Our Ibiza "Musts"

I want to share with you all these essential places and pleasures of our beloved Ibiza. They are "mandatory" experiences for us whenever we step on the island. Of course, Ibiza is so immense in corners and pleasures that we consider ourselves fortunate to be enhancing our list of favorites year after year. This seriously hampers the task of advising the new Ibiza visitor about what should not be missed. So I'll just expose our list of "routines" we follow every time we are on the island. This way we never leave with the bitter aftertaste of not having lived it intensely.

1) Soak up the sunshine in "Caló d'en Serra": this cove near Portinatx is a treat for the senses. Wild and remote, only assaulted in its unique landscape by a concrete monstrosity that some unscrupulous wanted to plant there a few years ago. Thanks to providence it was stopped, or ran out of money, to finish the work. The skeleton of the monster continues in that corner without bothering, at least providing shade for vehicles of those who dare to go down its steep access.

2) Paella at El Carmen in Cala d'Hort: we dream all year round on this delicious paella and its intense saffron aroma. If you also have the privilege of tasting it with the best views of "Es Vedrà" in front of you, in the terrace of the Hostal El Carmen, the experience becomes addictive.

3) Swim in the crystal clear waters of "Cala Saladeta": I have not seen water like this anywhere else in the World. Observed at close range, the boats seem to fly at 3 or 4 meters from the white sandy bottom. Fresh and clear water, where blue ranges are endless. I recharge my batteries for months every time I have the good fortune to dive into them.

4) Getting lost on the roads of the interior and north of the island: to follow those steep narrow roads linking the lost interior villages transports you to another time. It takes you to the time of simple and authentic life, showing its last flashes briefly in one of its corners. Santa Agnes, Sant Mateu, Sant Llorenç, Sant Agustí, Santa Gertrudis, Sant Joan, Benimussa, are the very essence of Ibiza.

5) Fresh fish or seafood rice in "Sa Caleta": a place run by lovely people, hardworking and dedicated. They will not let you leave their home without having tasted the best of Ibiza's cuisine. Always with a smile, ready to advise and share their joy of you having a great culinary experience. A place open 365 days a year that makes you feel privileged to taste the best Mediterranean sea offers.

6) Embrace Ibiza's night in "KM5": in its terrace you will find the very best of the island. Beautiful people eager to enjoy to the full the magical setting that offers that rustic farmhouse converted into one of the best night spots in Ibiza. Elegant dance music to enjoy inside contrasts with the "chill" environment in its gardens, corners to enjoy  conversation and company that in KM5 always become special.

7) Fried squid, bread, aioli and "herbetes" (local herbs liquor) at "Ca l'Anneta": the mythical bar of San Carlos, a few minutes from home, it is always a mandatory stop to enjoy that delicious fried food, always finished off with a glass of the house's "herbetes Eivissenques". Sitting on that terrace, lined with old wooden mailboxes, you embark  on a journey to Ibiza's hippy era which all the island's fans would have loved to live.

8) Sunset in our "secret" corner of "Cala Conte": walking on a carpet of marine life to reach the sea and swim to the solar disk when it is hiding behind the islands that adorn the horizon at "Platges de Conte". After such a mystical experience, one always finds a greeting moon that invites to share with her the freshness and sensuality of Ibiza's night.

9) "Stealing" the fruits of our "private" fig tree in the road to "Benirrás": it is all part of a ritual... Returning from a day at the beach in Benirrás you discover a fig tree full of mature and ready to eat fruit. Stopping to buy a good home made goat cheese from the island peasants. Completing that intense mix of Mediterranean flavors with strong Ibiza's land wine . Swearing you will not stop until you get to turn this island into your home...

10) Living in Cala Martina: our home in Ibiza, little known to the vast majority of visitors. A cove where red dirt fields covered with flowers reach almost to the sea, with a mirror of calm and flat waters. Day after day you cannot help but wonder how it is possible not a simple distorted wave moves. It is our favorite corner of the island. A unique place where in less than one square kilometer you can find a Roman aqueduct, the largest Hippy Market in Ibiza, the new home of one of the most exclusive beach clubs in the World, one of the best diving centers in Europe, the breathtaking cliffs of Punta Arabi, one of the most authentic "chiriguitos" in the island, one of the best fresh seafood restaurants in Ibiza, seabeds so full of life that overwhelm, an old country home where sheeps still roam freely and greet everyone who passes by the road... We cannot find a more special place. It is HOME.

And you? What are your IBIZA "musts"?