A little over a week ago we set off on our summer trip to the party island of Ibiza in search of the best activities this beautiful Spanish paradise had to offer. Now back home in Blighty with the sunshine a mere memory the time has come to share with you our highlights of Ibiza 2013.
From the moment we stepped onto the plane it was clear that this would be a week never to forget. Fellow passengers were already in full-scale party mode before we had even taken to the skies. Landing in Eivissa a few hours later just as the sun was setting on the horizon we could not wait to get to the hotel and grab a slice of the Balearic nightlife.
There are many huge events which run all summer at the various super clubs and daytime venues with many huge names in music jetting into headline. We were lucky enough to catch quite a few of these especially some of the worlds leading DJs. Ibiza is after all home to EDM and everyone who is anyone wants to play there during the season.
For our first big night out we headed along to the newest superclub BOOOM which opened its doors only a few weeks back after a series of setbacks and delays. BOOOM are playing host to Defected In The House this year and being pretty humongous Defected fans we were keen to get involved. The club has been fitted with the first custom-built Pioneer sound system in the world and as you enter through the double doors you get a feel for it instantly. The sound is amazing.
A relative newcomer on the island in recent years Ushuaia but one that had taken the place by storm this year launched a huge new resort the Ushuaia Tower. The original Ushuaia club and hotel with its huge outdoor stage plays host to massive daytime parties from the likes of Avicii, David Guetta and Pete Tong. If you are on this island this summer at any point you MUST take in an event here, there is really nothing like it. The atmosphere is euphoric and every show we took in had such fantastic production, a visual and audio spectacle. There have been gripes by various other venues on the island that Ushuaia is stealing all the business…maybe it is time the others stepped their game up then?
Ushuaia Tower sits right next door and is even more luxurious and beautiful than its big brother…we didn’t think that was event possible. The rooms here have spectacular views and some of the suites have to be seen to believe, we had a sneaky look around the Fashion Victim suite and it is pretty amazing. The massive round bed, shower in the bedroom and jacuzzi on the balcony are right up there with a Las Vegas party pad. The Tower also hosts smaller-scale events on its rooftop terrace throughout the summer months. If you are planning on blowing the budget then this is the place to stay. If not then the bars and restaurants are open to the public so you can always pay a visit.
Next stop for us was Ibiza Town. The principal town has a pretty marina with the old town buildings looking over it. It’s a million miles from the party resorts of San Antonio and Playa D’en Bossa down this way but makes a nice change of pace. Here you will find some fantastic restaurants and boutique shopping, as well as Spanish high street stores like Zara and Bershka. As we had visited in the midst of a heatwave wandering and shopping in the midday sunshine was out of the question so we headed to the newly opened Hard Rock Cafe Ibiza for lunch. This restaurant chain has arrived just in time for the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel which will open next summer. Luckily we arrived before the crowds as it gets pretty busy in there later in the day, so if you are heading along get in early to avoid a wait.
Another huge highlight for us was Ocean Beach Ibiza. The San Antonio based beach club offers day time ‘pool parties’ 7 days a week. We headed along on Tuesday where the DJ was dropping Ibiza house classic after classic and the Ocean Beach dancers kept us entertained dangling and dancing on a range of platforms with the aid of a huge crane – these guys really do know how to put on a show. Not usually a big cocktail fan but the frozen berry daiquiri’s are the perfect accompaniment to a sunny day here.
We loved the vibe at Ocean Beach Ibiza so much that we headed back for another day and this time were treated to acoustic sessions, far more chilled than the raucous pool party on Tuesday but every bit as good. They have recently launched a Sunset Terrace restaurant too which if you are luckier than us and there are no clouds around will give you a perfect view of the Ibiza sunset as you tuck into a lovely meal – can’t recommend the steak enough!
If you fancy a slightly more traditional Ibiza sunset experience then you must get yourself along to Cafe Mambo, Cafe Del Mar or Savannah. These legendary Ibiza bars all sit along the sunset strip and host special guest DJs each night of the week. A great chance to see some of the big names without stumping up the club entry fees.
For our last night out on the island we wanted to go out with a bang so headed down to Cream @ Amnesia. On the bill was Calvin Harris, the man of the moment who has scored a legendary amount of hits from his recent album. He did not disappoint and took over the decks at 3am to the massive delight of the capacity crowd. Cream Ibiza is always one of the biggest on the island and when they continue to bring in the big names it is no secret why.
As the sun came up on out final day in the land of no worries all we could think about is how many sleeps til we get back here. Closing parties in September anyone…?
