Ibiza is not just about partying: discover the beaches and mountains on the island – 03/20/2024 – Tourism

Still at the airport, in the luggage area, some signs warn: Ibiza is celebrating, no matter what day you disembark. Advertisements for electronic music clubs assure those who travel the world in search of the best tracks that they have arrived at the right place.

But just ignore the advertising, rescue the Samsonite from the conveyor belt and go through the gate to see that Ibiza is not just hot, and that there is (plenty of) room for those who also want to fry their bodies, not at the rave, but on the sand of the beach or by the the pool.

One of the members of the Balearic Islands —its sisters are Mallorca, Minorca and Formentera—, Ibiza is to the east of Spain, and until the 1970s its most traditional economic activities were fishing and agriculture. From then on, tourism begins to dominate the equation by importing and distributing visitors across its 575 km² every month of the year.

The electronic music festivals that have given the island its party fame usually take place from April to September, but if you look carefully you can find parties from January to January. No wonder, in 2014 Ibiza’s nightlife was voted the best in the world by the American news network CNN.

In addition to the city that gives the island its name, Sant Antoni de Portmany also stands out in this regard. This is where, for example, the Es Paradis club is located, which already has tickets for the 2024 season on sale on its website. On April 20th, precisely at midnight, the Es Paradis Opening Party takes place, scheduled to go on until 6am the following day. The cheapest tickets are already sold out.

Eden, a nightclub also in Sant Antoni de Portmany, begins work in March, on the 29th. The cheapest tickets have also all been sold, but you can still buy those starting at 14.99 euros (R$81). A VIP table at the event, which starts at 11:55 pm, costs from 900 euros (R$4,900).

But the face of Ibiza changes when you put aside the energy drink and focus on coconut water. When leaving the airport — whose simplicity is reminiscent of that of the Bahian airport Porto Seguro, a city that also receives both partygoers and tourists wanting peace —, you can take app cars or those offered by hotels, heading to the quiet regions of the island.

About 20 km away is San Jose de Sa Talaia, accessible via paved dual carriageways, with a stunning landscape and vegetation full of pine trees, juniper trees and olive trees. Cala Vadella beach is in San Jose, with a classic Mediterranean blue sea. Bars, summer houses and lots of topless people spread out facing the water where dozens of boats circulate and dock.

Smaller and more charming is Cala Carbó. Just 60 meters long, it has a single restaurant and two fisherman’s houses on the border between the ocean and the hillside. In addition to the sea route, the beach is accessible via a two-kilometer paved descent, easily covered by bicycle.

Next door, Petunia Ibiza, the only Spanish venture in the Beaumier chain, with hotels in France and Switzerland, offers electric models to guests, with rent charged by the hour. It is located in an area with very few buildings, and consequently very few cars to disturb the peace. Until 2023 it only accepted adults, but this year it changed the rules and became “kids friendly”.

It wasn’t just in the age group that Petunia made adjustments. The 42 rooms and suites received new decor with seventies inspiration, pop and colorful, designed by New Yorker Studio Galeon. Well distributed throughout an area with the feel of a Mexican courtyard, the accommodations provide guests with privacy and, in some cases, offer views of the sea.

Upon its reopening, Petunia is already sold out of accommodation until mid-May. The hotel has yoga classes, a swimming pool and three refined restaurants: La Mesa d’Es Vedrà, Los Olivos, and the rooftop La Mirada, a raw bar with ceviches and great drinks, where you can enjoy the sunset. The breakfast, included in the daily rate, is plentiful and almost worth lunch. The olive oil and local wines are unmissable, and some are reappearing for sale at the airport when you return home.

Not that it needed it, but Ibiza still has a mountain with magical properties, according to locals. It is Es Vedra, actually an island in the middle of the ocean, on which a peak of around 400 meters high stands out. It is said to be the third most magnetic place on the planet, and that, like the Bermuda Triangle, navigation systems suffer interference in its surroundings.

Contrary to the myth, the boat that provides services to Petunia’s guests did not face any difficulties when circling Es Vedra on the sunny afternoon that the reporter visited the place. The hotel, which has a suite with a balcony facing the mountain, offers tours on demand that put guests in direct contact with the exuberant nature of Ibiza, including a walk along the rocky shores with a refreshing swim at the end.

In front of Es Vedra, you can understand those who see magic in its grandeur and ask for money, health, fertility (the goddess Tanit, who takes care of the reproductive powers of mortals, was born there on the island). Non-believers can skip this part and just admire the place — from afar, because visiting is prohibited.

Diving near the mountain is an unforgettable experience of unique beauty, like few places in the world offer. It’s only worth paying attention to the jellyfish that are often brought by the currents and splash the sea with their translucent bodies. Because there is no evidence in the literature that the powers of Es Vedra relieve the pain of a skin burn.

The journalist traveled at the invitation of Beaumier Hotels