Ibiza – A Delicious Easter! – Out of Office Explorers

This Easter we found ourselves at home in Valencia wondering how to best enjoy the long weekend that had been gifted to us. It is so tempting to just stay at home and enjoy the Valencian sun, but this also means that Matt will end up working in the garden for several days. So we decided to take a mini break and kick off the travel season we decided to go for a few days in Ibiza.

It’s a bit early in the clubbing world for Ibiza (most clubs open towards the end of April), but this means there are good deals to be had on places to stay and most restaurants you can just walk into without a reservation. So if you are looking for beautiful beaches, great food and plenty of sunshine then this is the place to be!

Getting there and around

When sat on a sun lounger just by Ibiza town and looking out onto the bluest of Mediterranean sea vistas then you’ll quickly get the idea that this is one of the most connected little islands in the world. Planes are coming in every hour (sometimes more) and the ferries are running in and out of the port; even at this ‘quiet’ time of year, you’ll never be short of connections. For us it was a mere 30 mins from Valencia. At just 35km long and 20 km wide, Ibiza is not a huge island, but if you want to visit all of it (as we did) then hiring a car is your best bet.

Where to stay

Ibiza has something for everyone…partygoers (San Antonio / Playa d’en Bossa), Culture vultures (Ibiza Town), Families (Santa Eulalia / Es Caná) and getting away from it with a spot of nature (Cala Llonga / Portinatx / the Interior). For us, Figueretas gave a nice blend of liveliness, but not in the thick of any of the demographics…not too clubby, not all families, but just a nice mix.

We stayed at the excellent One Ibiza Suites, right by the seafront with a great studio room that has everything for self sufficiency (even a wine fridge), with a great view onto the sea and sunshine on the balcony for breakfast. The bathroom is a bit voyeuristic, so just remember to keep your curtains closed if you are not such an exhibitionist!

The staff at the hotel are super friendly, make sure you check with the concierge on their tips to see, do and eat on the island as they have some great suggestions. The jewel of the hotel is its rooftop terrace, with a lap infinity pool and sunbeds that give an unrivalled view of the Med’ out in front…if Matt had his way he would have just stayed on the sun lounger for the whole trip!

Where to Eat

This was going to be a bit of a Foodie trip and there is plenty of choice across the island, so let us run through a few of our tasty favourites. In Figueretas the cuisine has a bit of a fusion style to it, fish tacos and hearty burgers for lunch at the Skinny Kitchen; colourful french seafood at Soleado and very filling Japanese / Peruvian at AmankayaIbiza that will leave you wanting for nothing! Luckily the seafront has strategically placed exercise equipment to work off all this food!

The star of Figueretas is Aramara, a properly authentic Mexican restaurant that pays homage to Frida Kahlo and gives you traditional tacos with top shelf Mezcal that the barman will tell you all about (in spanish) and how best to drink (with strawberries); easily the best Mexican restaurant we have been to, outside of Mexico.

Travelling around the island at this time of year may not always find you a lunch stop that is open, but a couple of places that were a rewarding stop included Feel Ibiza in Figeural that does great pizzas as well as fancy starters with a dry ice effect.

El Chiringuito at Cala Gracioneta is a hidden paradise with prices to match! Sitting amongst the glitterati of Ibiza in this shaded cove is lovely for a couple of hours. Followed by some time enjoying the swimming-pool like waters that surround this part of the coast.

What to do

Well, pretty much for this time of year whilst the water is a bit too cold for watersports and the clubs are laying dormant, then eating, sunbathing, some drinks (in the sunshine), maybe some more food (in the sunshine) and then have a bit of a relax (in the sun!).

A bit of an island tour of its best beaches (to experience sun, food and drinks in a different setting) is a good option to take in the beauty of the island and it’s myriad of beaches and coves. Some of our favourites include: Talamanca for its great sea front walk; the tamed wildness of Santa Eulàlia (although beware that the Beach House hotel is more of a sprawling complex that the name suggests); the northern coastal spots of Benirràs, Cova de Can Marçà and Port de Sant Miquel that will have you meandering through small costal routes; and the Westerns spots (probably our favourites with their crystal clear waters) of Cala Gracioneta, Cala Gració and Cala Alto de Porta.

Visit the old town of Ibiza…a fortress like promontory that will give you plenty of exercise getting up to the Dalt Vila and then to slowly ramble down, through the winding alleyways, past the Cathedral and its port views and all the chilled bars and cafe’s hidden away at every corner.

Experience one of the World’s most magical sunsets…at the Mirador des Vedrà viewpoint. Get here early to be able to park your car, even in this off season the sunset viewpoint seems to be the number one hotspot of the island! Don’t include high heels in your instagram outfit as it is a 15 minute hike along a rough path to get to the viewpoint. And expect that you will not be alone…but the group chillout is all part of the wonder of an Ibizan experience!

Even though the dance world has not fully awoken on the island a stop by the iconic Cafe del Mar is a must, also for sunsets but at this time of year to marvel at how you can get your choice of seats and run of the full cafe that would not be possible later in the year!