The magical island of Ibiza and beyond ... part 1 Portinatx

Where do I start? There are so many facets to Ibiza and we sure saw and covered a number of them on this trip! 
It's essentially the island of peace and love - the original hippy hangout. It's a place where artists, bohemians and party lovers have always gravitated because of it's reputation for freedom of expression and thought. This influence is seen and felt all around and for me it has a truly magical atmosphere. 

The sunsets are amazing (aren't they all anyway?!) particularly so in the little coves and rocky outcrops where the light reflects the beautiful spectrum of colours in the crystal clear stillness of the water and gives a wonderful feeling of peace and tranquility. I took so many photographs I had a hard time choosing one to post here - they are all stunningly beautiful in their own way and different every time. I  could never tire of them.

We stayed in the north east of the island in Portinatx where it is mostly unspoiled, beautiful and quiet with a little night life and vibrancy to suit all tastes but not so isolated that you can't find much more to do within 30-40 minutes drive away. There are 3 beaches in the area which were all relatively crowded during the day and I suspect even more so in high season. The water is clear and shallow and one would have to wade out quite a way to get a good swim so it is particularly good for children albeit a little cold this time of year. It can get quite breezy so very good for sailing away from the bays.

A ten minute walk from the town square and towards the lighthouse there is another small beach with a few good restaurants. We tried Restaurante El Puerto (not shown) known for it's excellent fish and is very reasonably priced. The seating outside is right on the water's edge and you can get a great view of the bay and the setting sun. 
We also went to Los Enamorados (left) right next door for lunch one day having heard that it had just opened. We liked it so much we went back for dinner and were not disappointed! The menu is small but the food is amazing! I loved my starter - Avocado Gazpacho - beautifully presented and absolutely delicious followed by tuna tacos - simply heavenly! I was particularly enamored by the place - a small hotel of 9 rooms with an eclectic mix of furniture, lighting, artifacts etc and we spent some time after dinner speaking with the owner Pierre, a French ex-pro basketballer from Paris, who showed us around the shop, the rooms upstairs and generally made us feel like we were in someone's home, which we were. The relaxed atmosphere and location was somewhere I would definitely want to go back to.

The bedrooms are all different and have the same eclectic feel and romanticism that one would expect in a location like this with the setting sun to the west and the lighthouse appointed high on the rocks nearby. If you want to be away from the crowds, this is definitely the place to be. 
Check out the May issue of Elle Decoration to see Pierre and his partner Rozemarijn's house in Monmartre, Paris.

Places we tried in Portinatx

Zulu Lounge - great seafood and large portion sizes
Es Puet Blanc - great for lunch - tasty salads and pizza. Reasonably priced cocktails and Sangria
El Puerto - locally caught fish and Spanish cuisine
Last but not least ..
Los Enamorados - brand new and delicious locally sourced food - my personal favorite!


Next posts - Ibiza Town, Hippy Markets, San Antonio and the island of Formentera - I said there was a lot to Ibiza!