IBIZA: Clubbing and Beach Paradise
Ibiza is the second smallest of the Balearic Islands and one of the most beautiful. Although it has a reputation as a party island, there is much more to Ibiza than its amazing nightlife with over 50 delightful beaches, sheltered coves, towering cliffs and dense pine forests. There are a host of small, friendly and tranquil resorts that cater for family holidays and couples, but above all else it is the nightlife in Ibiza that draws the tourists - the island is firmly established as the ultimate clubbing paradise. Temperatures peak in the late thirties during the summer months and rarely drop below 1°C during the daytimes in the winter, though many resorts are closed down from November-April. Ibiza can be reached from a host of UK airports with flights taking approximately two-and-a-half hours.
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Renowned as the ultimate clubbing hotspot but there's so much more to Ibiza ...
During the 1990s Ibiza's tourism grew dramatically and the island was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'entertainment island of the world' with Privilege established as the world's largest nightclub. Visitors of all ages fill the popular resorts of San Antonio and in recent years has become a firm favourite with clubbers staying in the capital Ciudad de Ibiza – known as Ibiza Town or Eivissa, middle-class European package tourists and gay travellers. There are also many family orientated resorts such as Santa Eulalia del Rio nine miles north of the capital and favored by tourists because of its proximity to some of the island's best beaches. The huge music and clubbing scene operates from mid-June to mid-September, with July and August proving to be particularly busy. Away from the summer months, Ibiza is much quieter with most of the tourism based on the San Antonio and Ibiza town areas.
What to do...
Ibiza is all about contrasts - with the summer season for clubbers and the rest of the year much more peaceful and laid-back. If you are a partygoer, then Ibiza by night is all its reputation suggests and more. The island regularly plays host to some of the most celebrated DJs in the world including Fatboy Slim and Pete Tong, and the clubs have become world famous in their own right. Amnesia, Es Paradis, Space and Privilege, which is home to the massive Manumission night. And for those who prefer something a little quieter, San Antonio has numerous sunset cafes, such as Bar Mambo and Café Del Mar, and traditional restaurants that can be enjoyed by romantics in search of a quieter escape. Indeed the cuisine in Ibiza's resorts is wide ranging with dishes from countries around the globe, plus seafood restaurants, tapas bars and fast food outlets.
San Antonio Bay is probably the liveliest resort on Ibiza with many restaurants, clubs and pubs to choose from in the neighbouring town of San Antonio that is considered the party capital of Europe. However, away from the prime summer season there is much to discover when the town is a lot quieter and the atmosphere is more relaxed. It has one of the most beautiful bays with white sand shores and lots of fun activities to enjoy including tenpin bowling and mini-golf. The main town can be reached by ferry, water-taxi or bus and as well as the infamous clubs this is one of the best places to shop for clothes, leather and jewellery.
By contrast, San Miguel is a relatively quiet resort with a sandy beach, a small collection of shops and a weekly craft market. It makes an exceptional getaway for those who like to retreat away from the party areas, while still being close enough to allow you to travel in with ease.
Ibiza has a lot to offer from a historical standpoint too. It was once used as a post to warn of imminent pirate attacks and as a result there are many ancient towers along the coastline. Ibiza Old Town is even recognised as a world heritage site with its ancient city walls and cobbled streets and this is the ideal location for off-peak season visitors, with its winding lanes, cobbled streets and varied stalls and markets. The harbour is busy and lined with yachts and you can take a ferry to Formentera Island with its excellent beaches and fishing villages. The restaurants and bars in Ibiza Old Town take on a different pace with lots of good eateries along the port and many boutiques and gay bars located in Sa Penya.
During the daytime you'll probably want to spend most of your time soaking up the sun on Ibiza's beaches. Es Cana is made for families and couples with a tiny harbour and a sandy beach. The resort also has a weekly hippy market between May and October, which is a great place to pick up items such as handmade clothing and silver jewellery. Santa Eulalia is another good spot for families with a relaxed atmosphere and a range of watersports on offer. It is also considered the centre for gastronomic delights with a range of food options and some excellent restaurants.
Why Ibiza is the best party getaway in Europe?
For young people, a vacation in Ibiza, Spain is definitely one heck of a lifetime experience one will never ever forget and would continue cherishing even to the days of one’s grandchildren.
Ibiza, Spain is actually one of the Balearic Islands splashed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of that country, anamed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Therefore, it is not located in the European mainland but is an island destination for tourists. It is where British expatriates flock during the summer because an Ibiza vacation is as close as getting the tropics without leaving Europe. Temperatures here can rise up to 32 degrees Celsius during the summer. Some Europeans have dreamed going to the tropics but cannot withstand the humidity there. That’s why an Ibiza vacation is always an alternative.
