an enjoyable night though - was nice to get back to Hi again. Left about 4 and it was still plenty busy with people still heading in.

Secret DJ night at Pikes - Seb Fontaine and Tall Paul were the headliners our night. Pikes was an absolute roadblock though, and not your usual Pikes crowd. Infact it's left me questioning whether my booking to stay in June will be worth it but hopefully it was a one off. I ended up having a drink spilt all over my head and the poor bloke next to me also got a covering. Got a feeling it was down to "Seb's biggest fan" who was stood next to me who got somewhat over excited at the fact he was touching distance from him in the DJ booth. Seb was in the courtyard afterwards chatting so I decided at the time to tell him it was his fault 😂 he said "all part of the experience darling" 😂. Anyway, Freddies and the courtyard showed no sign of letting up in how busy it was by 2am so we decided to leave and head off to.....

Clubland at Eden - I had the one more time package so didn't have to pay anything to head in to this and a few of my other mates were there so went to catch up. It was so bad it was good 😂 like one of those terrible films you just have to stay and watch. Incredibly cheesy but was great to have space to jump around with my friends given the jam at Freddies.

Kevin and Perry at Amnesia - I've written about this in other threads, but this year wasn't for me. It's grown to attract people who aren't really clubbers and just come for the gimmick, not the music. Someone physically picked me up to move me out of the way so they could pass at one point which wasn't on. It was just constant barging, I wanted to head out to the terrace to see if it was any less busy but security had stopped movement between the rooms so gave up. I did find some space in patches but the music by Oakenfold was so awful to me it killed the night and I left. I won't be back to this one again which is a shame as it holds some really good memories for me.

Our House at Es Paradis - outstanding night!! It was everything I wanted Kevin and Perry to be. Lange had to fill in for Dave Pearce due to a bereavement but every DJ that night smashed it out of the park. One of my favourite trance tunes ever is Red Sun Rising by Lost Witness, the Lange remix and this never gets played anywhere. It got played at this night. I danced non stop from midnight to 5am. It was like the DJs had got hold of my all time favourites and they just didn't stop coming. Es Paradis was the busiest I've seen it since the Hed Kandi days. The crowd were fantastic - chatty and polite and no pushing and shoving. Just brilliant.

Shine at 528 - was starting to struggle at this point but found the last of my energy for this. Initially I was skeptical about this move but it really worked. It was almost a bit of a social for me as I bumped in to so many people I knew which was lovely in that environment. PVD closing the outside bit was a good move, and during that weird transition bit from outside to inside I spent some time catching up with a friend so didn't really notice it. Glad they kept the curtain open at the back of the club - lots of group hugs going on during Aly and Fila!!! Again, great night and I hope they take it back there next year.

Godskitchen at Amnesia - somehow summoned up some life in me for this last night and I'm glad I did. Seeing those names at Amnesia was just magical 😍 took me back to the Cream nightsof 2012/2013 when I first visited the island. I was a bit apprehensive that it was going to be similar to Kevin and Perry but I needn't have worried. The discotheque was busy but there was space to move, and again great people in there. One of the most random things that happened was a lady kept randomly hugging me all the way through PVD. No idea who she was but it she was evidently having a good time 😂 after joining in the good times I went to the terrace for the Shapeshifters and XPress 2. Plenty of room for me to throw a few shapes in the state me and my friend were in 😂 also went back and forth to the smoking area for some air where we managed to get seats and chat nonsense to randoms. Top night! Great way to finish!

Best Night:
Tough call between Es Paradis and Godskitchen but I think Es Paradis just about wins it.

Worst Night:
Kevin and Perry.

Best Bar:
Didn't drink at many bars but I think Ibiza Rocks bar wins for the quantity of vodka in the vodka and orange juice and their strawberry daquiris never fail to hit the spot. I also somehow ended up with a free daquiri so win win.

Best place to eat:
Ate at the hotel mostly but I had a chicken wrap at Bambuku which was nice.

Money spent:
Not counted it.

Biggest regret:
Trying to cram too much in. As it was trance week I had lots of friends playing at various places and it was tough going trying to keep up with everything that was going on.

Going back?:
Yep already booked for June.

Top tip:
Make sure you try and get a day in somewhere to decompress a bit if it's busy.

