Day 10 – Ibiza: An Epic Hike & Closing Party at Hï
My alarm went off at 8:30 but I ended up snoozing until 9am. We would’ve been waking up to pack our bags and head to the airport this morning, but because we had extended our stay in Ibiza by 1 day, we had an extra 24 hours to make the most of it. Our plan this morning was to go for a hike on the Northeast side of the island. To save time we had breakfast downstairs at the hotel buffet – it was average. I had coffee, 2 eggs and a croissant which is all I needed, Stelios had coffee and an omelette which he said was too greasy for his liking but he ate it anyway to get some protein in before the hike.
We hopped on our bike and drove 40 minutes north to Cala San Vicent. I had this hike saved in my AllTrails app and downloaded the map ahead of time which was necessary because there was zero cell service once we were 0.5 miles into it. The 3 mile hike was rated Hard on AllTrails which made me a bit nervous, but to Stelios’s point our Mt. Naxos hike was almost double in length and triple the elevation – We got this!!
I’m so happy we ended up doing this hike because it was absolutely EPIC. The beginning of the hike was the tricky part because the map wasn’t 100% accurate but we ended up finding our way. At one point it looks like the road trail comes to a dead end at a house but there is actually a narrow pathway to the left that goes up between two properties.
Once we reached the top there were steps to go down which brings you cliffside to start what I considered the cool and fun part of the hike. There was a rocky pathway to follow but no actual trail markers. Some parts were very narrow, and there were a few rock scrambles that we had to climb over, but the most dangerous part was walking sideways and grabbing rock hand holds to safely get to the other side. As long as you like adventure and go slow it is totally doable, but if you’re afraid of heights or falling, do not try and do this trail. There was also a random cross placed high in one of the cliffs – I wonder who put that there or how long it’s been there. Scaling the cliffs and climbing the rocks were my favorite part and the views the whole way were incredible. At one point a boat passed by below, the people shouted and waved up to us probably wondering how we got up there. I kept saying to Stelios “see aren’t you happy we extended?” We would’ve never experienced this if we hadn’t!
At the end of the hike was ruins of the abandoned Sa Grossa Lighthouse which we were able to go inside and explore. It was also a nice shady spot for us to take a rest and hydrate before the hike back.
The way back seemed much quicker than the way there but I guess that’s because we knew what to expect. By the end of the hike it was 1pm. We were both hot and sweaty, ready to dive into the water to cool off. How lucky to have a beach cove at the bottom of the hike! We jumped in the water at Cala San Vicent and floated around for a bit. At one point Stelios got nipped by a fish and shook it off but after the 3rd time they bit him I ran out of the water. After relaxing on the beach we stopped at one of the beach bars in the Cala for lunch. We ordered the seafood salad, fried plantains, and cod croquetas.
After lunch we drove back to our hotel and took a 30 minute power nap. I wanted to check out the hippie drummer at Benirras beach – a sunset ritual where they play the drums until sunset. We drove 30 minutes north and while the beach was just OK, the hippie drums were a really cool vibe. We popped the bottle of cava the hotel had given us to celebrate our honeymoon, sipped on some bubbly, and danced to the beat of the drums. The sun set at around 7:30pm and dinner wasn’t until 9:30, so we popped into one of the restaurants at the beach for an apertivo. We ordered 2 espresso martinis and the fried calamari. After our quick snack, we checked out some of the hippie vendor stalls and I ended up buying 2 necklaces as a memento for our stay in Ibiza.
Around 9pm we drove to Juntos house for dinner. I enjoyed their mezcal honey drink while Stelios had a glass of Tempranillo. I’m sure not if I just wasn’t hungry but the dinner felt underwhelming to me. Stelios really enjoyed the lamb shoulder but my favorite part was the chocolate ganache dessert.
By 11:30pm we drove 20 minutes back to the hotel and changed into our club attire. It was our last night so we had impulsively decided to go to the closing party at HI Ibiza where Fisher & Green Velvet were playing. Our friends Krista & Matt from back home were also on their honeymoon in Ibiza (what are the odds!) Krista had texted me earlier in the day and they were down to split a VIP table which worked out, because last minute tables were definitely more expensive. I messaged the Taste Ibiza team and we got a table for 4.
At 12:30pm we got to the club to meet up with Krista & Matt. Stelios & Matt were basically wearing the same outfit (black jeans and a white button down) which was hilarious. Our host Marina brought us to our table, we ordered some bottles and were ready to party! HI Ibiza is voted as one of the world’s best clubs and I can definitely see the appeal. The layout makes it seem much bigger than Pacha and the visual effects of the DJ playing are awesome. However, Stelios and I thought that the overall VIP experience was better at Pacha. Regardless the music was awesome, and we had a great table and views of the DJ. The four of us danced the night away – Fisher even played the Perculator which was so crazy to me. I heard it playing from the bathroom and immediately ran out and started dancing. It was a fun last night in Ibiza, but since we had to wake up at 8am for our flight the next day Stelios and I tapped out at 4am. We said goodbye to Krista & Matt who kept the party going and we wished them the best on their honeymoon. What a BLAST!! I can already tell tomorrow is going to be a rough one but it was well worth it.
(Looking back at this now I honestly can’t believe we did all of this in 1 day. What a way to end our stay in Ibiza!)
