Ibiza

Oh Ibiza, how I love thee. I always say I left my heart in this magical little Island. It’s the only out-of-country destination I don’t mind visiting over and over again each summer. The gorgeous blue ocean and warm beaches filled with colorful bodies young and old from all corners of the world coming together under one moon to dance the night away to the worlds best music. Have I sold you yet?! Although this was my third trip to this enchanting Island, I must say that I have a completely different experience each time I go. This time in particular, I experienced a whole new side of Ibiza I had never seen before. I didn’t think it was possible but I love Ibiza even more now. We got our fair share of partying in, but I didn’t realize how much more the island has to offer, like ATV cruising through the back country, setting sail on the stunning Balearic sea, and fine dining right on the beach.

In past trips, I’ve stayed in a hotel on Playa d’En Bossa beach being that I was only with 1 or 2 girlfriends (which I recommend if you have a small group or if you want to be in the middle of the action). This time, with an epic group of 20, we stayed off the beaten path in a beautiful villa in Sant Josep. Seemingly inconvenient at first, the remote location was really actually a brilliant way to keep the group together and bond more. Had we all gone off to separate hotel rooms at the end of each night, we would have missed out on some really great after party moments…..like throwing Caitlyn and her shoe into the pool! And of course our lovely family BBQ dinner.

Day 1

Much of the group arrived on Sunday but I came in hot Monday afternoon ready to get the party started! I was greeted with a glass of rose, many hungover but smiling faces, perfect weather and a gorgeous pool to lounge at for the remainder of the afternoon. We made a quick trip to Amante Beach Club for a picturesque lunch overlooking the ocean and took a refreshing dip in the water as well. Surprisingly, most european beaches don’t actually have sand like we are used to. This one was very rocky but the water felt great! We hurried home to get all dolled up to head off to Lio for honestly the most fun dinner I’ve ever had! Situated along the ocean at the marina, gorgeous yachts filled the back drop of this restaurant. Lio is dinner and a show, and believe me when I say we had THE BEST table in the house, front and center to the stage so we were really right in the middle of the action! We even got to hop on stage and join in and dance at the end of the show so thank goodness I was wearing a sheer dress and thong bikini! After dinner the restaurant converts into a club and we stayed and danced the night away. My calves were sore the next day from dancing all night but I had the time of my life and really started to get to know and LOVE the personalities of everyone in the house.

Day 2

With virtually no hangover somehow, we started the afternoon off at The Harbour Club for some rose, sunbathing and the largest sushi platter I’ve ever seen. Most of the crew headed back to the house to get ready and I made my way over to my personal Ibiza favorite, Bora Bora beach, where the music and party never stops. I got to meet up with a local friend, Javi, who I met in Ibiza last summer. The friends you make in Ibiza, stay your friends forever! It’s a truly magical place. We all met back up at Ushuaia for an insane night with Hardwell filled with more rose and dancing, apparently the theme of the trip! We ended the night at Amnesia for some Skrillex and Diplo action. Although it was nice to get to say hi and go back stage with them for a minute, I later regretted Amnesia and if I could do it over, would have ended the night with Ushuaia. You can’t always do EVERYTHING when you are there, sometimes less is more.

Day 3

Two day clubs AND two nightclubs in ONE day was not a great idea and the morning of day three had nooo issue letting me know that. With 3 hours of sleep and ready to vomit at any given moment, we struggled to get ready and put on our aggressively cute bikinis that did not match our mood. It was Yacht Day and I had this outfit planned for weeks! This hangover on the other hand, was an unpleasant surprise. I made it on to the beautiful yacht perfectly named “Just Smile” somehow and finally pulled it together after a few hours. It was the perfect post-raging remedy. Good music and great company in the middle of the stunning blue ocean. There was boat jumping, fresh mojitos, paddling boarding, jet skiing, and jellyfish-patch veering with a few stings! We stopped at Formentera, a small island very close to Ibiza, and had lunch at Juan Y Andreas, a breathtaking ocean side restaurant. I squeezed my toes in the sand under the table while munching down on some fresh sea food and this time just stared at my glass of rose because I was still too hungover to actually drink it. We caught the sun set from the boat and made our back to the villa for a delicious family BBQ at the house where I got a to show off a little with my mom’s famous strawberry feta salad. Always a hit! I was happy to call it an early night but sad to say bye to my best as she had an early flight back the next morning.

Day 4

It felt SO great to wake up in Ibiza not hung over! We got up early to rent ATV’s and drive around the island. This is something I would never think to do on my own, entirely because I thought I was too scared to drive an ATV and navigate an unknown island at the same time. Luckily my new friend Alex was there to encourage me and lead the way! With the other 2 girls being even more scared than I was, I ended up being a driver and LOVED it. It was so exhilarating and definitely one of my favorite moments on the trip. We cruised through the beautiful back country roads of Ibiza and stopped in two small beach coves to relax and have lunch before my bitter-sweet departure that evening.

If you are planning to visit Ibiza here’s my over all recommendations:

*If you have a small group or want to be in the action, stay in a hotel in Playa D’En Bossa. Otherwise, get a villa for a large group.
Don’t kill yourself going out day and night, try to plan 1 or the other some days or have an early night by just going to Ushuaia which ends at midnight.
Have dinner at Lio. Period.
Visit Blue Marlin or The Harbor Club if you want a chill day time activity, or hit up Bora Bora Beach Club if you want music and a day party
My favorite Clubs: Ushuaia (go around 8p-12), Pacha, Space, and Amnesia (go around 1:30a-…..8am if you can hang that long)
Rent quads, scooters or ATV’s and explore the island via back roads!
Get on a boat and get out in the Ocean!
Make sure to catch a sunrise on Playa d’En Bossa.

XXX