Island Dreaming

I’d always been curious about Ibiza.  Like many people, I did assume that it was purely a party island for those people who were into clubbing, famous DJs and basically partying all night long.  I envisioned it being a young person’s place and not somewhere for me to enjoy with my young family – oh how I was wrong!

San Antonio is renowned for it’s party lifestyle.  I imagine that it’s actually amazing to witness famous DJs playing in the infamous clubs like Pacha and Cream. Although the thought of being in a massive crowd in the sweltering heat trying to move to music isn’t all that appealing.  I’ve always liked room to dance so you’ll always find me at the back at gigs, dancing away freely while the sardines pack at the front trying to see the band/act.   The island certainly pulls the party goers in their thousands but Ibiza cannot and should not be defined for this one part.

There was definitely a split of groups of people waiting for the flight; families, couples and various groups of people dressed up in an array of costumes and outfits.  There was quite a few hen and stag parties.  We had a group of ladies beside us on the plane, mostly middle-aged and it was clear they were happy to get the chance to let down their hair.  The prosecco was flying and they were singing happily, no bother at all really.  My boys loved the attention they lavished on them.  The three-hour flight flew in quickly and we were in Ibiza before 11am.

The buses for San Antonio were packed with the party goers while most of the families and others made their way to the quieter resorts.   We were all excited to visit Santa Eulalia, which took us around an hour after the drop offs.   I had my nose pressed against the window watching as the bus made is way through the green landscape and into the busy little town.  The streets were quite tight but like most Spanish bus drivers, ours was not fazed by narrow streets.  He manoeuvred in and of them with no problem.  Once we arrived at our apartments, we made the dash out with the kids and then my husband got the cases.  We have the smallest folding buggy, which proved to be a godsend to keep my littlest out of trouble.  My eldest was happy to stay close by and wind up his brother.

Our group were staying at the Casa Luis Apartments.  We’d researched them before our arrival and watched many YouTube videos showing us what they were like so we had a good idea to expect.  The kids spotted the new splash pool immediately and squealed, both wanted to jump in there and then.  We had a bit of a wait at the start due to a room allocation issue but in no time, we were up in our two-bedroom second floor apartment.  We were so lucky, we could see everywhere from our balcony.  My mother was situated in a room diagonally across in another block, the kids would shout for her every time we were on the balcony.  I’m guessing the neighbours might have cussed us when they were shouting out at 7am.  My in-laws arrived a few days later, staying in the new building at the back.

This was the idea family resort.  I could rave about this place for ages but we loved it so much we are going back next year.  The resort had a restaurant, two large pools, with children’s pools attached and the splash pool for the little ones.  There’s was a children’s club and a small play area too.   We were five minutes for two very good supermarkets.  Beside the large Super Mercado was a brilliant play park, which the kids enjoyed almost every day.  There was the best swing that I could sit on with the kids.  We had so much fun and laugher in that park, it was very clean and often quiet during the times we would pop down.

As a family, we all enjoy walking and exploring.  We found several ways to get into the resort but the most picturesque was a walk down by the coast, which you could follow round until it met the marina area.  On route was another park with two small cafes where we often would stop for an ice cream and let the kids have another play.  They would never forgive us if we tried to get past the park so it came part of the routine.   This one was busier but they loved running about, playing on the swings and climbing the different apparatus.

Our first few days involved exploring; visiting the many different fountains and the seeing the Ibizan Hound statues at the bottom of a busy street full of cafes and market stalls.  The beach was very clean and we did spend some time down there.  My husband is a typical Scot; pasty and fair who doesn’t do well in exposed areas for long periods of time so he prefers to avoid the beach while I could play down there with the kids for hours.   We always end up buying towels as well as buckets and spades.

I love this resort; there’s something for everyone and it has quite a chilled vibe about it.  We felt extremely safe and comfortable, which is important for me when you have little ones.  I’m always on guard around my kids.  There was always something to keep my inquisitive four-year old’s attention.  His brother was happy just following him or being pushed about in his buggy enjoying a cold ice cream.

