My Goddess Complex

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Travel diaries: Finding culture in Ibiza – from churches to vip boat parties

This year, I was adamant that I wanted a chill birthday. Naturally, that changed as soon as my mother asked if she should buy tickets to Ibiza a few days after our Morocco trip. Sitting on her laptop bleary eyed with spontaneity, wanderlust and exhaustion, she booked a 7 day trip, which would finish the…

Maya Kokerov
11 minutes
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This year, I was adamant that I wanted a chill birthday. Naturally, that changed as soon as my mother asked if she should buy tickets to Ibiza a few days after our Morocco trip. Sitting on her laptop bleary eyed with spontaneity, wanderlust and exhaustion, she booked a 7 day trip, which would finish the day after my 27th and leave enough time to do nothing but relax on some days. Any sane person would say yes, right? Well, that’s what I did anyway (carpe diem and whatnot).

As soon as we arrived, we were accidentally thrust ourselves into a whole luxury van with only three of us, our transport to Es Cana – the small, family friendly resort we opted to stay in. The trip was starting with a good dose of birthday luck. We spent the night exploring the local town centre, which was a social haven for the British retirement community. We joined in for that one night, listening to ABBA while inhaling tortillas catered for English tastebuds.

It was miles away from the Ibiza we pictured in our minds and on our vision boards, but that would come in time. For now, we made do with a quick walk into ‘Charlie Angels Ibiza’, where the median age was 65, and a night of unpacking while watching Spanish TV.

The next day, we woke ourselves up with a cold plunge in the crystalline June Mediterranean, followed by a quick glance at our itinerary over vegan breakfast.

We stayed at the Leonardo Royal Hotel, a chain that’s also in London. The lobby had a hazy feel, with the glass windows and door to the pool surrounded by fauna, as if you’d just woken up from a coma and accidentally ended up on a utopian island.

Grandpas strolled around lazily, young couples laid by the pool topless, and the kids pool had a foam party that every childless group looked out to jealously (that’s where all the fun was in Es Cana, an all inclusive paradise for families and senior singles. Ultimately, it was amazing coming back to such a calm, comfortable hotel that contrasted so heavily from Ibiza town.

Over the course of the next week, I discovered some hidden gems, while also trying out Ibiza’s infamous party spots as my birthday approached. Below, I go through my top recommendations for Ibiza – whether you’re a completely sober aesthete, or looking to make the most of your youth, without dying in the process.

This is definitely not an exhaustive list of what you can do in Ibiza, but it’s a balanced (and mostly budget) list of recommendations

I also unpack whether top attractions (like Ushuaia) are overrated or worth the hype. Enjoy and comment any hot takes below!

Santa Eulària des Riu

Also called Santa Eulalia, Ibiza’s third largest resort is popular for those looking for a quieter holiday, but there are some gems scattered around it.

This is the gastronomic centre of the island, with a pedestrianised “restaurant street” overlooking yachts parked at the docks.

While there are some nearby clubs on the roads leading up to it, we were shocked at how incredibly quiet it was, especially because we had the misconception that all of Ibiza would have at least a bit of a nightlife. Granted, there was nightlife, if you count the “excellent entertainment from Liam and Jimbo” at Charlie’s Bar.

We got sushi, followed by the richest dark chocolate cake and explored the town.

  • Puig de Missa

The hillock this beautiful church rests on was the perfect retreat away from pirate attacks in centuries past. At the 52 metre summit you’ll find the Església de Puig de Missa, a crowning 16th century fortress-church, a defence tower and accompanying museums.

The 17th century, multi-arched porch is bleach white, except for the dramatic, golden Churrigueresque (ornate style of baroque architecture) altar, dating to 1678.

Make sure you bring water (they only have holy water up there) and prepare yourself for a short but steep climb upward. The views and the church itself are definitely worth the incline.

  • The W Ibiza

W Ibiza is a luxurious escape that embodies the charm of Ibiza. Hidden behind the town centre, it’s a playground for influencers and business moguls to unwind and chill.

