The Night Club Capital of Europe – Ibiza
After leaving the scenic town of Calpe we head off for the crossing over to the Balearic Islands. It was a good passage, the 5 hours of sailing making up speed for the 8 hours of only motoring. Initially the intention was to anchor off Formentera, however due to the direction of winds we modified our plans and anchored off Puerto El Esplanada. That was not that straightforward, as the sea bed there is largely covered with Poseidon Grass and that is protected by the local conservation authority so finding a ‘grass’ free spot was slightly tricky in these crowded, shallow waters. Any extra difficulty was well worth it for this turned out to be a beautiful spot with us snorkelling in crystal clear water, lounging in glorious sunshine and lovely views of the unspoilt beaches.
A few days later we took the short trip over to Cala de Port Roig, a stunning cove off the north-west tip of Ibiza. An interesting time watching several ‘mega yachts’ arrive and depart, some making more waves than others! My first night in Ibiza was an unsettled one due to noise and swell from all the jollities of the ‘jet set’. They seemed to party all night and found it completely necessary to power their dinghies to a very fast speed. Yes I know, I am just getting old and grumpy, and as Paul reminded me – this is Ibiza!
Next day we headed off to Cala Tarida and met Barbara and Dave (and their son, grand-daughter and friend) from ‘Solin of Lancaster’. A very pleasant afternoon spent on their boat chatting about past yachting experiences and much exchanging of information and advice. The next morning both of us travelled around to San Antonio, one of the most popular places for young British tourists. A trip ashore confirmed this; it was packed with young brits and streets lines with night clubs, many were surprising expensive! One piece of information gleaned from Barbara and Dave was about a great restaurant on shore, so later instead of bogeying the night away, we dined on superb food in this pleasing restaurant and chatted to a lovely English couple staying nearby.
Next destination for us was to Cala Salada, where we had pre-arranged to meet up again with Chrissie and Steve. I have to tell you that I was trusted at the helm for this short trip and Paul felt enough at ease to do a few jobs along the way. As far as I am aware no pills were required. It was great to catch up with our new friends once more and we shared a nice BBQ on board Paradise. We were not so keen to share ourselves with the mosquitoes but they would not take no for an answer so next morning we awoke to many new bites. Any advice for managing to live peacefully alongside these menaces will be gratefully received. We already know about sprays, wrist bands, citronella candles and fresh basil plants! They appear capable of overcoming all these tricks. After a fond farewell to Steve and Chrissie, with plans in hand to meet up in Wales during the winter, we head off to our last destination in Ibiza before setting across to the larger island of Mallorca.