1. The Best Night Clubs in Ibiza

Want to know what the best night club in Ibiza, Balearic Islands, is? Spain’s most popular destination for party animals boasts the world’s best club (Space), the world’s biggest club (Privilege), and the very popular Pacha Ibiza disco.

2. Top 4 Night Clubs in Algarve, Portugal

Offering some of the best beaches and nightclubs in Portugal, Algarve is a popular summer holiday destination in the South of Europe. So if you’re planning a beach vacation on the Portuguese coast, check out this list of great Algarve nightclubs including trendy discos and the hotel casino of Praia de Rocha.

3. Top 5  European Music Festivals

Looking for the best music festivals in Europe? Take a look at our ‘Top 5 Summer Music Festivals’ including  Glastonbury and Roskilde rock festivals, Novi Sad Exit festival, Budapest Sziget Festival and the Spanish indie rock and electronica festival of Benicassim, Costa del Azahar.

4. Fun facts about the UK

Want to know some fun facts about London and the United Kingdom?  Read this series of interesting facts about the UK, the London tube, Big Ben, the British Museum, tea drinking traditions, Windsor, the eccentricities of the British royal family and royal ghosts.

5. Fun facts about Dubai

Planning a trip to Dubai and looking for fun things to do in the most populous city of the UAE? Check out this list of curious facts about Dubai, its luxurious hotels, immense shopping malls and towering skyscraper.

Picture of camel by  •●pfaff

The island lies at almost the exact same distance between Barcelona on the Spanish mainland, and Algiers on the North African coast. It’s certainly not for any insignificant reason that Ibiza has become one of the worlds most sought after tourist destinations. It is a land primarily made up of exquisite beaches, green expanses and of course an abundance of sunshine. In recent times there has been some concern about the environmental effects of the tourist-friendliness of the island. But Ibiza is still a great vacation spot to get away from it all. Here are some factual tidbits to whet your interest.

1. An intriguing name

If you have ever wondered about the name of this place and found it intriguing, here’s something to make it more so. When Ibiza city was founded, in 654 BC, it was called IBSM (Ibosim). How’s that for exotic?

2. Santa Eulalia and San Carlos

Ibiza has many municipalities and each of these is a charming world unto itself. To experience the true magic and energy of Ibiza, you will need to break away from the well trodden tourist paths and embark on discoveries for yourself. One enchanting discovery will be Santa Eulalia, which has a lovely miniature town, and at its highest point stands the Puig de Missa, a beautiful church. This is a must-see both for the building’s own charm and the amazing views from it. Another secret that Santa Eulalia holds is the village of San Carlos, the last hippy bastion in Ibiza .

3. Local Specialties

Since Ibiza caters so much to tourists from far flung parts of the world, its cuisine too reflects this quality. Western style food is available everywhere, but if you suddenly want a taste of even Argentina or Mexico, you just need to head over to eat outs such as La Vaca Argentina or Tijuana and fill up to your heart’s desire. However, having said all that, it would be a great loss to leave Ibiza without trying out one of the island’s own specialty dishes such as the bullit de peix, an inspired fish dish, or the borrida de rajada. And for dessert, you simply must try the flaó (cream tart with fresh cheese, eggs, and mint). You’ll be glad you did!

4. Festa del Vi Payés

A wonderful event that features both on the culinary and social calendars of Ibiza is the Festa del Vi Payés in honor of Bacchus, the god of wine. What’s even better is that, in addition to the excellent wines that flow generously, sobrasadas (a heavily spiced sausage) and butifarras from the pig slaughter that just precedes this festival are grilled outdoors over wood fires. A perfect accompaniment for the wines. The Festa del Vi Payés (Country Wine Festival) was the brainchild of the enterprising small scale wine producers of the region who realized that bottled wine was beginning to take over the market, leaving little or no room for authentic indigenous wines. Over time, their efforts have paid off not only with increased sales of local wines, but also with the creation of a social event which attracts over five thousand people, to a village with a population numbering less than 400. You tell me if you would like to miss that!

5. Ibiza Nightlife

The greatest attraction of Ibiza is the nightlife and the fact that on the island the party never stops! The nightlife hotspots are concentrated in the Puerto de Ibiza (Port of Ibiza), also called La Marina and the West End of San Antonio. La Marina is chock full of bars and each of them is well worth a visit. A good place to refine your bar hopping skills. They are also a lot more inexpensive than the clubs. The hippie flea market which is just a little way off adds to the very local charm of this place. If you’d like to shake a leg at a disco, the island’s three premier haunts, Privilege, Amnesia and Space will not disappoint. So when you hear Ibiza calling, pack your bags and go! The island will bewitch your senses and weave its spell around you. It promises to be the holiday of a lifetime. Photo of Sunset at Cafe del Mar, San Antnio, Ibiza, by ST33VO

Despite the fact that the island has had a predominantly “sex-and-alcohol” image, the Spanish Tourist Office has been diligently working to erase that image for the purposes of promoting a more family-oriented tourist environment. The hot and humid months from May to October see the heaviest tourist crowds but it still remains the ideal time to visit the island.

