The year-round Ibiza lifestyle is a tale of two seasons. The fast-paced, hectic, hedonistic glory days of summer, around four months in total, and the lengthy, lazy, chilled out winter months – yep, all eight of them (spring and autumn rarely rate a mention, despite putting in some pretty stellar performances!).
We see our winter friends – those true BFFs you’ll never see in summer because we’re all too busy, but can be relied upon come out of the woodwork from October onwards, for quality catch-ups and proof they’ll always be there for you, no matter how many summer ‘new friends’ breeze in and out of your life as seasons go by.
We start our winter routines and rituals – joining the gym, going back to yoga, running along the beach in the mornings, getting back on our bikes, studying Spanish, sipping coffee in the square, sunset picnics, winter wine festivals, country hikes, early morning markets, cooking for friends, making those hit tracks and finally getting around to writing that book… All the things that were but a distant memory in the haze of summer!
We dig out our winter wardrobes – quite literally on November 1. Despite the fact the sun is blazing down all over the island, and the temps remain in the high 20s, the thought of stepping out of the flip-flop and into the knee-high boot, switching whites for warm, wintery earth colours and adding accessories like scarves, hats and gloves is a temptation that’s too hard to resist. Plus, the new collections are in store! It’s all about layering… because as much as you love your carefully crafted ensemble, chances are you’ll be stripping much of it off to walk along the beach in the sunshine!
We love our regular winter haunts – some of our summer favourites switch into winter mode and offer special seasonal events (we’re loving Antz at Aura on Fridays, the Sunday Roast at Cicale, open mike night at Sandy’s, live music at Villa Mercedes on a Sunday, sunsets at Mint Lounge and big breakfasts at Café Sidney, among others!), plus there are still a plethora of restaurants and bars serving up the island’s finest all year round. Our favourite beaches are even more beautiful at this time of year (though swimming may be for the very brave), long, empty stretches of sand just waiting for you to leave your footprints!
And of course, we also have our winter parties – the smaller, more intimate soirees that quite regularly turn out to be even more over the top, crazy and FUN than summer! From the stripped down back room of our favourite super club (Pacha’s Global Room becomes the mini-main room in winter) and industrial warehouse spaces to off-the-beaten-track villas, plush apartments, the back rooms of beachside restaurants… anywhere and everywhere has potential. My winter partying tip: if you score an invite to a party, just go! And be spontaneous – see where the night takes you. You just never know where you might end up, or who you might meet, and that’s the beauty of Ibiza in winter!
THE LOWDOWN
THE GOOD: My winter friends – you know who you are!
THE BAD: The only thing we don’t have right now, is direct winter flights. While on one hand, I kind of like the fact that my ‘secret’ Ibiza winter is not easily accessible to everyone (seeding out the truly dedicated!), on the other, I do feel for those who need to do business in other countries or have family to visit. Watch this space for news – there’s a team of believers out there fighting for your rights to winter flights!
THE GOSSIP: Given the ‘small town’ vibes of Ibiza in the winter, it stands to reason the rumour mill becomes quite intense in the off-season. From who’s sleeping with whom (not naming any names) to who’s doing business with whom and where (Swedish House Mafia leaving Pacha to go to Privilege is this week’s number one story), all the real white isle wheeling and dealing and kissing and cussing goes on in winter. And I’ll be watching…
Photography by Ana Lui
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