Ibiza is also home to the premier house and techno music in the world. High end DJs are born and trained here and are spread throughout the world to expand their craft. The latest house music is interspersed with Spanish rhythms.
An ideal Ibiza hotel to stay are the economical ones hugging the shoreline for two reasons – you can save on hotel stays and spend your money partying; and the closer you are to the beaches, the closer you are to a very wonderful place to party. But if you really can afford it and don’t want rowdy crowds, then hit a five star Ibiza hotel. A typical five star hotel in Ibiza has a fantastic view of the Mediterranean. It has more than 200 rooms and all of them have either a balcony or a terrace.
One unique nice thing about Spain is that all of its hotels are "special needs" friendly. In fact, they even have babysitting rooms. Ibiza is certainly not an exception. And Ibiza has a hotel with a feature that even the ones in Madrid can’t offer: a digital safe in each room. Hotels in Madrid do have safes in all rooms but they still use mechanical locks.
With Ibiza being a much developed holiday destination, you can rely on your hotel being top class and a place to enjoy, not just for sleep. It is not unusual to find you have internet connection in your hotel room as standard – allowing you to contact friends, do some work, book your next holiday or play some games (a little is relaxation always necessary before a big night out in Ibiza’s clubs and after spending the day sight seeing!). Why not theme your games? A very typical Spanish activity is playing cards – you will often see bars full of friends all there to play (and win!).
Restaurant food is excellent in Ibiza, it consists in grilled cuttle fish, grilled squid, grilled prawns, oiled crayfish, grilled pork, chicken wings, breaded fish cake, codfish balls in butter and Spanish spicy sausage.
Five star hotels here also offer professional instructors for catamaran, canoe, water bike, boating, windsurfing and sailing. There are also several villas here for rent if you want to enjoy of a more private holiday. There are luxury villas too. A typical luxury villa in Ibiza can accommodate a maximum of 20 persons in ten bedrooms. There is a heated indoor pool, a professional recording studio, a billiards table, a lounge complete with a fireplace to be used in winter, an Arabian chill out tent, a Love nest for those who want intimacy and a barbecue area for each room.
An Ibiza beach is certainly one to watch out for. For naturists, there are two nudist beaches spread through the island. People can play volleyball, windsurfing, yachting, scuba diving, water skiing, kayaking, jet skiing and fishing in a typical nudist Ibiza beach. Ibiza also has dunes with many conifer trees as backdrop. The road going to some beaches are unpaved though and suitable for off road vehicles.
Everybody can enjoy of the delicious food served in stands, bars and restaurants near the beach, as black mussels, lamb shank with mint couscous, sea bass and blue fin tuna with mango, fresh cold cantaloupe with basil, fresh grilled vegetables salad, tomato salad with fresh mozzarella cheese with vinaigrette dressing, green salad with goat cheese and hazelnuts, marinated tuna, beef tenderloin with cheese, fresh tilapia with avocado, fresh salmon, smoked salmon with fresh green asparagus, cheese with fresh fruits, fresh cold trout marinated in extra virgin olive oil, sherry and vinaigrette, veal with stuffed banana peppers dipped in tomato sauce, grilled sea scallops in mango sauce, traditional Spanish ham fritters, Portuguese clams with cubed pork loins dipped in white wine, Spanish sausage with potatoes, sautéed jumbo shrimp and lamb breaded with couscus.
As you have seen, Ibiza is not only the best party getaway in Europe but also an extraordinary holiday destination to enjoy one of the best times of your life!
Once having enjoyed Ibiza why not look further a field at equally exciting destinations? Buzzing cities can meet all your party needs whilst tranquil beaches such as those of Santa Eulalia can be found throughout Northern Spain. By doing a little research, you’ll be able to find cheap accommodation and travel deals which mean more frequent holidays and furthermore, less worry about your holiday spends once there. Capital cities, despite being notoriously expensive also offer some of the best budget friendly deals. There are literally hundreds of London hostels available in the attraction centre, saving you commuting money and helping you to make the most of a weekend break. Spain is renowned for it’s cheap flights and in the lesser known European countries such as Bulgaria, you’ll be astonished at the economical pricing of food and drink – something that can really have an impact on your holiday’s budget. Like with the planning of your Ibiza trip, these holidays always work better with research – sites such as these are an ideal place to start!
Ibiza Party & Nightlife
When you talk about word Ibiza, clubbing and music first thing that comes into you mind. Ibiza is undeniably world known for its club scenes and night life. Young tourists from all over Europe, Asia, and Americas and from mainland Spain go to Ibiza for its night life. The parties and night life only happens from June to September, other than that, all the clubs are closed except for Pacha and it is all year round. Although some of the clubs like Es Paradis and Space opens earlier than June.
