OK! TRAVEL IBIZA
THE LEGENDARY BALEARIC PARTY ISLE HAS A HOST OF HIDDEN GEMS TO DISCOVER
It’s that time of year again when we see all our favourite celebrities flocking to the party isle of Ibiza. And there probably isn’t a word in the English language that sums up Ibiza better than hedonism. As the summer season kicks off in earnest, the Balearic island becomes Europe’s partying epicentre attracting everyone from A-listers, royalty, footballers to reality stars. You can see them
hanging out at the cool beach bars, partying hard at the mega-sized clubs and posing on sleek white super yachts.
Despite its hedonistic reputation, OK!’S Rowan Erlam discovers that, outside of the main tourist spots, you’ll find off-the-beatentrack beachside restaurants as well as a rugged olive-tree-blanketed interior dotted with whitewashed farmhouses called fincas.
WHERE CAN I PARTY?
Some of the best beach clubs (Beachouse) and super-clubs – Ushuaïa (Pete Tong and Calvin Harris have residencies there this summer) and Haï Ibiza – are just a short walk from the hotel on Playa D’en Bossa. If, however, you’re looking for an iconic Ibiza experience, then head to Pikes, hidden in the hills outside San Antonio. This former farmhouse turned rock ’n’ roll hotspot is an Ibiza institution famed for its fabled pool parties. Some may recognise Pikes’ kidney-shaped pool from Wham!’s Club Tropicana music video. Freddie Mercury was a Pikes regular, and he celebrated a birthday there in suitably flamboyant style. As a tribute to the Queen frontman, former owner Tony Pike named the nightclub Freddie’s. More recently, Primal Scream held their after-party there attended by Kate Moss and Jade Jagger, who owns a home in nearby San Juan.
WHERE CAN I BE PAMPERED?
For those who have may have overindulged, Es Vivé’s new Virtue Wellness spa is the perfect post-party pampering sanctuary. OK! signed up for a relaxing deep tissue massage and a restorative Dr Hauschka Ultimate Glow facial. Wishing to look club-ready for our first night out, we also had a self-tan treatment in the privacy of our room, thanks to the services of Louise Maxwell Collective and her spray tanner Laura.
WHERE ARE THE BEST BEACHES?
Ibiza has more than 60 beaches to choose from in all shapes and sizes. To take a rest from the party hotspots, hire a car and find your own hidden gem. Just a 15-minute drive from San Antonio, OK! discovered Cala Salada. Backed by pineforested hills, this sheltered cove offers inviting shallow turquoise waters and a pristine beach.
For a complete change of scene, take a short boat trip from Ibiza Old Town’s harbour to Formentera, the tiniest of the Balearic Islands. There, we discovered an unspoiled land of coastal bike tracks, deserted white sands and laid-back beach bars. After cycling over to the south of the island to the Gecko Hotel Beach Club, we enjoyed a long lazy lunch of crisp calamari, seafood paella and rosé at the nautical-chic venue.
WHAT STARS MIGHT I SEE?
Ibiza is a favourite with everyone from Orlando Bloom, Kylie Minogue, Craig David (who had a residency last year at Ibiza Rocks Hotel) and James Blunt (who has a hilltop villa) to footballers – the Gerrards, Rooneys, Lampards and Crouches are regulars. Earlier this month Perrie Edwards was spotted paddleboarding in a bikini while on holiday with her boyfriend Alex Oxlade-chamberlain, while Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn enjoyed a pool party at O Beach Club.