Observations and/or conclusion:
I can no longer hack a 10 day stay 😂 I should have gone Monday - Monday, I didn't need to do the first weekend partying but I just get sucked in to it.
 
Dates you were there: 22nd-29th September

Where you stayed: Axel Beach, San an Bay

Club nights visited: cocoon @ 528, one more time @ Bam-Bu-Ku and Godskitchen @Amnesia

Best night: Honestly although all completely different enjoyed them all. Cocoon will always be though

Worst night: definitely N/A

Best bar: tough call but we did have one really good afternoon at the Bay Bar Beach Club

Best place to eat: Aragma probably wins!

Best beach and/or beach club: went to Cala Bassa for the first time and thought it was a lovely beach with nice surroundings (bar the you know what!), was pleasantly surprised with Bam-Bu-Ku if you can class that as a beach club

Money spent: €2500 inc tickets

Biggest regret: say this time after time! Not getting a car and doing a bit more adventuring but is it really worth it when you can write off 4 of the 7 days due to partying? So in turn i’d say the biggest regret is only being there for 7 days it’s no where near long enough

Going back?: Of course

Top tip: Get out and about during the day. We didn’t really leave the San An area but still averaged 15-20k steps a day, it helps with the hangovers:lol:. Plenty people seemed to just stay at the hotel pool and thats just not for me but each to their own

If on a budget get your money exchanged into cash before you go away. This did slow us down in the last 2/3 days because we had already spent a lot but needs must. We literally came back with €50 which we exchanged back to £ and got our taxi home with from the airport🤣

I also think someones else's tip above about trying to go see something you haven’t seen or go somewhere you haven’t been is a great tip. Made me feel a lot less guilty about only venturing to Cala Bassa

Observations and/or conclusion: San An was much busier than last year at the same time

We had 7 days of sun probs the best weather we’ve ever had and when we flew home the pilot said this turbulence is due to the storm thats travelling from Spain to hit Ibiza. So if there was a good time to leave maybe we left just in the nick of time😳

We got speaking to a lot of different people probably daily this year and all so friendly! For whatever reason that hasn’t happened as much in previous years🤷‍♂️

Completely forgot about a negative observation . What the f*** has happened to the prices in Spar shops:eek: €4 for a bag of crisps, and the prices of drink was expensive as anything too

Conclusion- we ate well, drank well, indulged well, had unreal weather and attended 3 really good events, what more could you want!?
 
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Dates you were there: September 20-29 (detailed review)

Where you stayed: Hotel Tropical in San Antonio (part of the ITE package)

Club nights visited: All ITE nights and Godskitchen

Best night: Kevin and Perry

Worst night: none

Best bar: Itaca upstairs

Best place to eat: Sanan Thai

Best beach and/or beach club: sa Trinxa

Money spent: ~2000€

Biggest regret: Ruined my underwater videos with wrong camera settings (set it to 320x240 resolution by mistake :()

Going back?: 2026

Top tip: Rent a boat and explore the coastline.

Observations and/or conclusion:

Loved it, was better than my average Ibiza holiday 😍
 
Dates you were there:
22nd Sept- 2nd Oct 2nd visit

Where you stayed:
Fergus bahamas (pdb). - what an adventure 🤣

I had stayed here in 2016 with friends, and the rooms haven't changed at all 😄.

Clean and tidy and good food, however I think in last 10 years other hotels have upped thier game, so perhaps fergus could do with a refurbishment (might happen now, see in a bit).

You notice it when things have been over painted 20 times instead of stripped fully back. Veneer coming off chipboard in places etc.

Don't get me wrong, its not run down, but its little things that make you notice the difference between fergus and the twiins for example.

The main thing is the beds, mattresses feel like they are from the 80s 😆 where as twiins/palladium hotels have great mattresses.

🌊 the floods.
So the Fergus got hit really hard with the storms on the 30 sept, see my FB post for videos and pics
www.facebook.com

Ibiza Solo Travel | (Knee deep - Fergus bahamas, pdb) | Facebook

(Knee deep - Fergus bahamas, pdb) Must say staff are going brilliantly under the conditions. 👏
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

But in a nutshell the pool area ended up knee deep in water. And this was only way to and from the rooms.

