Why Ibiza Should Be at the Top of Your summer Holiday?
Sunset Vibes at Experimental Beach Club, Ibiza
If there’s ever a silver lining from this once in a lifetime (hopefully) pandemic, the decline of over-tourism has got to be our highlight. Imagine this; less crowded airports, less crowded restaurants, and a focus on being outside, while still having a justifiable reason to stay from people. Imagine visiting places like Venice, Rome, Paris and the once storied bohemian enclave of Ibiza, without the constant crowds.
On my first trip to Ibiza, I expected and experienced the mega-clubs and over-priced drinks, but to my surprise, on my second night I met an Ibizan local and got to see a much better and less crowded side. This local took me to an undiscovered area of Ibiza’s Old Town, only a five-minute walk from the tourist trap area all of my English speaking friends and bloggers reference. Within 5 minutes, I was no longer surrounded by London stag-parties and housewives, but now surrounded by an eclectic group of friendly strangers from all over Europe, and all over the world! This is the most exciting part of traveling the world; when you realize you’re actually in place where the locals hang out, with no Americans in site. Fortunately my new friend showed me there’s so much more to Ibiza than just Ibiza town and Sant Antoni. Over the next few days I enjoyed some of the most colorful orange and purple sunsets of my life. My favorites were the classy and refined Experimental Beach Club; doubling as a beach club- restaurant during the day and a beautiful outdoor restaurant at night. The drive to Experimental includes a very narrow and memorable drive through Ibiza’s expansive salt flats. My favorite sunset was at Sunset Ashram. This is what I imagined Ibiza to be 20 years ago; a laid- back hippy vibe with a beautiful European DJ spinning some relaxing Ibizan house music in the background. My favorite dining experience was held inland, as anyone insider of Ibiza knows, the inland of the island has just as much to offer as the gorgeous sea lined beaches. La Garanja is a beautiful oasis consisting of a hotel, restaurant and sustainable farm all in one. La Garanja was “socially distant” before “social distancing” was even a thing. La Garanja is classic Ibiza; relaxed, understated, refined, and not like any place I’ve been in my life. Imagine Joshua Tree style meets Napa Valley surroundings. La Garanja consists of only 5 rooms and a two bedroom guesthouse. Once you lay eyes on their divine pool, you will immediately sprint to your bathing suite. After a serene day lounging by the pool and staring into their gorgeous farmland, take a cat-nap and get cleaned up for an unforgettable “farm to table” outdoor dinner under the stars. The hardest part of staying at La Garanja would have to be actually leaving their grounds.