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Hello friends!
I’m staying true to my promise to only write honest, raw opinions, and, while editing my 1-year-old travel video (yes, I have a backlog of over 1 year, it’s ridiculous), I decided to pop here and write about Ibiza.
Is it worth going to Ibiza if you don’t want to party? Or if you’re in your 30s or 40s (or 20s, not everyone is a party animal in their 20s) and you want to attend some shows, but don’t want to party hard, is it even worth going there? Are there any quiet hotels, good restaurants and nice beaches or is any beach around Ibiza taken by a ridiculously overpriced beach club?
Going to Ibiza in your 30s
We’ve been to Ibiza twice. The first time was in the midst of the pandemic: travel was permitted, but you had to wear masks outdoors. Beaches and terraces were open, yet all the nightclubs were closed, so there was no nightlife. Most of the visitors were retired couples from Germany or the Netherlands and, as you might imagine, everything was extremely quiet—even in the heart of Ibiza Town. With no famous DJs or concerts, it felt no different from any other sleepy Spanish resort.
Our second trip was last year, when we really wanted to experience the “real” Ibiza and tick one of my bucket-list items—seeing David Guetta live. Although he tours the world, it somehow was easiest to catch him in Ibiza, where he was playing three or four times a week. Conveniently, his sets in Ushuaia began in the evening and finished before 11 pm, which worked perfectly for us (yay!). Pepe was keen to see Calvin Harris, and would you believe their shows were just three days apart? If that wasn’t a sign, I don’t know what was. By then, I was four months pregnant, so it was the ideal time to go before I got too large or tired to enjoy it.
I have heard stories and seen videos online about how crazy Ibiza can be, but nothing ever prepared me for the reality. Even the plane ride was crazy! Luckily, both our hotels were pretty far from nightclubs so we managed to sleep well, but staying where we stayed on our first trip to Ibiza was definitely not an option. I felt crazy for even considering staying at the Ushuaia Hotel – thank God, we didn’t stay there. We spent the first 3 nights at the Hotel Cubanito in San Antonio and the last 2 nights at Hilton Cala San Miguel – Curio Collection – the last one was proper quiet and luxurious and I would definitely love to come back, but now we obviously can’t do that with Mila – it’s an adults-only hotel.
Visiting DJ sets in Ibiza in your 30s and if you don’t drink
We hired a car in Ibiza (as always via Rentalcars.com), which allowed us to stay away from Ushuaïa and drive there for all the DJ sets—a decision that turned out to be the best one ever. Even though we skipped the nighttime shows (which start around midnight and run until about 7 a.m.), people were absolutely bonkers even at the early performances. I have never seen so many people under the influence of substances as I did in Ushuaïa, even at 8 p.m. I worried there would be a lot of drunk people—but instead, everyone was queuing for water.
What did I expect when coming to Ibiza? I realised that I live in a bubble where none of my friends—or even their friends—engage in these activities. Plus, I hadn’t been to a nightclub in ten years, so of course I was shocked. Rather than enjoying the music, I was constantly on alert and stayed as far back as possible, alongside other folks who were simply there for the tunes. In hindsight, it was probably not the best idea to go to Ushuaïa at four months pregnant, but I was naïve enough to think it was just an early-start concert.
Bottom line: if you’re heading to Ushuaïa just for the music, do yourself a favour and find somewhere else to listen.
Where to stay in Ibiza if you don’t want to party
Is it even worth coming to Ibiza if you don’t want to party? Ibiza is expensive and perhaps not worth it? Perhaps, it’s better to go somewhere else?
Fortunately, the whole island isn’t given over to night-long raves—there are plenty of tranquil spots where you can unwind and dine at superb restaurants. I’ll share our favourite eateries in a separate list shortly.
To enjoy Ibiza’s quieter side, you really need to hire a car, as many of the best hotels and hidden coves lie off the beaten track. I found the area of Cala San Miguel amazing: we spent two nights at Hilton Cala San Miguel – Curio Collection hotel and as I mentioned before, I would definitely return. North Ibiza feels like a completely different island: serene and luxurious without the inflated prices you find in the chaos of the south. There are also beautiful, secluded beaches where you can escape the crowds—most partygoers never venture that far.
Bonus: amazing restaurants in Ibiza – hands down the best food in Ibiza
As promised, here are the restaurants, where we loved eating in Ibiza:
- Es Gerret in San Antonio (small plates, everything was delicious)
- Aubergine (farm to table + boho shops)
- La Luna Nell Orto (the most gorgeous setting in Ibiza)
- Aiyanna Ibiza
- The Fish Shack near Ibiza Town
Bonus 2: Most Instagrammable hotels
If you want gorgeous photos, visit the most instagrammable hotels in Ibiza – Cubanito, Paradiso, Gran Paradiso, Los Felices & others from the Concept hotels chain. I think you can buy a day pass, but if you’re staying at one of them, you can get into the other ones showing your room key!
