Our MD, Robert Mackenzie visits Ibiza 40 years on from his last trip.
The first and only time I visited Ibiza, prior to last summer, was 40 years’ ago when as an impoverished student I, together with a few pals, decided a week in San Antonio was just what we needed to celebrate graduation. Needless to say, over the years memories have faded of this particular trip – however safe to say time was mainly spent enjoying the nightlife rather than exploring the island.
Robert Mackenzie, C. I. Travel Group’s Managing Director kicks back in Ibiza.
With plans afoot to extend our FlyDirect programme to the ‘White Island’ in 2023, it was time to refresh my memory and get to know Ibiza more broadly, beyond the hazy memories of ‘San An.’ So, together with my wife Jackie, having taken a direct flight to Majorca from Jersey last August, we jumped on a 20-minute internal flight across to Ibiza.
Ibiza (or Evissa as it is known to the Catalans) and its little sister Formentera, are the most westerly of the Balearic Islands. About 150km from the mainland city of Valencia. The island is also the smallest of the ‘big three’ and roughly a sixth of the size of Majorca. From top to bottom it is about 21 miles and west to east 12 miles, so much more compact than its bigger cousins.
The first thing that strikes you as you fly in over the island, is how much greener it is than its larger neighbours. Greek invaders named Ibiza the Islas Pitiusas (Islands of Pine Trees) and it is easy to see why. The countryside inland is quite mountainous in places and pine trees cling to the rock sides that extend right down to the coast.
Ibiza from above
Now let’s explode a couple of myths. Ibiza is not just for the clubbing fraternity and most definitely offers a fantastic summer holiday destination for both couples and families. Of course, if indulging in the club scene is your thing then you will be in paradise with opportunities to party the night away, posing with the Insta generation and lapping up the luxury life style. It’s all here – including the world-renowned Pacha, where the double cherry logo is ubiquitous.
But it is a shame that the clubbing image of the island is one that the majority now believe is the only reason to visit, because there is so much more to explore. For starters, there are over 80 beaches dotted around the island’s coast – from tiny coves that are only accessible by boat to larger family-friendly beaches. Read our blog ‘Fun things to do in Ibiza with kids’,
We hired a car for a couple of days and set off to find some of these bays in the south west corner of the island. Crossing over the mountains down to the coast, we found the little bay of Cala Moli. Thinking we had found a quiet spot for a swim, we walked down to the beach only to discover a spanking new beach club and restaurant – El Silencio – well worth a visit, although you will need to book!
Cala Moli beach, west of Ibiza island. Spain.
Along the west coast, there are several restaurants from which to watch the famous Ibizan sunsets. El Carmen is a delightful fish restaurant, located right on the beach at Cala d’Hort from where you can see the sun dip below the horizon behind another famous Ibizan landmark, Es Vedrà. It’s very popular, for obvious reasons, so again make sure you book ahead.
Es Vedra Sunset
We stayed just outside Ibiza old town at the 4-star THB Los Molinos – an adults’ only hotel on a headland overlooking the sea and about a 20-minute stroll into the town. The facilities are excellent with a great outdoor pool area. Ibiza old town at night offers narrow streets to explore, crammed with restaurants, shops and bars. We found a little tapas bar tucked down one of these lanes called La Familia Ibiza. Run by really friendly people and serving amazing food, it’s highly recommended.
THB Los Molinos Hotel Ibiza
Ibiza Town
Amongst the many things to see and do, a day trip across to Formentera has to be close to the top of the list. The island is roughly a 30-minute high-speed ferry ride away from Ibiza Town and once there you should hire a bike from one of many rental shops in the port. The terrain is mostly flat and you can easily pedal across the island to have lunch at one of the amazing restaurants located on the golden sand beaches that run along the south cost of the island.
Tropical waters around Formentera
In just a week, we only managed to see a fraction of what Ibiza has to offer, so you won’t be surprised to hear that we are heading back there this summer. Only this time, we will be flying direct!
FlyDirect flies to Ibiza every Sunday from 28th May to 17th September – you can stay for 6 or 13 nights, or longer if you wish. You can choose to book flight-only or a hotel inclusive package, with a choice of 4 & 5 star hotels for families or adults-only.