The Ultimate Guide to Ibiza

Eivissa or Ibiza as we know it, is a small Island in the Mediteran Sea about 80 kilometers off the Spanish coast and is the third largest of over 50 Balearic islands.

The island of Ibiza has over 80 beaches although to access a lot of them you need to go off road or by boat.

Ibiza is an island steeped in history from its discovery in 645 B.C by the Carthaginians, occupation by the Roman Empire that ended in 123 A.D and there is also a heavy Arabian influence on the island, having been occupied by the Arab's from the 9th century for almost 500 years.

The Catalans took control of the island in August 1235 and tore down the Arabian Mosque and built a Cathederal in its place which still stands to this day.

During the Swinging 1960s Ibiza became a haven for Flower Power as hippies from all over the world descended apon it and set up camp.

Although the main language of Ibiza is Spanish most of the locals speak Catalan, they also have a good vocabulary of the English Language.

Best known for its nightlife Ibiza is a popular destination for the under 30's who flock to Ibiza to visit the world famous nightclubs, featuring the hottest DJ's on the scene.

The Weather is Great for Sun Worshippers with sunshine and hot weather for 7 months of the year.

Topless Sunbathing is also allowed on Ibiza and most women walk around the beach bare chested, and for the naturist there are a few total nudity beaches.

Although the nightlife in Ibiza is geared towards the younger generation, Ibiza by day has something to suit everyone whether you like to relax on the beach all day getting that all over tan or for the explorer in you the history of Ibiza can lead you on a journey through time site seeing gives you a great perspective of how the island used to be with castles and the Cathederal and not forgetting Ibiza old town.

Of course there are the familiar tourist things to do like surfing, jet skis, paragliding, and there are plenty of waterparks AguaMar in Playa Den Bossa being the most popular.

Shopping in Ibiza can be fun, whether on a visit to the local supermarket or the souvenir shop, everyone wants to haggle and prices are never the same as the label says, you can get most traders to drop prices by over 40%.

There are many street markets in Ibiza at different locations depending on the day, but no visit to Ibiza would be complete without a visit to the World Famous HIPPY MARKET Which takes place every wednesday in Escanar, every Holiday Operator offers a day trip to the Hippy Market but when my family were there we opted to take the journey without the tour operators and saved over 100 Euro's in the process and probably had a better time than the people who opted to go with the tour operators.

We went by glass bottomed boat from Playa Den Bossa and they put on games food and drink, there was a great party athmosphere on board and everyone had fun, much better than a boring coach trip any day.

Things To Beware of in Ibiza

Ibiza is a fantastic destination for any vacation but like most places there are a few things that you should be aware of before you go, if you know about these things in advance then you can avoid them and get on with enjoying your trip.

The first thing to avoid is the time share touts, they offer you a free scratch card and of course you win a prize, unless you are seriously interested in buying time share saying no will save a whole day of your vacation, if you say yes then you are whisked away in a taxi to a hotel, where you will spend the entire day being force fed information on how their time share works.

at the end of the presentation you take your scratch card to the reception of the hotel to collect your prize and you get a T-shirt or a cheap bottle of wine.

I did note though that one gentleman who bought into the timeshare won a camcorder.

I was caught out the first time I was there don't let it happen to you.

African Street Traders

They are everywhere in Ibiza and they want your money, they sell inferior quality goods at low prices and they will follow you around if you show the least sign of interest, do not be rude to these guys they can turn violent a polite no thanks and go on your way.

In complete contrast with the relaxing seaside vacation Ibiza really comes to life at night, all of the bars and restaurants become a stopgap for young holidaymakers before they head out to the Famous Night Clubs, for a night of drink dance and possibly drugs. Thousands of hot blooded young men and women out for a good time.

The Night Clubs

Space:

Space is in Playa Den Bossa, and is the first club to open its doors at the start of the summer season in June, but rather than being a nightclub, Space opens to the public mid afternoon and stays open until the very early morning, space is open for the whole summer season Until Late September early October.

Privilege:

Officially the world's biggest club. Mind-blowing interior complete with pool, gardens, back rooms. Host to Tiesto on Mondays. In 1987 Queen's Freddie Mercury dueted with rival diva opera singer Montserrat Caballe in Privilage for a tv show broadcast round the world.

Amnesia:

The first open air disco on Ibiza. The stuff of legend and the birthplace of the Balearic music style.

Pacha's

The first club to open in Ibiza in 1973. There are now over 70 Pacha's around the world.

ES Paradis:

Es Paradis opened in 1975.Quite unique in Ibiza, the décor is largely white and ornate. Think Roman columns and marble surfaces. The greenery is well-maintained and extensive. The main dance floor is round and tiered, and overlooked by the dj booth.

A San Antonio favourite. Great vibe and host to the famous water party.

Eden:

The New Kid on the block Eden was born in 1999, rising from the ashes of former San Antonio Club Kaos. Under new management, and after the entire building got re-built, the club quickly began to get noticed as a serious Ibiza Player. Eden Ibiza Night Club has a huge capacity, two floors, 13 bars, two VIP areas, a funky room and a separate chill out room, the White Room