Where to Stay, Eat and Visit in the Celebrity Playground of Ibiza
Locally known as Eivissa, the Spanish island of Ibiza has become known for its elite party atmosphere, which lures Hollywood stars and those who want to live luxuriously on holiday. Part of the archipelago of Balearic Islands near Eastern Spain, the island hosts millions of guests a year — and a host of DJ residencies — mostly during peak season which runs from the early spring to late fall, ending in the final days of October.
Ibiza Gran Hotel
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This season has already seen visits from Shakira, Rihanna’s stylist Jahleel Weaver, soccer players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and DJ Calvin Harris, who recently bought a 138-acre farm on the island. In the last couple of years, Jared Leto, Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, Oprah Winfrey and Chris Hemsworth have visited as well. And earlier this year, Loewe threw a party at the Six Senses Ibiza resort to celebrate its collaboration with local boho boutique Paula’s Ibiza.
Where to Stay
The island is already home to the Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay, Oku Ibiza, the Six Senses Ibiza and 7Pines Ibiza, which has its own in-house yacht.
Late last year, the 5-star, family-owned Ibiza Gran Hotel earned the distinction of having the first hotel restaurant on the island to be awarded a Michelin star. Led by executive chef Óscar Molina, the resort’s nighttime La Gaia by Óscar Molina restaurant spotlights locally caught seafood, freshly grown produce and flavorfully layered Ibizan cuisine. A multi-course pairing of Ibizan wines can be led by sommelier Vasili Abodzich can be added on to the dining experience. Located in Ibiza Town in the Paseo Marítimo neighborhood adjoining the marina (and near Talamanca beach), the hotel is a serene hideaway with ocean views that boasts 189 suites and villas decorated in comfortable Mediterranean style. It houses the only casino on the island and its Open Spa features a hydrotherapy circuit that includes Finnish saunas, jet-powered large jacuzzis, ice showers, steam rooms, and more. Two new restaurants have just opened at the resort as well, Zuma Ibiza and ASAL, led by award-winning chefs, Rainer Becker and Mario Sandoval. In addition, Island Hospitality has just opened Club Chinois, a late-night retro Shanghai-style jazz club that incorporates Asian delicacies and the beauty of Chinese culture into the entertainment. (Rooms from $950, ibizagranhotel.com)
Ibiza also recently welcomed The Standard in Old Town, where actresses Florence Pugh and Sheila Atim (Bruised, The Woman King) have already stayed. (Rooms from around $240 a night; standardhotels.com).
Courtesy of Ibiza Gran Hotel
Where to Eat
An inventive culinary experience awaits on top of a multi-level terrace at Sa Punta Restaurant in Talamanca, which features tempura, sushi, bok choy, fresh local fish, cured meats, and so much more. The eatery offers a multitude of diverse cuisines along with a winning cocktail menu.
What To Do
At the southern end of Ibiza, perched across from Las Salinas beach, is an atelier that invites visitors by appointment. Ceramist Maria Sejas Balda creates her clay trinkets, plates, and artisan craft in her eponymous Spanish-style studio where she spends hours molding, baking, and perfecting her pottery pieces. The studio even has some of her earliest work, which she loves to show to her guests. Some pieces are available for purchase, while items can be made to order depending on custom requests. The Ibiza Gran Hotel’s La Gaia restaurant uses Balda’s ceramics to plate their Michelin-starred dishes.
Opened two years ago, the port of Marina Ibiza and its shopping area is only a five-minute walk from the Ibiza Gran Hotel. The hotel’s personal shopper, Anita Moreno, can educate anyone on all of the stores along the port, which include Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Loewe, Gucci, Dior, Bulgari, and more. The end of the marina includes the waterfront restaurant Sa Calma.
In the central countryside of Ibiza, the Can Rich vineyard is open for discovery. Established in 1999, the biggest winery in Ibiza has also become one of the most sought-after wine producers in the Balearic Islands. With a collection of wines harvested by hand, the organic winery practices ecological farming and roots their enterprising viticulture in sustainable practices. Open only on weekdays, the winery also sells locally sourced extra virgin olive oil and different flavors of salt that derive from the natural salt flats of Ibiza. Below the winery is where wine grapes are fermented and prepared for bottling. A ravishing squid ink paella was prepared by the vineyard’s family owners for guests during a recent visit.
Can Rich
