First time to Ibiza?

Your first holiday in Ibiza is probably an exciting, but daunting prospect. Rest assured. Ibiza 2012 will give you the rundown of everything you need to know to make your first Ibiza holiday, the first of many. Whether you’ve just turned 18 and looking forward to your first clubbing holiday with your mates or you’re looking for a more relaxing holiday, this guide will hopefully help.

What’s covered in this article

Firstly, how to get to Ibiza?

Ibiza only has one commercial airport, and our extensive Ibiza flight guide will hopefully help you get there, listing all of the major operators that fly into the airport located near Playa D’en Bossa. Ensuring that you find the best price, we’ve also got a flight calculator on the same page – which will search all of the operators and find you the best price.

When’s the best time to go?

This depends entirely on what you want from your holiday. You can go over for the famous Ibiza Opening Parties from the end of May to the start of June, where the Island will be fully into swing with milder (but still hot) weather. Many of the clubs and promoters bring over the best DJs for this period so it’s definitely worth going to catch your favourite. July and August will guarantee that everything is open, with the glorious summer weather and the lively atmosphere, so is also a very good time to visit. The first weekend of August brings the Radio 1 weekend which is an extremely popular music event on the island and attracts revellers far and wide. September brings the closing parties, equally as important and lively as the opening parties, but unfortunately signals the end of the summer season in Ibiza. Any other months will see the island a lot more quiet, but still as beautiful. Check out our Ibiza 2012 Event Calendar for the latest event information.

Playa D’en Bossa or San Antonio?

Both are excellent resorts catering to different crowds. Playa D’en Bossa is a less lively resort, but still packed with bars, restaurants and hotels. The long Playa D’en Bossa beach has several beach bars and cafés along its length, most notably the Bora Bora beach club. With a more relaxed vibe Playa D’en Bossa is ideal for people who want to see the beauty of Ibiza, as well as the clubs. With a wide range of hotels from the chic Migjorn Ibiza and Hotel Garbi & Spa Ibiza to the more basic but livelier Jet Apartments. Being under the flight path of the Ibiza Airport may seem like a pain, but the arriving jets are easy to get used to and has even began a bit of a ritual at Playa D’en Bossa’s super clubs, Space Ibiza and the new Ushuaia Hotel and open-air music venue.

San Antonio has without doubt the more wild nightlife, with streets filled with bars and clubs. The clubs to mention in San Antonio are Eden and esParadis, both holding daily parties with some of the biggest international DJs. San Antonio is also home to the sunset strip with Cafe Del Mar, Mambos and Savannas perched on the end of Ibiza with stunning views to the Balearic sea, and of course the famous Ibiza sunset. San Antonio has a wise selection of self catering apartments with less focus on luxury unlike Playa D’en Bossa. Ibiza Rocks Hotel holds gigs every Wednesday night in the summer, with free after-parties at esParadis.

So if you’re looking for a more relaxed holiday with some of Ibiza’s best beach bars and clubs on your doorstep, then Playa D’en Bossa it is. If you’re likely to be making the most of the Ibiza party culture – then San Antonio it is. Whichever resort you stay in though, you’ll have a brilliant time.

What are drink prices like in Ibiza?

As you’re probably aware, Ibiza is not cheap, however with a bit of cunning you are able to save yourself a lot of money. The main thing to bear in mind is that drinks in the clubs are expensive and should be avoided if at all possible. an example of this is that a bottle of water can cost €8-10, with a vodka and coke nearing €20. Drinks prices at the bars are a lot more reasonable and you should make use of the reps outside each bar, they’ll often be able to give you a special offer on drinks such as buy one get one free, or free shots. Expect to pay from €5-7 for a cocktail, €3 for a bottle of beer and not a lot for a shot, although these prices vary heavily from each bar. Make use of the PRs!

What’s there to do in Ibiza?

Are you mad? Well, for a start there is water sports including jet skis, paragliding, banana boats, speedboat rides. There are numerous boat trips you can take, from an all-out booze cruise, to a more sedate catamaran journey. There’s a water park in Playa D’en Bossa called Agua Mar. You can watch the sunset go down from the sunset strip before heading into the San Antonio strip for bars and clubs. If diving is more your thing then there’s the opportunity to explore the beautiful Ibiza waters.

What’s the weather like?

Hot… well most of the time. Temperatures are in the mid twenties to thirties in the summer months, and from 9-20ºc in the cooler winter months. For a better guide of what the weather’ll be like when you’re going, visit our Ibiza Weather page, and nearer the the time, have a look at our 4-day forecast.