Eight years ago, my sister Sky turned 18. To celebrate, she went to Brussels with her friend for the weekend, and brought back dozens of rainbow coloured chocolate Mannequin Pis', wrapped in thin plastic for me. I was incredibly jealous that she got to go to a land that was famous for its chocolate, so she promised to take me when I reached 18 and she had gotten 'rich and famous'. She might not be very famous but she has been very successful in climbing her career ladder, so after much deliberation and thought, my older sister took me to Ibiza as my 18th birthday present.
I had never been to Spain before, and of course it's impossible to not know Ibiza, the little island off the coast that's known best for its party scene and is the celebrity attraction all year round for its massive clubs. I went to the clubs and the pubs and the beaches and the pools and I must say its all very impressive, some parts overexaggerated (I mean 40e for Space, even though its the most awarded club in the world, is a bit of a joke), the weather was nice and hot and the skies blue. The alcohol was cheap, the boys were flirty and everyone is so relaxed and at ease, even the locals seem to be on holiday as they walk about their daily lives.
I got a tan, which burned my skin more than tanned it. We stayed for a week, and that was enough- the routine of beaches and cocktails and the overwhelming heat gets old eventually.
We stayed in San Antonio, which meant that we were in the centre of each and every party, whether it was east or west side. It also meant that the port was a bare 10 minutes walk away from our hotel.
Don't get me wrong- in some places you can get a glass of wine for 1.50e, in others you pay 20e for a cocktail
Sunsets in Ibiza mean the night dawning-nights of crazy partying and staying out till dawn. It also means incredibly pretty sunsets, where the sun drowns in the sea
Pacha girls were some of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, no joke- toned curvy bodies and beautifully made up faces
We went on a boat trip on our 4th day- that was my favourite part of the entire journey. It was a 5 hour trip, but it flew, and we got to see some of the most beautiful parts of the island.
Back at it again with the iPhone photos- this is from the first night, with me and my first glass of sangria. One glass too many it seemed.
We went to Cala Salada as one of our beaches. It was gorgeous- based on beige, dry and rocky cliffs, is a tucked in little beach with white sand and traquil blue water.
I saw a lizard!
And I bought a coconut that was broke open in front of me and I got to drink the coconut water
Can you believe I took this with my iPhone?! Lighting really is everything.
I loved Ibiza, and I would love to go back again. It honestly is a place everyone should visit, it's the ideal location for a perfect sun holiday, and it can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be- there is places selling breakfast for under 4e. You can go clubbing, go to bed early, go tanning, lie underneath shade, eat at fast food places or eat vegan. You can drink alcohol, or orange juice, you can go home after a weekend or stay for a month- Ibiza is what you make of it.
As always, thanks for reading, and I express special gratitude to my sister who brought me on my first sun holiday, after a year of the Leaving Cert and no fresh air, let alone sun.
Gaby x