Even if you can’t quite afford the hefty room prices, you can go to the beach club and the rooftop bar for refreshing cocktails, an infinity pool and absolutely insane sunset views – partly looking out towards the sea, partly towards the Puiga de Missa itself.

The service is amazing and, while I expected a livelier vibe, it was one of the highlights of the trip in the way it combined nature with luxury in a way that met my expectations of Ibiza.

Formentera

Dangling off the South coast of Ibiza, this 20km-long island transports you to the European Maldives, with water so perfectly blue that it hurts to leave it. The only time I had experienced this level of perfection were the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand, which overall win points due to the actively warm water temperature.

The seabed itself is covered with extensive meadows of Posidonia oceanica seagrass, a vital Mediterranean plant that acts as a natural filter, purifying the water and giving it exceptional transparency and its signature vibrant blue and turquoise hues. The high quality and oxygenation of the water, coupled with the white sandy seabeds, enhance the water’s luminous colour, creating a Caribbean-like effect.

You’ll genuinely feel like Brook Shields in Blue Lagoon, except surrounded by international students and business school graduates in micro bikinis.

The pace of life here is blissfully languid, and tourists often choose to rent a bike to cycle from beach to village and the distant lighthouse-dotted capes.

Platja Illetes

The most unique part of this island is the pencil-thin Trucador Peninsula, host to the unforgettable Platja Illetes. Filled with exceptionally beautiful people (many of whom like like WAGs), there’s also a smaller island in the distance that you can swim to.

The Trucador Peninsula is part of the Parc Natural de Ses Salines (a nature preserve), so avoid roped off areas).

Just offshore are the two small illetes (islets), Pouet and Rodona, that give the beach its name.

If you’re doing a trip to Platja Illetes, or any of the surrounding areas, be sure to bring a lot of water and food/snacks, as there are no nearby shops. The surrounding restaurants range up to a minimum of €50 per per person (just for the meal), and we were so hungry that we had no other choice.

There is very little nightlife on the entire island, however the beach clubs are infamous with the elite, and bear the prices to show it. Our restaurant choice was a blessing in disguise, with an incredible DJ and a litany of hot people who added to the atmosphere. It was definitely a one time treat though, and we had to keep buying expensive cans of water to fend off the ultra salty taste of seafood paella.

Formentera is only half an hour from Ibiza town on the fast ferry, but it’s up to an hour and a half from South Ibiza and the painfully slow boat we chose (although this does make it far cheaper). We had to choose between this island and Es Vedra, and it ended up being one of the most magical days in our entire summer.

Ibiza Old Town

I was initially surprised by how many people didn’t know English in Ibiza, thinking it was a complete tourist trap. Later, what shocked me was the amount of history and culture that often gets overlooked by tourists looking for a blackout party weekend.

The historic Dalt Villa quarter is surrounded by towering defensive ramparts, first built by the Carthaginians in 5th century BCE. They were later extended during the Moorish era, and it was first settled by the Phoenicians during the 16th Century. These defence walls protected Ibizans from attacks by North African raiders and the Turkish navy.

The fortified hilltop leads to a cathedral (which is often closed) and, in less than an hour, you can walk the entire 2km perimeter and see the amazing views outside Catedral de Santa Maria de les Neus.

The small street market of restaurants and bars is the quintessential sight of a European summer, with cobblestones, flowers and serenading musicians (the prices were similar to Santa Eulària). Again, this part of Ibiza is a condensed part of the nightlife and restaurants (it’s like walking into Instagram). Annie’s Ibiza, the infamous luxury dress store, is definitely worth a visit.

Another surprising element was that all of the clubs seem to be condensed into small areas of Ibiza Town, like the strip, not really spilling out into other parts of the city, unlike other Spanish hotspots like Barcelona.

Ushuaïa & Hï Ibiza

While everyone and their mother’s dog opt for Calvin Harris, we chose Tomorrowland and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike at Ushuaïa to greet my birthday.