The marina was a big hit with us all.  We loved looking at the boats but our favourite thing was to find the fish living in and around the water.   My eldest is obsessed with fish and sea life.  He loved just walking round and finding different shoals of fish.  We found an excellent restaurant down at the marina called The Mirage.  It was situated in a great spot and the menu ticked the boxes for a big family’s different taste buds.  My fussy boy was able to pick some foods he loved too.   We would save some bread and feed the fish after our meals.  They made short work of everything.

Santa Eulalia has a ferry port where you can take a ride to Es Cañar, Ibiza town and Formentera.  We didn’t do the latter two but did take the ferry over to Es Cañar.  It would have been much quicker to jump in a normal taxi but who could resist a water taxi?  The trip took about twenty minutes but the views were amazing.  Ibiza is a beautiful island; it has lovely golden coastal views which luscious greenery in the backdrop.  The Balearic Islands are lusher than the rocky Canaries, which we also love visiting.   

Our first day in Es Cañar involved a bit of exploration and we found a beautiful fountain with a small park in the background.  The kids got to run around for a bit and then we decided to grab lunch at one of the many restaurants looking out onto the sea front.  Shortly after lunch, we decided to take a trip on the Moby Dick glass bottom boat.  It lasted an hour; perfect for two under 5-year olds whose attention spans would have waned if it had been longer.  My eldest barely lifted his head on that trip, he was focused on finding sharks but was excited with all the sea life we saw.  There were so many different types of fish and also an old ship wreck. While there were no sharks, my son was happy.  He even swore he saw a barracuda but I’m not too convinced we have them in those waters.

Es Cañar has a famous Hippy Market which was a great place to visit.  The stalls were vast and full of colourful and interest things, as well as your usual market tat.  There was also a place designated for children with face painting and arts and crafts.  My eldest had a big spider painted on his face and got a shark tooth necklace so he was made up for the rest of the day.  We got some tie-dye t-shirts too.

We decided to take a trip to San Antonio aquarium for our little fish lover.  We were pleasantly surprised with this place.  The taxi dropped us at the top of the path leading down to the aquarium.  It was a rocky path but we navigated the buggy down while taking in the beautiful views.  I took lots of pictures of the caves.  The aquarium itself was an underground cave but there was a café at the top offering refreshments and most importantly ice cream for the kids.  We made our way down into the aquarium and could take the buggy with us.  Inside was the most unique aquarium we have ever seen; it was a unique way to see the fish in a natural setting.  We finally got to see some sharks along with an array of other creatures.  The boys loved it.

There was a small ferry that came over from the main port in San Antonio so we hopped on and enjoyed the small ride over to the main resort.  I was surprised seeing it.  I can’t explain why but I guess it was because the place was clean and looked very friendly for families too.  We found a new park and let the kids play before finding somewhere for lunch, which ended up being a Burger King at my son’s insistence.  We tend to avoid fast food places on holiday but we were all happy to enjoy one on this occasion.  Having a walk around the resort I spotted some famous places but it was lovely and quiet.  Okay it was May and the likelihood was the party animals were hibernating until night time but I really liked it there.

Having grandparents join us on holiday also meant that me and my husband could take a night off and let our hair down.  We chose to visit the casino and have a little splurge.  We spent a few hours on the slots and I got to enjoy a few mojitos too.  Having spent six trips to Vegas in the past, no casino will ever measure up but I do appreciate a flutter and it was a change from the norm.   On another child-free night we visited the restaurant Uttopia, which was situated at the bottom of the road leading up to the apartments.  We ate paella and had a few drinks.  It was nice to have some time just for us while sampling the local cuisine. 

Ibiza was a nicely timed holiday for us all; everyone enjoyed the holiday and I know I left a little piece of my heart there.  It’s true what they say; never judge a book by its cover.  Whether you are a hardcore party animal, looking for a chilled experience or just a family in need of a break in the sun, this island has it all. Ibiza has something for everyone and I’d definitely recommend it for families. We can’t wait to get back to do more exploring and even visit some of the resorts we didn’t get around to.