Woah! We're going to Ibiza! That classic Vengaboys song is exactly what was on repeat in my head as I jetted off to the while isle with two of my best girls last month. That, played alongside various montages from 'Kevin And Perry Go Large' (which was released in the year 2000 FYI) I mean, how different could it be, surely? It was different, and even better than I could have imagined. Here's my run down and suggestions on San Antonio, Ibiza, for beginners.
WHERE WE ATE:
There is no other place in San Antonio where you should be watching the sun go down apart from the infamous CAFE MAMBO. This is aided by the fact that their food and drinks are absolutely delicious! For sunset bookings you will definitely need to make a reservation, and the cover charge per person is €70 (minimum spend for your food and drink) which I guarantee is easily done, with drinks starting at €12 and main courses averaging around €20. The atmosphere is absolutely amazing and definitely makes for a special, chilled evening. The gorgeous setting with live DJ made a beaut first impression of Ibiza for us.
WHERE WE PARTIED:
The Ibiza party calendar is jammed pack and there's a club night to suit your taste whatever night of the week it is. We chose to spend our 'big' night out atUSHUAIA at Garden of Madness. Open air clubs are like nothing I've experienced back home, it was such a spectacle and much more like a big gig or concert! Tickets for these sort of events are around €50 and again I'd recommend you planning your trip and booking your tickets in advance. Drinks are expensive here, around €18 for a spirit and mixer, and €10 for a bottle of water! So if you're having a drink, do it before you go. And eat dinner before you go to - €10 for a terrible panini (you had a choice of 4!) was not the best idea we've ever had. And once you leave the venue there's no re admission. The show its self was amazing though with such a buzzing atmosphere.
WHERE WE GOT GLAMMED UP:
Me and the girls really wanted to embrace dat glitter life for 2 out of our 4 days in San Antonio, and I guarantee you the best way to do it is with KISS MY FAIRY. We went to them for hair and makeup before our day at Ocean, and also the CD Pool Party - and maaaaan they did not disappoint! I wanna look like this forever plz. It cost around €60 for hair and makeup, but the price varies depending on what you get. That's usually what I would spend back home anyways. Their body painting skills are also seriously amazing, and if you're in need of a last minute outfit or accessories then the shop has got you covered. I was worried about how my makeup would last in the heat (sorry but I am genuinely the most sweaty faced person you wILL ever meet) and I was extremely impressed with how it didn't budge the whole day. Even when I got soaked as the spray went off in the pool at Ocean Beach (more about that in a second)
WHERE WE CHILLED:
There was no way we were leaving Ibiza without a day experiencing a beach club - OCEAN BEACH CLUB to be precise! Every day there's a different event/theme, and we went on the wednesday which was Hot Bed. We left booking a bed at the very last minute (can you see a theme here? I wish I'd known how essential reservations are in Ibiza!) and ended up getting a nice Cabana in the sunset roof garden. The cost depends on what area you reserve for the day. A double lounger is €60 (which is essentially entrance for 2 people with no minimum spend required) however a bed in the VIP area is €750 split between your party! So worth planning and booking in advance - if there's a big group of you it shouldn't work out to be too expensive. Our minimum spend worked out at around €75 each, which covered me perfectly for drinks and food throughout the day. I fully recommend the sushi, it was out of this world bloody fan-fucking-tastic. It was a lot of fun sitting by the pool people watching all the beautiful people in there (god bless sunglasses for low key stalking) - however every 45 mins or so these big jets of water go off in the pool, perhaps to get people moving and make sure they don't stay in the one place for too long? I thought I'd be safe hiding underneath an inflatable watermelon slice but I wasn't. So yeah... keep an eye out for that!
WHERE WE STAYED:
Keen to conjure up the 'full' Ibiza experience, me and the girls stayed in a main pool view room at IBIZA ROCKS HOTEL. The great thing about staying here is that you automatically get access to the full event calendar during your stay, and for us the highlight of this was the Craig David Pool Party. Such good music (I'm not a massive dance fan, so r&b/mainstream/rock is much more up my street) and when a few hours of standing in a crown in the sun got a little too much we were able to retreat to our room and watch the rest from the balcony. The only downside of this location is that if you like sleep and need silence... then you're probably not gonna get much of either! They also have a 2nd pool which is much quieter, and a better option if you're not looking to be right in on the action. There's a few bars, a supermarket and a couple of restaurants on site too. Location wise Ibiza Rocks is situated in the west end, and only a 5/10 minute walk from the notorious sunset strip.
WOULD I GO BACK?
Without a doubt! I would love to go back to Ibiza again soon, maybe next year. If in San Antonio then I would do Cafe Mambo and Ocean Beach again, however trying out a different club would be fun and probably staying in a more chilled out hotel too. I'd love to spend some time in Ibiza town, visiting the markets and exploring the old streets, along with a boat trip to discover some of their amazing beaches. There are SO many ways to see Ibiza, with more sides to the coin than I'd previously realised, and various options for you to really make it your own. Have you been to the white isle before? What did you think of it?
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