“I took a (1 milligram of kids’ melatonin) pill in Ibiza…”
An island of contrasts. One of the three Balearic Islands off of Spain’s eastern coast, Ibiza surprised me. I assumed it was just a party island (and parts of it certainly are – more about that in my next post 😉 ) but it ended up being pretty family-friendly too. With friends planning their family’s summer travel with Ibiza as the first stop, we were excited to hop a quick flight from Valencia to experience a few days on the island.
Tips for Ibiza with kids:
* Peekaboo Ibiza @peekabooibiza for baby gear rentals – props for communication, airport or hotel/rental drop-off, and options. Great find by @emstamarama.
* Babysitting with @kidsco.ibiza – Em found several excellent sitters and everybody was happy!
* Being a big group with a range of nap schedules and budding swimmers, we shared an Airbnb villa with a pool near the harbor and beach town of Santa Eulàlia. Santa Eulàlia is a good base with everything you need but still convenient to explore the island. (Note the two-lane roads can be quite windy and hilly, and driving distances take longer than what Google Maps predicts, especially with traffic and all those roundabouts!)
* Beaches with amenities: One of the sweet features of Ibiza are the ‘calas’ or coves/sheltered bays, many skirted by convenient beachfront amenities. In particular, we enjoyed Playa Niu Blau (adjacent Restaurante Niu Blau @restauranteniublau had perfect margarita pizzas that every eater gobbled up) and Cala Llonga with its ample beach, large playground, and markets for picnic lunches. Just bring your bug spray: mosquitos are ubiquitous.
* Not your bargain beach vacay: Though we found grocery prices to be reasonable, some restaurants were obnoxiously overpriced for what they were serving, even for the trendy/touristy orientation. So check menus in advance and plan, or avoid, accordingly. We did enjoy The Boat House Ibiza @theboathouseibiza, a local’s family-friendly recommendation. And there are a few spots worth a splurge, just probably without kids around. More on that in the next post!
