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I've been asked a number of times to spend a holiday on Ibiza but to be quite honest, I never really fancied it. So when my brother John and his wife Barbara told us they had found a really good deal on teletext Janice and I agreed to give it a go.
When we were in Tunisia we spent a few nights in the Royal Kenz (Port el Kantoui), a Thompson Gold Hotel which was pretty good,  so when we were told the hotel in Ibiza was a Thompson Gold, £160.00 Half Board, we were on our way to the Balearics.....

After landing at Ibiza International Airport we had a 35 minute coach trip to Cala Llonga on the North East coast and finally arrive at the Hotel Fiesta. The check in was quick and our rooms were excellent so after a quick sleep we hit the restaurant for breakfast. Superb breakfast with anything you fancied with more besides, and isn't Spanish coffee just the business.  We explored the town which wasn't very big but had everything you might need, nice little shops, a few good restaurants and an excellent beach. Swimming was good and the snorkelling was superb with a good variety of fish to look at. I must say this was a pleasant surprise, especially in late October.

The first nights food set the pattern for the rest of the week, it was varied and very good but the entertainment came as a big disappointment after the great start to the day. The resident vocalist was a bit iffy and the reps attempts to keep us interested fell short of the mark. The night was saved by Margaret and Archie, a very entertaining Scottish couple who we shared most of our evenings with.

After a couple of days lazing on the beautiful beach I got my wanderlust and hired a car to see what the Island had to offer, which is where the holiday really started. First port of call was the caves just South of Portinatx. This was a truly stunning viewpoint as seen from the picture on the right (click for a larger view). This was taken from the cave entrance. Inside the caves were not unlike many others you can see across Spain, pretty unspectacular but worth a visit. Whilst waiting for your guide you can sample a cold beer and enjoy the panoramic view in the open air café bar.

Portinatx itself was not unlike Cala Llonga, but with three beaches - again lovely sand, clear sea and plenty of sunbeds. This was becoming a recurring experience, whilst never boring all the little coastal towns with their delightful beaches were beginning to look the same.
Es Cana was another of these beach areas but we did find a very spectacular little road which led right up the cliff tops to give us some superb panoramic views (left) of the east coast down to the island of Formentera.

Perhaps the best beach for me was Cal D'Hort on the South coast. We were fortunate enough to see a French tall Ship sail into the cove here, a mighty impressive sight. The restaurant on the beach served a tasty pitza and as usual a nice cool beer slipped down very well. The road into the village here disappears as you reach the beach, but this is only because it's covered in sand and we saw a few drivers turn back thinking it was a "dead end". This was a pity because they missed a very picturesque drive up the South West coast.

Ibiza Town was the busiest on the Island with a bustling shopping centre and Harbour. However the most spectacular part of the capital is the Old Town inside it's medieval fortified walls. The narrow cobbled streets lead up to the summit which is topped by a sturdy Cathedral, whose illuminated clock shines out across the harbour throughout the night. There are a number of traditional Ibiza Restaurants in the Old town all serving varied menu's at very affordable prices. From the top of the Old town you can sit and watch the busy port or even see the planes coming in to land at the airport close by.  The new part of Ibiza Town is what you might expect of Ibiza, full of tourist shops selling the usual tat and lots of trendy designer clothes shops.

San Antonio, the 'British capital' as it's known is a town on the west coast of Ibiza with a really nice beach and promenade plus a busy and noisy nightlife. On the other view, it is also the "Capital" of the drunken British yobbo's!  They say if you visit in August the British youngsters are drunk 24 hours a day, I would say that is probably nearer 26 hours a day. Thankfully when we sampled a night out here we found the streets were pretty quiet, although the music was booming out of each bar we passed you didn't have to go in them, and we chose not to. We all decided to set off for our hotel after a quiet drink on the prom in front of the lovely fountains.

Our final days in Ibiza were spent on the beach relaxing and enjoying the much improving entertainment which included a Lionel Ritchie (pictured right with Janice) tribute singer who was backed by the excellent South African vocal group, the Diamonds and a really good Scouse vocalist and comedian, Bob Taylor.

Ibiza is a nice little Island with not enough to hold my interest I'm afraid. First class clean beaches, nice bars, decent restaurants but that's about it. Would I come back - er no.
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