It’s oh so quiet
As package holidays resumed on the Balearic party island, Sarah Marshall found out why holidays post-lockdown could be better than ever
Ibiza without the raves, and Disney magic with masks
Cheering low-flying aircraft as they cruised overhead became a bit of a tradition at clubs along Playa d’en Bossa, Ibiza’s longest and liveliest beach. Whoops of joy welcomed a new influx of clubbers and applauded the fact that someone somewhere in the venue had probably missed their flight home. But today, only gulls spread their wings against the deep blue sky. Standing alone on an empty beach, I’m an audience of one.
Spain, including the Balearic Islands, experienced one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe, and Ibiza’s famous club scene has been put on hold for this year. Mass gatherings are forbidden, dancing banned and bars must close by 10pm.
It paints a very different picture of the Ibiza familiar to most.
When I land at the airport, only a scattering of people are in the terminal. Outside, weathered posters advertise parties that ended months ago. Foreigners, though, are starting to return.
In March, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advised against all but essential travel to Spain. A couple of weeks ago, borders were once again open to visitors from the UK, as inclusion on the government’s safe list (meaning no quarantine restrictions in either direction) gave the green light for tourism to the island (though Scots still needed to isolate), and the first influx of fly‘n’flop tourists arrived on Tui flights from Manchester and Gatwick on 10 July. Sadly, by the time we started preparing this edition of The Scotsman Magazine – late July – guidelines had changed again, with Spain back on the list of countries to which “non-essential travel” is not advised. By the time you read this, who knows, things may be different again – make sure you know the up-to-date position.
Newly refurbished during lockdown, 495-room dual tower resort The Ibiza Twiins is one of the properties that were hosting Tui guests. Perspex screens on reception and multiple hand sanitiser dispensers are designed to keep Covid-19 at bay; in every room, slippers and bathrobes come with a complimentary disposable face mask. It’s a useful gift and a hint at the new normal. From 13 July, mask wearing became mandatory in all public areas across the Balearics. Beaches, pools and sun loungers are exempt; when sitting down to eat or drink, face coverings can also be removed. Anyone who breaks the rules could be fined E100 (£89).
In the absence of crowds, social distancing is easy, and I never struggle to find ample space in the sun. I’m one of only 90 guests – a fraction of the capped 70 per cent capacity, and Ricardo Munoz, commercial and marketing director of the Sirenis hotel group, admits they probably won’t see big bookings until 2021. “None of us are here to make money this summer,” he laments.
The other surprise is the breakfast buffet, an institution most hoteliers have retired in our new germophobic world. When I enter the restaurant, a member of staff registers my temperature with an electronic zapper; anything above 37.5C and I’ll be whisked into quarantine. Inside, a one-way system weaves past counters of food, although only serving staff can plate items,
When I enter, a member of staff registers my temperature with a zapper
and even bananas must be picked up with tongs. Along with sickness, fear of quarantine is one of the big stumbling blocks preventing people from booking holidays in 2020. Tui recently announced details of a new Covid-19 Cover programme, available to every guest until the end of the year, which promises to take care of costs associated with self-isolation abroad. It provides some reassurance during unpredictable times.
Most tourists I meet are simply relieved to be on holiday. It’s unanimously agreed that the only peculiarity is how normal it feels to be away. Like everywhere in 2020, though, Ibiza looks different.
Local guide Pepe Costa, who’s been leading tours for 38 years, says this is the quietest he’s ever seen the island. “But it’s still as beautiful as ever,” he says from beneath a plastic visor, as we explore the breezy, hilltop ramparts of Dalt Vila, Ibiza’s fortified old town. “Many people think we have only the nightlife, but there’s the history, the culture, the gastronomy; there are many things to do.”
Perhaps it’s a trick of the soft, Mediterranean sunlight, but in the absence of busy ferry traffic, the sea sparkles and shimmers as if laced with sapphire gemstones. In the narrow, cobbled streets, only a few cafes have lifted their awnings, but walking alone through medieval archways allows me to instantly step back in time. This is a chance to revel in Ibiza’s past glories – from discovering early Phoenician settlements at Sa Caleta, to celebrating the free-spirited, hippy vibe that’s made Ibiza such an inclusive place.
The disco lights may have temporarily dimmed, but there are still opportunities to party and have fun. Owned by Duane Lineker (nephew of Gary), O Beach was one of the first venues to relaunch its daytime pool parties, at the beginning of July. The chic venue overlooks the bay of San Antonio, Ibiza’s beating heart of entertainment, but today the typically hectic promenade ambles along at a gentler pace.
Inside the bar, I’m allocated my own seating area and poolside daybed, and politely asked not to move around too much. Using my phone to zap a QR code, I can order drinks and platters of food from masked waiters, while DJS spin a suitably laidback set. Aside from the absence of any dancing, it feels like a party in semi-swing.
“It may be different for this year, but it’s still a great experience,” says Duane, who remains positive about the season. “Especially when everyone has had to endure some form of lockdown.”
A boutique day club for families, neighbouring bar Bam-bu-ku, also owned by the company, only launched a few weeks ago. Teens queue up to ride a surf machine and toddlers play in a sandpit, while parents sip extravagant cocktails; its success demonstrates Ibiza’s holiday spirit is very much alive.
Up in the rural hills of San Antonio, where olive groves and almond trees advertise Ibiza’s beauty far more effectively than glitzy billboards, iconic hotel, bar and restaurant Pikes is also having a good summer so far.
Although numbers have been reduced and plugs are pulled at 2am (restaurants have been granted a later licence than bars), the atmosphere in the kitsch country farmhouse is still carefree. A couple play tennis on a court dominated by a giant rollerblade, once used as a dancer’s podium, while others laze in the pool with inflatable flamingos.
According to co-owner Dawn Hindle, now is the time to experience the real Ibiza: amazing restaurants, superb, spacious beaches and “back to mine” vibe chilled sessions.
“The healing, feminine energies that everyone and the world needs right now can be discovered in Ibiza,” she enthuses. “As we have been saying at Pikes for a while, it’s a true ‘rockovery’ moment, and we may never get this experience or moment again.”
TUI Blue For Families offers seven nights on an all-inclusive basis at the 4T TUI Blue Aura in Port des Torrents (close to San Antonio), from £537
per person based on two adults and two children sharing. Includes flights
from Manchester in October.
TUI Platinum is offering seven nights B&B at the 4T Ibiza Twiins in Playa d’en Bossa, from £513 per person (two sharing). Half board and all-inclusive options are available. Visit tui.co.uk