I know what you’re thinking, ‘why is she even questioning spending the summer in Ibiza? Who would say no to that?!’ However, when I first arrived, I had a clear answer to this question.
Pulling my suitcase through the busy town while dodging club reps and drunk tourists, my firsts impressions of the island were not so positive. I was embarking on my year abroad, a year to emerge myself in Spanish language and true Spanish culture. With this in mind, Ibiza wasn’t the ideal destination and the thought of being there during peak period was hardly appealing.
This negative perspective changed quickly during the first few months, as winter arrived and I discovered there was far more to the island than intense tourism. However, I still did not even contemplate extending my time there into the summer.
I had painted a clear picture of Ibiza’s summer in my head; I did not want to stay amongst the thousands of British tourists getting drunk and drugged up on their party holidays. This wasn’t the kind of environment I was looking for during my time in Spain.
However, recently I have started to see things differently. After talking to many different people about summer in Ibiza, I was getting a different picture to the one I first imagined. Everyone agreed on one thing: Ibiza is a totally different world during July and August. Yet this didn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
Firstly, despite Ibiza’s reputation in the UK, the island is not actually dominated by trashy English tourists. It is home to all different types of tourism; including the most expensive and luxurious. I have heard stories of enormous yachts, smart cars and countless rich and famous who holiday there. Apparently this level of wealth is quite a sight; nothing comes close to upmarket Ibiza.
Moreover, despite the tourist invasion, the locals still enjoy it. Although most are working flat out, they are all proud of what the island has to offer during the summer. People love to tell me about how wonderful the beaches are when it’s hot. They say that you can always escape the club madness and find quieter corners and with my inside connections, I could enjoy the unspoilt side of the island.
Furthermore there is a big difference between experiencing Ibiza as a tourist and living there as a local. I had the chance to spend the summer with people who really know the island, away from all the guiris.
With this new insight, my curiosity was rising. If I liked ibiza so much in the winter would I really enjoy its’ crazy summer? But when would I get another opportunity to see its’ infamous season from an insiders perspective?
Still undecided, my flatmate put it to me perfectly: summer in Ibiza was part of the package. You could not come and spend a year here and not experience it. The beauty about Ibiza is that it’s an evolving island; it constantly changes, and the transition from the winter to summer is a must see. My time there would not be complete without getting a taster of the high season.
Love it or hate it, I needed to experience this worldwide famous phenomenon.
Therefore, for all the reasons above, I have decided to see it with my own eyes. I am officially spending the month of August in Ibiza. I’m a little apprehensive and not sure what I’ll think of the summer madness but I have to give it a go. It is an unmissable opportunity and will certainly be an experience of a lifetime…….
La Buena Vida 