Ibiza is famed the whole world over for its extravagance and never-ending summer nights that stretch into the daylight hours. Ever since the 1970s, Ibiza has set the trends in music and nightlife. Celebrities are a frequent sight here, bewitched, like everyone else, by the warm and tolerant atmosphere that makes after dark a unique and exclusive experience.
The show starts at dusk at Sant Antoni Bay in the well-known ‘sunset cafés’, the perfect spots for watching the impressive spectacle of the sun as it dips below the horizon, producing a beautiful play of light and colour in the sea and sky. The most famous of all these cafés is the Café del Mar, with its relaxed atmosphere created by the chill-out music.
As the night gets going, most activity is concentrated in Ibiza Port, a beautiful setting with the majestic Dalt Vila looking down from on high as people stroll back and forth between the outdoor cafés, fashion boutiques and the handicraft market stalls. Among the crowd, the go-go dancers of the rave discos on Ibiza vie with each other in a display of sensuality and eroticism, intent upon drawing the gaze of party goers moving on to the next chapter in the island’s nightlife.
The discos on Ibiza open at midnight. Still in the port, next to Botafoch, are Pacha and El Divino, one of the most exclusive clubs on the island. Amnesia and Privilege are on the road from Ibiza to Sant Antoni. And two of the most famous clubs, Eden and Es Paradís, are to be found in Sant Antoni Bay. The DJs are the true stars of the clubs on Ibiza and the most prestigious on the world scene come to play here. They rival each other in the originality of their parties and sets, which begin in June and go on until late September in venues that can accommodate thousands of people in their various different areas.
To end—or indeed, perhaps to start—the nightlife on Ibiza continues during the day at Platja d’en Bossa in clubs such as Space, Bora Bora on the beach itself, or at DC10 next to the airport.
In this article, we’ve only mentioned the most famous clubs, but Ibiza can offer a lot more. During the high season, there are long queues to get into discos, especially the most popular ones, so it’s wise to buy your ticket in advance. Admission prices are not cheap! Almost all the clubs are open from May to October. If you’re not fit to drive, there’s a night bus service that runs between the main tourist spots and the most happening places in Ibiza’s nightlife.