Famous for clubbing, Ibiza lived up to it. There are sorts of clubs to go to, all kinds of music genres, from modern hip hop, to trance, to house, etc. Ibiza is just a small island; you can visit the whole island for half an hour. You can go club hopping from one end to the other. The two main cities for this event is the Ibiza Town, in the East and San Antoni in the West. For whatever it is that you’re looking for in a club, name it, they have it. Ibiza has the largest club in the world and busiest club in San Antoni, the Privilege and Eden respectively. If you’re up for water parties, it’s the Es Paradis still in San Antoni. Most of the clubs here are open until six o’clock in the morning. New artists or disc jock promote and play their songs here for a wide range of listeners because of the tourists.
There are party calendars for you to check out the night life and scenes of the island. Every night, each of the club have different themes, they have different music to play. It is from Monday to Sunday, there is not a day in Ibiza that you won’t go partying. You can start buying tickets online for they become expensive when you purchase it at the venue. Mostly on August prices go up for the tickets.
Ibiza is also known for their music bars. Music bars are from resorts, there’s a strip in Ibiza for that. After the sun sets, tourists go to these places to listen to the music of the local disc jocks and have drinks before going to clubs. Mostly people go clubbing at around two o’clock in the morning. After partying or even starting to party, people wake up late afternoons and sleeping early in the evening for late clubbing. They even have what they call ‘disco sunrises’. They sure do party like there’s no tomorrow in Ibiza.
Not only tourists but also celebrities are likely to party in Ibiza. Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor, who has a studio and lives in Ibiza. James Blunt singer songwriter also lived in Ibiza to complete his second album, All the Lost Souls. The club Pacha inspired him to write the song ‘1973’; one of the DJs of the club, the famous Pete Tong, remixed and played that single. Coincidently, Pacha is the first club opened in Ibiza in 1973.
Ibiza Beaches
Ibiza is not only famous for their clubs and night life but also for their beaches. Its best time to get to Ibiza is summer, from June to September because of the weather, though you can visit all year round. But their summers have cooler temperature and their winter is milder than of Northern Spain. The temperature doesn’t change that much because the climate is of the Mediterranean.
There are more than 60 beaches to see in Ibiza and it is accessible through cars or bikes. It will take you half an hour to get to the other side of the island and ten minutes by walking to the nearby resorts. Not all beaches in Ibiza are a nudist beach unlike in Barcelona and Formentera. Beaches on the south of the island are or the ones that are secluded and lesser tourist. The beach life in Ibiza is essential as the club scenes or night life. Usually they go to beaches to relax from a night of partying or some will simply unwind. You can find a spot around the beach, watch the people walk by or simply wait for the sun sets. People go swimming or get a tan. Not only enjoying the serene view of the turquoise water and the blue sky but you can also do some snorkeling, scuba diving and parasailing. There are restaurants in every beach that you go to in Ibiza, if you’re hungry there’s no reason to grab a meal.
Beaches in Ibiza Town and San Antoni are crowded when summer comes because of the endless partying during that season. Mostly nudist beach you can find on the southern or the northern of Ibiza, though there are no restrictions if you would want to take your swimwear if you’re on the beaches of Ibiza Town and San Antoni. Beaches on the northern and southern part of Ibiza have fewer tourists. If you’re one of those tourists who would want to enjoy some peaceful retreat from clubbing or even from populated places, there are some beaches like Cala Xarraca not much of restaurants to go to or even houses, but a secluded spot, some beaches on the area are untouched. The most interesting of that beach it has cliffs. Cala d’Hort on the other hand, you can see small islands as you look at the distance. Cala Boix beach is a special because of its black beaches. Cala Benirras is famous for its variety of performers every night, from hippies to musicians, to circus acts fire breathing and juggling.
They say that the hippies were not drawn by the clubs and night life of the island but because of the breathtaking view of the sun when it sets and bang their drums every time they watch it. You can go to strip bars where you can view the sun sets. Ibiza is a place not just to party or meet people but most especially to unwind to discover a variety of beaches and to simply enjoy it.
Town History
In true Mediterranean fashion, Ibiza , like a lot of other places in the region, has an exciting history of political upheavals, takeovers, pirates and sieges. As a result, Ibiza encompasses within its walls an intriguing legacy inherited from the various cultures that inhabited it. Ibiza (also spelled Iviza or Ivica ), along with the island Formentera, was known to the Greeks as Pytioussa ("pine-covered islands") and was also named by the Carthaginian colonizers as Ibossim , Aibusim or Ebusim , which literally means the island of Bes after the god of celebrations, fire and fertility.
