This article is the third in a series on my month long trip to Ibiza for the closing parties and Amsterdam for the Amsterdam Dance Event.
- How I am going to the Ibiza closing parties and Amsterdam Dance Event in business class for $239
- Ibiza Here I come!
- Arrival in Ibiza – SIM cards, hotels and my first night of clubbing
- Ibiza Closing Parties: Luciano & Friends, Hot Natured, Marco Carola Music On
- Ibiza Closing Parties: Vagabundos at Pacha, Circo Loco at DC-10, Cocoon Heroes Closing at Amnesia
- Ibiza Closing Parties: Ovum Closing at Space, Cafe Del Mar, and r:piar:r Closing at Privilege
- Ibiza Closing Parties: Space Closing Party and Circo Loco Closing Party
Backtracking a little, upon arrival in the Barcelona airport, I picked up a local Orange prepaid SIM card for my unlocked iPhone at the telecom shop located inside Terminal 1. When I was on my around the world trip, my unlocked iPhone was a critical tool that made my trip so much more enjoyable and hassle free. The availability of maps, calling tools such as Skype, and my favorite app Offline Travel Guide (which has offline information for the entire world that you can access without using data) makes traveling so much easier. It was 10E for the SIM card that came with 5E credit. The voice and data plan was 4.24E a week and included unlimited data (100MB at high speed 3G and then the rest at a reduced speed), 50 SMS, 9c a minute for Spanish calls. They also offered a promotion where for 30E I could get the SIM card and 40E of credit which I took. With some local calling, it ended up being perfect for my two weeks there with me running out of credit on my last day.
The hotel, like the trip, was a bit of a last minute decision, booked just hours before I boarded my Lufthansa flight. I knew that Playa D’en Bossa was a great location within walking distance to Ibiza Town and the port as well as a 15 minute walk to the megaclubs of Space and Ushuaia. Being a points junkie I first looked around for any sort of a chain hotel where I could use my hoard of points. However, on this island there really aren’t any chain hotels! It seems that a lot of the local hotels are run by an outfit called Grupo Del Sol which unfortunately didn’t have any frequent traveler program. I then went to Kayak and started looking around and came across a pretty attractively priced double room at a place called Mare Nostrum that was around $62 including taxes a night for the two week stay.
If there is just two in your group a hotel or apartment is probably the right choice but for groups of 4 or more I would look at some of the villa rentals available which can often be the same price when all is said and done. The hotel was in a great location right across the street from the beach and was modern enough for my needs. Since I was going to be hitting the nightclubs often, good air conditioning and blackout shades were critical and this room had both. It seemed to be sort of a party hotel with a lot of 20-30 age guests, a huge pool, and an optional all inclusive plan.
I had arrived earlier than Andres to attend the “be” party at Space.
A friend of mine is the girlfriend of one of the DJ’s spinning that night, D. Ramirez and got me on his guestlist which saved me the 35E cover charge.
She was able to get me a wristband which allowed me DJ booth access so I started the trip off in style enjoying the bottle service they provide for the DJs.
Here is a video of some stilt walkers that Space brought out for this party.
After he finished his set, we all took went to another dark club called Sankey’s that is popular with the UK crowd with a pair of DJs called Basement Jaxx spinning, again whisked through the entry line on the guestlist.
Being on a guestlist is one of the real hidden gems in Ibiza. If you have the connections to make it happen, it can save you a big chunk of change since the cover charges ran an average of 50E for the closing parties! There is a great rooftop deck there that is perfect when you need to take a break from dancing or want to chat up that lady friend you met downstairs. My first night ended at a reasonable 5 AM because I knew Andres was arriving the next day and we had a full calendar of partying planned. More to come soon!
