At the end of June it was finally time again – finally vacation! And for the first time in over two years (my last real trip was to Australia in 2019), I didn't just spend it at home or in the local area, but actually finally went on a trip again. And for a week to Ibiza! The island has been on my bucket list forever, and accordingly I didn't mind at all that the choice of vacation destinations is a bit more limited at the moment. I was mainly just looking forward to finally getting out of the city again!
One week on Ibiza
In Ibiza you can party a lot – that's exactly what the island is known for here in the Netherlands. But I didn't want to go there for that, but rather for the quieter beaches and nature there. And although I have traveled quite often in the past, this time it was kind of exciting – after all, there are a lot of things to arrange at the moment, and it was the first time I traveled under these conditions. The preparations have taken much more time than normal. Scheduling an appointment for the PCR test alone was super annoying, as there were very few available appointments that matched the timing of my departure on Saturday night – plus various documents that needed to be filled out and, of course, packing my bags. But it was definitely worth the effort!
Accordingly, this time I had less time for the preparation – I had only chosen a few hikes and beaches, which are best reached by car from my hotel. And that's exactly what I didn't have: a rental car. That's why the first two days were much more relaxed than planned – besides walking through the old town of Ibiza and shopping in the stores of Eivissa I spent a lot of time at the beach. And realized how much I missed traveling in the last two years! Because even though I have the beach here in The Hague right in front of my doorstep, it's still not the same as being on vacation.
With the car over the island
For the third day it finally worked out with the rental car – which I only got at 9am.30 o'clock in Ibiza town, but at least I could be on the road the whole day without depending on anything. By the time I finally got going, it was actually too warm for a strenuous hike. Accordingly, I decided to drive along the east coast of Ibiza – and it was definitely worth it!
I made several stops – among others in Santa Eularia, at the Cala Xarraca (a nightmare to park and unpark! Although I can actually park quite well, I would argue, but that was next level!) and in Port Sant Miquel. Again with a lot of time at different beaches, delicious food and short and longer walks. I would have liked to explore much more of the island, but had to return the rental car in the evening – and spent the evening in Eivissa instead. Delicious tappas, a beer and lots of time to watch people walking around the city like this. The perfect evening.
A day on Formentera
Since the thing with the rental car for one day was more difficult than I expected and I didn't want to sit around idle for another day, I took the first boat to Formentera the next day. Once again without big plans I rented a bike to explore the island. And that was the best idea for a long time! After a short detour to the salt pools of the island, which shimmer pink in the sun, we went with many stops along beautiful beaches from La Savina to Es Pujols. I spent a few hours there, before I got back on my bike to cycle a bit further – I still got as far as Sant Francesco Xavier. After a very relaxed walk through the town and the way back to La Savina I ended the day in a great Italian restaurant. And instead of going to the boat early to get a spot on one of the popular return trips before dinner, I just stayed until 22.00 o'clock – and so I saw a beautiful sunset as well. So it was definitely worth it!
On the last day of my vacation, I simply decided to do nothing at all for the whole day – and instead spend a lot of time on the beach once again. Once more to soak up the sun before boarding the plane back to rainy The Hague. And this was also definitely worthwhile. Only in the evening I was motivated enough to go back to the city center to eat, watch people and just enjoy the time. On the way back to my hotel, I had a good feeling that hopefully I can and will be out in the world more often soon. And I realized again how much I missed traveling in the last two years.