IBIZA SURVIVAL GUIDE
By Laura Burke
Ibiza is known for one thing only and that’s partying, the island is a holy ground for clubbers and the hottest DJ’s in Europe return here year after year with bigger and better club nights attracting 6 million annual visitors to their shores. A holiday to Ibiza is the kind of thing you have to do at least once while your young, just to say you’ve been. Not for the faint hearted Ibiza is a marathon, things don’t kick off until 2am and end at 7am, all day parties are the normal and everything here is more extravagant, more expensive and more surreal. Welcome to Ibiza.
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1. Where to Stay
Choosing where to stay in Ibiza is a tough decision, accommodation costs are massive during the summer season with even two stars costing around €600 for a week, so you can imagine how expensive a 4 star hotel is going to be for a few nights. Ultimately you’ll want to stay around the areas where you want to party the most, if you’re an Ibiza virgin I’d recommend staying in San Antonio which is within walking distance of the West End, Es Paradis and Eden and Ocean Beach, with easy access to all of the super clubs as well as a beautiful beaches. If you want to be near to all of the major clubs then staying in Playa d’en Bossa is for you, a bit older and upmarket, you’ll be next to Sankeys, Ushuaïa and Space. Ibiza Town near the harbour is another lovely area and it’s here that you’ll find Pacha. If you really don’t mind where you stay, most two stars are cheap as chips with most young crowds choosing to stay in these accommodations making them the most fun hotels to party in.
2. When to Go
Ibiza’s season runs from late may when big clubs like Pacha, Ushuaïa and Amnesia open their doors to the hordes of party goers who will grace their steps right up until the end of season at the beginning of October. During these few months, the major bars, restaurants and clubs are open, making it the perfect time to party. Kicking off with the International Music Summit at the end of May and ending with all of the Closing Parties which can be some of the best nights of the year, after that only Pacha and Sankeys as well as smaller venues which will stay open. If you want to avoid sky high prices and major crowds, don’t visit Ibiza during August, this is when the island is its busiest and hotels are most expensive as huge amounts of tourists flood the island to rave until dawn.
3. Buy your Tickets in Advance
This is a big one as the prices to get into big club nights in Ibiza can be anything from 20 to €80 depending on who is DJ’ing and which club it is. Buying your tickets online before you go can easily save you a tenner per ticket, with the clubs official websites or tourist guides like Ibiza Spotlight offering tickets for cheaper than most of the reps on the beach. A bonus with booking before you go is that you’re guaranteed entry usually with shorter queues, and you probably won’t be dipping into your spending money to book. While if you’re trying to book a sun bed at a day party like Ocean Beach, you can be guaranteed that your bed is waiting for you when you arrive and you can order your drink deals in advance meaning you’re definitely getting a good day out.
4. Pre Drink
Duh. You do this at home anyway, and it’s no different when you go away especially in Ibiza where the prices of drinks are extortionate and a vodka lemon is €16, a mojito €19 and a bottle of water is €10 at least. Yikes and Y I k e s. Luckily when we stayed in San Antonio we were directly across from an Aldi meaning that I could happily poison myself with a litre of toilet-cleaner like white rum for 8 quid. A few drinks on your balcony will really get you and your friends in the mood, and if you’ve the money to spare and you’re feeling thrifty then an all-inclusive option means you can drink and eat to your hearts content without the extra hassle. Just make sure you’re able to hold yourself up when you eventually do arrive at the club.
5. What to Wear
Ibiza is where more is more and people wear whatever they want really, think quirky festival fashion, glitzy bikinis, man bags and oversized shades. Statement necklaces, metallic crop tops and embroidered Kaftans will get you from day to night effortlessly and in many of the clubs that run from day to night (Think Ushuaïa) you can rock a bikini with a throw over or a pair of swim shorts and nothing else. Long sleeved shirts are a no for guys as temperatures soar above 30 degrees in the summer, similarly no matter how good your new heels look with that cut out one piece, you’ll be dancing for around 6 hours at a time and a broken ankle is not very sexy. Whatever you wear, act like you’re Beyoncé and you’re guaranteed to look good.
6. Use the Disco Bus
As with everything else, getting around Ibiza can be pretty expensive and if you’re travelling from San Antonio to Playa d’en Bossa regularly the taxi fares all start to add up. Luckily Ibiza operates a really good bus service which regularly goes between all resorts every half an hour. The disco bus is ideal for when you need to get to a party running from midnight to 6am and stopping at all of the major night clubs and resorts. Ibiza is a small island and if you’re staying in San Antonio or Playa d’en Bossa you don’t need to book airport transfers, a taxi will do.
7. Watch the Sunset
Watching the sun set over the turquoise seas of Ibiza is the ultimate pre drinks, romantic and captivating the beach draws huge crowds every night as they watch the sun set beyond the waters. There’s a few different beaches to choose from, we went with The Sunset Strip which is where Café del Mar and Café Mambo is, we caught Lovely Laura playing a set in Mambos before heading to the beach with cans where upon the sun setting, a man got down on one knee and proposed. Sesh Mot love is true love.
8. Disco Nap
Is there a pastime as pure as naptime, dozing off in the sun is on everyone’s holiday to do list, and when in Ibiza it becomes essential. You’ve walked home with the sun rising, locals jog by you and cafes are opening their doors for the day, you’ve your ocean beach sun bed booked for 12am and you need time to sleep and get ready before heading out. Rough stuff, sleeping for 30 to 50 minutes will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to go again before you can take a kip in the sun (remember to use spf kiddos), Aka. The Disco nap, a party essential.
9. Get into Recovery Mode
View this post on InstagramAbierto todo el invierno. ✨ ¿Cuándo te unirás a nosotros este octubre? 🍴
You’ve woken up, you’re slightly sunburnt, your stomach is falling out of your arse and you’re pretty sure you’ve a new tattoo. How’re you meant to get over this and go for round 2? (3, 4 maybe 5..). The essentials are going to be rehydrating salts, a few litres of water, after sun, multivitamins and some plasters. Splurge a little bit when you’re booking your hotel and get one with air conditioning, being cool makes everything from getting ready for nights out to sleeping in easier. Smudge on a load of concealer and you’re good(ish) as new! The best way to keep your energy levels up is to eat well, we loved Café Bondi in San Antonio which had great salads and wraps and our friends who were reps were big fans of Skinny Kitchen which does healthy, tasty meals that’ll leave you satisfied all day.
10. Budget
As we’ve discovered by now, Ibiza is incredibly expensive. During a week I managed to spend €1,300 alone and I had already booked and paid for some of my nights out as well as paid off my flights and accommodation. If you’re planning to go away for a week, it’s sensible to have €135 a day to spend, this is €945 for the whole trip and it should stretch, although maybe bring a bit more if you want to splash out on bigger DJ’s and more expensive meals. This should cover food, pre drinks, clubs, travel and any other miscellaneous items you can think of, it’s still possible of course to save money by spending less or more, but it’s all worth it in the end!
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