Discovering Ibiza, Spain

When our plane from Madrid took off for its 45 minute flight to Ibiza, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at my destination. Touching down at the tiny Ibiza airport I couldn’t help but wonder if Ibiza would be everything I’d heard about: the lavish all night parties at some of the world’s most renowned night clubs…the unforgettable sunsets… the celebrity-filled yachts…an international crowd of beautiful people from all over the globe.

During my short stay on the island of Ibiza, I soon realized that Ibiza was everything I’d heard about yet nothing I expected.

As one of the Balearic islands located off of the Eastern coast of Spain, Ibiza is 50 miles long and about 15 miles wide. Often referred to as the ‘Isle of White,’ Ibiza is known as a vacation destination which features a high season from June – August with a near perfect summer climate of sunny skies and little humidity.

The main language spoken is Catalan, followed by Spanish, and in addition to year-round residents, its population is comprised of returning vacationers as well as the novice visitor like myself.

I arrived at my hotel by taxi cab, which was a quick ride from the airport and cost about 25 Euros. I was staying at the newly renovated Hotel Simbad located on Talamanca Bay, a lovely beach town just minutes outside of Ibiza Town or Eivissa as it’s locally known.

A full-service hotel with a friendly staff who for the most part, spoke English, Hotel Simbad has all of the amenities any traveller would want, including a bar serving snacks and beverages throughout the day, an indoor/outdoor restaurant that offers three buffet meals with abundant selections, an outdoor pool just steps from a small beach, a spa, and guest rooms with air conditioning, flat screen t.v.’s, and balconies that provide spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

After unpacking my bags and shedding my American travel clothes for a more Ibiza-appropriate wardrobe of a bathing suit, a flowy cover-up, a straw hat, and a pair of flip flops, I decided to explore the area adjacent to my hotel.

My first discovery was a fantastic Spanish supermarket that sold everything from periodicals written in multiple languages, to souvenirs, to all types of traditional Spanish foods items and delicacies. Like most businesses in the area, it follows the rule of being closed anywhere from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm for ‘siesta’, so timing your shopping excursions is key.

Around the corner from my hotel I came upon an outdoor cafe that serves traditional Spanish fare all day long, including two of my favorites: a grilled jamon and cheese sandwich and warm churros con chocolate, which was perfect for enjoying local fare when I wanted to dine away from the hotel.

For dinner the night I arrived, I enjoyed a tasty buffet from the terrace of the hotel’s dining room, overlooking the Mediterranean. As I sat outside among the many hotel guests, I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the multi-shade-of-blue water that was in front of me, dotted with natural cliffs and rocks that make the Ibiza sea and land terrain so unique.

The main reason for this trip was to attend a friend’s wedding taking place at the Hotel Rural Asarte, a small, luxurious hotel in the Valley of San Mateo, which is about 40 minutes North of where I was staying. The car ride up to the Northern part of the island was filled with lots of one-lane winding roads and rustic hillsides, including a few vineyards along the way.

I highly recommend renting a car during your stay as you’ll discover like I did, parts of the island that you never knew existed, all of which are so different from one another.

No matter which part of the island you’re staying in, be sure to make a trip into Ibiza Town part of your itinerary. There you’ll find everything from lively cafes and restaurants, to open air markets, to shops selling clothing, jewelry, artwork, and gift items, as well as the historic Old Town featuring 16th Century buildings and majestic high walls that surround the area and run throughout the town.

In addition to being easily accessible by car, Ibiza Town can be reached by boat which can take you to one of the many marinas and ports that serve as the hub of the city.

So even though this novice Ibiza visitor didn’t go to a nightclub and dance ’til dawn, or sip champagne on a yacht with a famous movie star, I did experience an unknown part of the world that surprised me every step of the way.