I am glad when checked in that I decided to upgrade to a Sun terrace / jacuzzi room as a birthday treat. This meant I was on the 2nd floor. People on the ground floor didn't do so well
www.facebook.com

Ibiza Solo Travel | Well that took a turn fast 😭 this is the Fergus style Bahamas hotel btw. | Facebook

Well that took a turn fast 😭 this is the Fergus style Bahamas hotel btw.. I wouldn’t try to check in here if you’ve got it booked. We’ve now moved and managed to save a lot of things but that was...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

The staff where great throughout, some reviews of bad staff I found untrue. But to be honest I never have had bad experience with staff, so makes me wonder if those who give bad reviews are a bit "entitled" and forget staff are people too.

Would I go back? Depends if they do a full referb and bring it up to modern standards. But then it will be more expensive.

Also I prefer further north pdb as quieter and less plane noise.


Club nights visited:
See part 2

Best night:
AVB at Ushuaia. I saw his state of trance first year he played at Ushuaia. Since then i found his music a bit meh. But this closing he was really on point for me. Proper enjoyed it.

Other nights I also met lots of random people from spotlight and solo group as well as the random people you meet in ibiza. I can't remember names 😆, but i never forget faces.

Made it interesting. Solo can be tricky but I find when with friends you tend to mix less. 🤷‍♂️



Worst night:
Ants at Ushuaia. The music was quite repetitive, same bass loop for 5 mins, a 30s "oh wait, you its changing" but no, back to bass loop.

Tbf I was completely sober most of hols except for Sunday and Wed, so you notice when dj is been lazy.

Best bar:
Went to zanzibar after ants for a drink with someone while they waited for discobus. Its ok good to people watch.

Best place to eat:
I don't eat out.

Best beach and/or beach club:
I walked pdb beach to and from the gym, which is pleasant walk. Its weird how the promenade just stops 🤷‍♂️

Money spent:
£2.6k for flights + accom all inclusive.
Brought €750 from previous hol (so "free" money), including tickets, taxies and so in would say maybe €1k , so €100 per day which is good going.

Not drinking alcohol really cuts costs in clubs, as a bottle water / drinks packages works out cheaper. Also next day is fine except for sleep deprivation.

Biggest regret:
Not booking the twiins again 😅 but they wanted £4.8k for 10 days....

Oddly my first few days I had a strong urge to move hotels, not sure why but really unsettled. Maybe I felt what was coming 🫣


Going back?:
Probably. Next year anything could happen.

I've not been to ibiza since 2022, but did 2x 10 days in space of 6 weeks. I had missed the vibe, but wonder if going less frequently makes you appreciate it more.

Also next year a big birthday so maybe for that. 🤷‍♂️

Top tip:
When it says bad weather, definitely leave dc10 when garden closes 😅

Also get weekly pass for the nivarna gym if thats your thing. Has better equipment than my local david lloyd!

Observations and/or conclusion:
I notice the price pressures on a lot of tourists. Its defo having an effect all over the place.

There are also a lot of young people here who are into the music and not just filming things, which was good to see.

I think venues affect this. If rammed so can't move/its a concert, then less interaction.

That's why I think universe/hi/Ushuaia for some nights are a bit stuffed. People go once, seen it, not again.

Its the crowd interaction, talking to people and that which is the magic of ibiza imho.

Where else can and 18 year old party, dance and talking to an 80 year old?
 
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Part 2
Mon 22nd: arrive
🎂Tues 23rd: kevin & perry at Amnesia
This was a cracking night. Arrived before doors open as wasn't going to stay late.
The club looked tidy and in order, I for some reason expected it to be a bit tatty with running cost issues I've heard about.

The outdoor smoking area is amazing. Last time I visited it was just fenced off carpark😄

Musically I actually enjoyed the warmup 1st act in main room. The rest was pretty good, although I hear later in the night it went a bit pap.

Met a guy also called Mark, and we had a blast. Proper good vibes. He does it as a pilgrimage to his best friend who both saw the film and said one day they will go to amnesia together. Sadly his friend died of cancer before they could 😞. Proper choked me up this did. But feel super happy that we met up so he didn't rave on his own. 🙏

By about 2am the crush got mental. Took a good 10 mins to reach the terrace toilets. A lass came out cubicle of mens with powder all over her nose. Security are like "your nose love", she was oblivious 😵‍💫. Ibiza at times cracks me up 🤣


At this point we went outside to meet up with some other people. - funny story, "where are you"
"Outside"
"WHERE???"
this goes on for about 10 mins until I decided to do a 360 video to locate us..... at which point we noticed the massive red phone box with "MEETING POINT" on it 🤣🤦‍♂️

I left around 2.30am as had cocoon later that day.