The hotel itself was very overrated, with girls trying to squeeze their way into the £1K motel rooms to take some better IG stories. It was also a lot tamer than we expected, and everyone was really nice. One guy bent over to let me take a video, and another girl asked if she was okay to dance in front of us. I was initially intimidated by my first Ibiza club night but it was actually pretty relaxed.

This wasn’t my type of music, but by the end of it, it felt like a core memory. The atmosphere, the lights, the planes flying overhead – it felt unreal to be dancing in Ibiza in my twenties next to my best friend.

PSA: One water bottle costs around £19, so please come hydrated (and already buzzed!).

As for Hï, we stopped by afterwards, and the venue was stunning. It’s no wonder that it holds the title of ‘best club in the world’.

Ibiza VIP boat party

We ran to make it in time, praying we wouldn’t trip over our flip flops. This was a ‘catamaran’ that also gives you access to 2 clubs of your choice, that you can go to after the boat party.

We got unlimited drinks (slightly to our detriment), paella, desert, and beds on the roof of the yacht which we opted to pay extra for.

There were bachelorette parties, a sugar daddy that everyone cheered for, and an angry-looking security guard, with something that looked suspiciously like a teardrop tattoo, spraying liquor into everyone’s mouths with a water gun.

Warning to those who are both timid and curvaceously endowed, they might try to pull you into a ‘twerk contest’ if you’re not careful! Jump off that sea slide to avoid at all costs.

We left Ibiza with a new lease on life, satisfied and surprisingly not as broke as we thought we’d be.

Emergency numbers:

  • 112: General emergency number (covers all types of emergencies). 
  • 061: Medical emergencies. 
  • 091: National Police. 
  • 092: Local Police

Places 

  • Covasanta 
  • High on Saturday 
  • Park chinois 
  • Esvedra 
  • Bamb Buddah 
  • Es vedra
  • Ushuaia / Pacha / Space
  • Cafe Mambo
  • Sunset strip 
  • San Antonio bay 
  • Old Town 
  • Cala Bassa 
  • Santuari Punic d’Esculleram
  • Las Dalias Night Market (Every Mon, Tue, Sun from 1 June 2025, from 18:00)
  • Punta Arabi Hippy Market Ibiza

Clubs:

  • Amnesia, San Rafael (famous for its dance floors)
  • Eden, San Antonio (Void Incubus Gold sound system)
  • Hï Ibiza, Playa d’en Bossa (state of the art production and industry-leading visuals)
  • Pacha, Ibiza Town (very glam dint be afraid to overdress)
  • Ushuaïa (ice cannons, dancers and some of the biggest pyrotechnics)
  • 528 Ibiza (super big)
  • Alaska found in the North (live performances and bohemian fiestas)
  • Chinos Ibiza (1920s colonial Shanghai)
  • Es Paradis, San Antonio (tropical paradise beneath an avant garde glass pyramid)
  • Ibiza Rocks (pool party)
  • O Beach Ibiza (feel good House, dance music favourites)
  • DC10 (underground)
  • Cafe Mambo (sunset and Sophie’s recommendation)
  • Pikes (partying, dressing up and mischief)
  • Destino (very large and pool parties)
  • Lío Ibiza (high class restaurant and Cabaret and at 1am it turns into a nightclub)
  • Baloo Ibiza (smaller and jungle themed)
  • Playa Soleil (on the beach itself)
  • Link to club tickets: Buying tickets
  • Ibiza calendar:  Ibiza Spotlight party calendar
  • Optimum time to hit the clubs is apparently 1 to 2 am otherwise you’re an “Ibiza Virgin” but who cares
  • High heels are not recommended unless you’re hitting the VIPs
  • You will need to be a bit more conservative at the likes of Ushuaïa and Destino
  • Flip Flops usually not allowed

Islands:

Boat parties:

Yoga:

• https://www.getyourguide.com/ibiza-l276/secret-cove-yoga-and-crystal-waters-experience-in-ibiza-t936851/?ranking_uuid=ed4b7873-e740-4113-9f2d-c457087d4b5f

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