With Amnesia, Pacha and other after-dark haunts back up and running this season for the first time in three years, Ibiza is finally in the throes of a post-pandemic return to clubland form. But thankfully one need not step foot on a foam-party dance floor in order to soak up the Spanish isle’s breezy charms. Outside of the marina hubs just south of Ibiza town, the island can feel so downright restful and serene that you may be lulled to sleep by 9 p.m. — or midnight, rather; this is Spain, after all.
Revelry aside, Ibiza retains the same idiosyncratic bohemian sensibility that first put it on the map in the 1970s (Joni Mitchell is said to have worked on her seminal 1971 masterpiece “Blue” while visiting the island) through an eclectic mix of outdoor yoga classes, experimental vegan restaurants and dazzling seaside spas. Today's jetsetters who flock to the island from all over the globe still typically wear Birkenstocks, gauzy white dresses or other hippy-ish getups while frolicking on the beach or having a bite at one of the many superb beachside seafood shacks.
But when it comes to shopping, a slightly more uptight attitude is typically required. Most small retailers sell obvious surf-and-sun attire, but not much else. Turn over a ceramic bowl in one of the seemingly-decent homeware boutiques and you’ll likely find it is made, rather un-locally, in China. Many stores are geared towards people furnishing their second homes and not, alas, curious vacationers looking to bring back locally-crafted soaps, woven baskets or other authentic Balearic mementos. But stick to Prior’s picks and tips below and you’ll be sure to return home revitalized by Ibiza’s quieter, but no less memorable, side.
The Beach Caves at Six Senses Ibiza
If the opening of the 137-room wellness resort Six Senses Ibiza last year left some islanders underwhelmed by its twee “healing-energy” treatments, the opening of the Beach Caves, a new beachfront annex consisting of six suites overlooking Cala Xarraca bay, a sustainable restaurant with a floor-to-ceiling mural by artist Carlito Dalceggio that serves South-American dishes, a recording studio graced by likes of Duran Duran, and a retro cocktail bar. Agora, the resort’s on-site boutique, features products by Balearic artisans, including works by Laura De Grinyo, a ceramicist who has had her pieces exhibited at the Loewe store in Harrods in London.
La Galerie Elefante
La Galerie Elefante, a boutique located near the island’s center, is a treasure trove of crochet blankets, swimwear and embroidered tea towels sourced from India, Africa, Turkey and the Balearic Islands. Although it may take hours to work your way through pillowcases made from vintage saris, cashmere wraps from France, vintage furniture and silk pieces from India.
Cas Gasi
Cas Gasi, a boho-chic, agrotourism finca dating back to 1880, now has a 80-seat restaurant helmed by Luigi Mattiucci, a Neapolitan chef known for his plant-based, farm-to-table cuisine with an Italian flair. Before you dine, explore the olive groves, herb gardens and vegetable plots found throughout the property. Once seated, menu highlights include lobster ceviche, caponata with ten different kinds of vegetables, and fresh-tomato gazpacho. And if you’re lucky, owner Margaret von Korff might sell you a bottle of her beloved olive oil.
Amalur
Last year, the restaurateur Francesco Manzoli, beloved for his Formentera restaurant, Can Carlos, took over Amalur, a decades-old restaurant housed within an iconic blue-hued finca in Santa Gertrudis. The interior’s throwback terra cotta–colored floors and green walls are a picturesque backdrop for a cold martini, which, unlike other hot spots on the islands, Amalur actually knows how to make perfectly. Oh, and be warned: Order the zucchini flowers and you might never stop thinking about them.
Clubland
Even if you’re not a card-carrying member of clublandia, you can’t visit Ibiza without at least dabbling in the legendary after-dark scene. The D.J.s — big names like Claptone, Solomun, Bedouin and Honey Dijon — are blue-chip, but it’s the clubgoers themselves dressed in sequined jumpsuits or bikinis with platforms who take nights out to a whole new level. Ease into the long night ahead with dinner at the cabaret bar, Lio. Once your table has been cleared, probably around midnight, head to Lio’s sister club, Pacha, where the world-famous sound system will keep you dancing well into the morning hours.