Wed 24th: 528 [cocoon]* - all areas open
I went to this more to see rest of 528 and how it compares to old zoo. Not a lot changed as far as I could see except pool no longer available.

Met stivi and el_loco briefly, which was good. Didn't manage to meet anyone else such is life 🤣

Musically it was a bit out on the edge of what I like (I'm more progressive, or even trance), but good to bop along to.

Around 10pm I pulled the rip cord as was tired from little sleep. (Hotel curtains are not blackout, so 8am full sun and awake).

Thur 25th: pacha [defected]
This was supposed to be a rest day but Jay from here convinced me to go 😗😗😗
We got there around 1am ish i think and had a look around the club. Showed Jay the garden, (which he couldn't find again after I had left).

Musically it was very different to what I had experienced the previous trip. A bit more African beats and underground I'd say. So didn't quite hit the spot, mainly cause my expectations where different.

We found a good spot, on the stairs to the left going up to what is the funky room. However it was all roped off for vip. But that area has toilets and a little bar, which made logistics easier.

Getting across the dance floor to the bars near the entrance was a bit of a mission at times.

Pacha is one of my fave clubs. But defo take ear protection as its proper loud.

People stood in dj area with heads 6" from the main speakers must be clinically deaf now!

The air conditioning also works well, one of the few clubs where you don't end up a complete sweaty mess 👏

Fri. 26th: children 80 HRH closing
I went on this mainly because its a 2 min walk from my hotel and 20e.

I was surprised at how much enjoyed it! People watching is amazing at this event. Was a bunch of Chinese grannies proper boping along to it all.

Unfortunately half way through it got proper rammed and nightmare crush at times. Apparently the queue to get in was massive.

I also noticed how much Spanish, esp the women smoke! As a non smoker you really notice it when 3 people right next to you are smoking. But i guess thats outdoor events for you!

I left around 10.30pm to go and get some sleep

Sat. 27th: Ushuaia [ants]
Wasn't planning on doing this either, but fellow solo traveller wanted to go, and i thought as nearby, why not.

Mistake was to get <6pm tickets, so we arrived around 5.30pm. ... this made it a loooong day to get to the 11pm finish 🤣 (see worst night below)

Sun. 28th: pikes [sundays] + Ushuaia [armin closing]*
Popped to pikes early on Sunday for a chill. Staff are good and ended up chatting to a group who where going to go to pacha for camelphat later in week, and I suggested keep in mind they 50e vip upgrade if gets too crushed, amongst the other random crap you talk about with new people 😬

I left around 6pm to get back to hotel for food, quick change then armin.

Having learned from ants not to go too early, I arrived around 8.30pm, when it was already dark.

I really got into the music as much more on my theme (see best night). There where about 4 other solos from group there, but we never managed to find each other. Guess they need a phone box too 🤣

Mon 29th: 😴 DC10 [circoloco]
This also was on a whim. I bought the ticket while boping to avb.
I met up with a crazy Australian, Dan (well originally from uk) guy and we went in taxi together. We also ended up meeting others from solo/WhatsApp groups and having a great time.

Well after 20 minutes of
"where are you?",
"the light tree".
"WHERE ARE YOU???".
"THE LIGHT TREE! I'M LITERALLY HUGGING IT!!!

After music stopped in garden I made my retreat. Mainly cause I can't hack late late nights much now. Esp sober, and inside is too much of a crush for me. But this turned out to be a genius move on my part.

The rest who stayed got flooded in and had to wait until the discobus made it through at 7am 🫠

Tues 30th: cova santa [piv closing]*
Storms moved this.
Oct
Wed 1st: cova santa [piv closing]*
This got moved due to weather so unfortunately I could only stay until 10pm as flight early next day.

Me and dan went together in taxi again and ended up meeting another bunch of random people who we had a great time with.

Musically was a little tepid imho, could have done with pushing the envelope a bit to keep it interesting.

Left 10pm which was a shame. Would have liked to done the inside club bit.
 
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