With its pristine beaches and nightlife around every turn, holidays on the island can oftentimes start with a party. However, there is so much more to Ibiza than meets the eye. For instance, there are the ancient towns, great cuisine, the pine forests, and village beauty that is absolutely spectacular. Ibiza’s heritage is somewhat hedonistic when you consider the last 30 years and the direction that local and international lifestyles of the island have taken.

Ibiza has been oftentimes been referred to as “the party capital of the world.” Top nightclubs, great DJ’s, some of the hottest bands, and a cosmopolitan mix of nightclub aficionados spell a great night on the town when visiting Ibiza. There’s a wider array of musical venues available now than ever before. Whether it’s electro, hip hop, house, R&B, rock, techno, or underground, the nightclubs in Ibiza have every dance and musical taste covered.

Though there is probably an argument for a lot of other places on the island as being the best hang-outs and having the tastiest cuisine, the following is a list of the better places to spend your evenings dining and then dancing the night away:

1. Winch’s Bar & Restaurant

Just off the beaten path, Winch’s is a great family run bar in San Antonio Bay. An excellent selection of both English and Spanish Beers, as well as other spirits are featured here along with a large garden terrace towards the back of the property where you can relax and enjoy your beverage.

2. El Pirata

Located in the Ibiza town port, this is where you can enjoy the best pizza on the island.

3. Space Nightclub (Playa d´en Bossa)

Having received numerous awards (e.g. Best Global Club) this club attracts people from all parts of the world.

4. The Curry Club

Tucked away behind the San Antonio’s sunset strip, the beautiful interior, serving staff, and the food are in a single word – amazing!

5. Jockey Club and “Malibu” (both on Salinas beach)

Listen to the deep house and chill-out tunes that the DJ’s spin as you experience one of the most perfect places on the island when it comes to drinking and watching people lying in the sun.

So, if you are going to Ibiza, don’t forget to chill at these pubs and restaurants.

Photo of Space Ibiza, Spain, by sml!

However the biggest explosion of this kind of revelry seemed to occur on the Spanish island of Ibiza.

Ibiza unlike its other Balearic island neighbors, Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera has a distinct ‘party animal’ and ‘boho’ vibe. Moreover it has long reigned as the party capital of the world as some of the best and most highly rated nightclubs are located here. Ibiza’s nightclubs are largely concentrated on two areas on this beautiful Island, around the capital of Ibiza town on the eastern shore and the resort town of Sant Antoni on the western shore. These clubs are usually packed to the gills with revelers during the warm Ibiza summers that extend from June to October though during the winter months most of these clubs down their shutters and hibernate.

So which are the clubs that rule the roost in Ibiza currently?

• Space – the world’s best club

Space has been consistently voted the ‘Best Club’ in the world by no less than the world’s top DJs. The club was initially built on a converted car park and it was subsequently redesigned so that today the world’s greatest DJ’s, spin tunes from its famous Space decks from where the sound is transmitted through out the club by way of a top of the line sound system. DJ Carl Cox hosts a special Tuesday night techno music marathon at the club during the ‘clubbing’ season and the club’s season opening and closing nights are like mini dance festivals that are known to attract more than 20,000 clubbers. Sunday nights though are the most popular nights at Space.

• Club Pacha – an institution

Club Pacha is a veritable institution on the Ibiza nightclub scene. This club was first established on a beach in Stiges in 1967 and it arrived in Ibiza in 1973. Since then it has spawned a global franchise that includes Pacha clubs in cities like New York, London and Buenos Aires. Pacha Ibiza stays open all year round and currently has popular Australian DJ Sarah Main as one of its main resident DJ’s. World renowned DJs like Peter Tong and David Morales have all enjoyed stints at Ibiza’s legendary Club Pacha.

• Privilege – the world’s biggest club.

Touted to be the biggest club in the world not only in Ibiza, Privilege has played host to many an international celebrity including P. Diddy, Madonna and Ibiza’s resident celebrity Jade Jagger. This gargantuan club which is topped with a 25 meter high ceiling is situated on the road between Sant Antoni and Ibiza Town. Privilege is adorned with tall windows that afford gorgeous vistas of the island and the club also houses a swimming pool. Due to its large size, the club can be changed around easily, thus Privilege promises a brand new experience to its patrons nightly.

Photo of Pacha Club Ibiza, Balearic Islands, by Roberto Castano