A small Spanish island located in the Mediterranean south east of Barcelona , Ibiza started out as a port founded by Phoenician settlers in the Balearic Islands in 654 B.C. and was known to the Romans for its lead, marble and wine. During the Assyrian invasions and the subsequent decline of Phoenicia, Ibiza came under the Carthaginians, another former Phoenician colony. Around 400 B.C. Ibiza had become a major trader established in the sparsely settled Mediterranean trade routes, trading dye, fish sauce and salt. During the Second Punic War, Ibiza arranged a favorable treaty with Rome and became an official Roman municipality. Ibiza was spared from further destruction and managed to survive well into the Empire days. As a result, Ibiza is a prime place to research on the Carthaginian-Punic civilization in the present day.
Ibiza is a celebrated tourist destination, famous for its renowned nightlife. While Ibiza is the main town, Ibiza is made up of five municipalities. Other towns such as San Jose, Sant Antoni de Portmany, Sant Joan de Labritja, Cala de Portinatx, and Santa Eulalia del Rio are also popular among the tourists.
Places of Interest
Ibiza has a lot to offer on the wider cultural front. From old buildings to natural attractions, Ibiza has a lot more than just its numerous clubs and beautiful beaches, and certainly well worth dragging yourself away from your parties to experience some of the rest of the island. Although it is better known as one of the world s ultimate party zones, Ibiza also boasts of many interesting places that will remind you of many different civilizations, from Phoenicians to Romans, leaving their mark on the islands that is worth 3.000 years of history. It has interesting historical monuments and numerous sites of natural interest. For a quick rundown of what you can do, here s a sample itinerary: you can visit the cathedral which during the day and with free entrance. Plus, drop by the an archaeological museum in the Plaza Catedral with a large collection of Punic artifacts, and the Puig des Molins , a massive graveyard of over 400 Carthaginian tombs, which is only open on Sundays.
Then I m sure you ll pass by the Port area with its eclectic mixture of classy shops and hippy cafes and bars and you can chance on the carnavalesque club promotions and fashion parades of the luxury yacht crowd in the evenings. There s also the City Centre with shops and restaurants, and Sa Penya which is most famous for its gay bars and boutiques.To purchase good presents and souvenirs of your swell time in Ibiza , traditional arts and crafts are still very much in evidence in the local markets, particularly in the small villages in the interior of the island. One of the best markets for picking up traditional pieces such as woven basketware, straw hats, ceramics, embroidery and leather goods is at Las Dalias every Saturday from 11am - 8pm. There are also crafts at the Hippodromo market in San Jordi also on Saturday from 9am, and the town hall in Ibiza Town runs workshops for those who want to try their hand at painting, clothes design and cloth weaving. For modern artwork you can visit the Galeria Carl van der Voort and the cultural centre of Sa Nostra , both in Ibiza Town.A car is highly recommended for escaping to the more remote beaches and exploring the hilly interior of the island.
Useful Phone Numbers
The following are phone numbers one might find useful while visiting Ibiza :
Social Security 971 30 12 12
Asociacion pequeña y mediana empresa de Ibiza 971 30. 29. 11
Consell insular de Ibiza 971 30. 33. 66
Federacion Hotelera de Ibiza 971 30. 43. 04
Fomento de turismo de Ibiza 971 30. 46. 43
Ibatur, Instituto Balear de Promocion del turismo 971 71. 20. 10
De La Conselleria De Turisme Del Govern Balear 971 71. 22. 16
Del Consell Insular De Ibiza 971 30. 19. 00
Municipal De Sant Antonio 971 34. 33. 63
Municipal De Santa Eulalia 971 33. 07. 28
All Emergency Services 112
National Police 091
Municipal Police 092
Guardia Civil Ibiza 971 30 1 1 00
Guardia Civil San Antonio 971 34 05 02
Guardia Civil Santa Eulalia 971 33 02 27
Guardia Civil San Juan 971 33 30 05
Civil Protection 971 31 37 13
Firemen 971 31 30 30
Red Cross 971 39 03 03
Red Cross Sea 971 19 12 12
Emergency 061
Hospital Ibiza Can Misses 971 39 70 00
Hospital San Antonio 971 34 51 21
Drug Help 900 16 15 15
Toxicology 91 562 04 20
Allergies 971 33 23 00
Ambulance 971 39 32 32
Ambulance 971 19 10 09
Ambulance 971 34 25 25
17/8/08
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Nice and huge post this was,Ibiza is one of my favorite destination all over the world,not only for it's luxurious nightlife but also for it's 575 square kilometers with 50 breathtaking beaches,spectacular cliffs and soft, white sand beaches..
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