Hi there,
In September 2016 I went to Ibiza for the first time. I organized myself to go in this month because I imagined that there would be less people and that there would still be good weather to swim at the beach.
Ibiza is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea that forms, together with Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera and several smaller islets, the archipelago and autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It has an area of 572km² and its population almost triples in the summer months, which is outrageous.
The island is internationally known for the beauty of its coves and beaches and for the quality of its waters. It is also famous for its nightlife, since in summer there are parties everywhere and there are countless clubs. It is said that it is a chameleon island since it adapts to any plan that the tourist has.
What I was looking for was peace and quiet and that’s why I stayed in the north part. The north is supposed to be for those who want to relax and the south for those who want to party.
The first thing I noticed is that there is no typical gastronomy of the island (although it has the most expensive restaurant in the world). There are quite a few international restaurants and no “typical food”.
We rented a car so we could see the whole island. All or almost all the beaches are full of restaurants, hotels and loungers; so, it is almost impossible to find a beach just for you (it was impossible for me) since everything is super exploited by massive tourism. I expected to find the beaches empty, and the truth is that it was a challenge to find a little place in the sand to put a towel.
Another thing that I found very sad is that almost all the beaches we visited were full of garbage, mostly bottles of alcohol and cigarette butts. Imagine arriving at a beach and having almost more cigarette butts than grains of sand. If the northern part was like this, which is supposedly away from partying and drunkenness, I don’t want to imagine the beaches of the southern part.
The good thing about going by car is that you go around and if you don’t like the beach, you leave. There were a couple of clean beaches that I liked, although escaping from the conglomeration of tourists was impossible.
We also went to see the old town and this time I was pleasantly surprised.
Ibiza’s history dates back over 3,000 years and was a key battleground against European pirates in the Middle Ages. It has several fortified forts and churches that were created to defend the island from looting.
Ibiza, like many cities on the Iberian Peninsula, was ruled by the Arabs for 500 years and their influence is still felt today. The official language of Ibiza is Catalan, although I thought it was Spanish; it also has its own regional dialect known as Ibicenco.
In short, Ibiza is a nice island, but it was completely neglected and ruined by mass tourism. It broke my heart to see so many beaches full of garbage, but that’s what happens when you sponsor party tourism and drunkenness. Unfortunately, the same thing happens in many places in Spain.
The historic center is beautiful, although it can be quite overwhelming to visit due to the huge number of people.
I would not return to Ibiza and if you are like me and seek for tranquility and nature, I don’t recommend you visit it.
