When I tell friends that I took my children (plus 7 other children, and their moms of course) to Ibiza they tend to look at me funny. “You took your kids to Ibiza?” Yes, yes I did. And it ended up being a major highlight of everyone’s summer.
People automatically think that Ibiza is for late night clubbing and bad hangovers but you can definitely do the White Isle in a family friendly way. And I’m here to tell you how.
The first thing to do is find a family friendly villa. We ended up finding one on Airbnb that had a treehouse, swimming pool, trampoline and enough space for the kids to play and the grown-ups to chill out with glass of rosé . My tip here is to start looking early. If you’re going to Ibiza in July or August most places will be booked by the Spring. (If you’re interested in the specific villa we stayed in, shoot me an email and I’ll put you in touch with the owner.)
The majority of our days were spent lunching on the beach. There are several places to do this and I am happy to report that every restaurant that we went to was super kid friendly. I would recommend long lunches followed by beach time and then easy villa dinners for the evenings. Obviously you’ll want to take a break from the kiddos, so make sure you also get a sitter for a few nights. (Recommendations for adult only options below.)
Beachhouse Ibiza
Delicious seafood, an ice cream trolly and kids area all conveniently located directly on the water, this lunch spot was a huge hit. The restaurant is directly facing the ocean so if you have one of the tables or couches that are located near the front of the restaurant then you can watch your children as they swim in the ocean. Meaning- hours of relaxing, while the kids are having fun! There’s also a kids area in the back of the restaurant where there was a face painter and members of staff to color with the kids.
Yemanja
Yemanja is super casual and directly on the beach as well. This is great for large tables of friends and family in a relaxed environment. There’s less beach for the kids to play on, so it’s great to go for lunch with the kids but not necessarily to stay all day. The staff are super kid friendly and the fresh sea food is great for both the adults and children.
El Chiringuito
A must book for lunch. El Chiringuito is a family friendly beach restaurant with a spot for kids to have face painted and color. The actual restaurant does not have a direct view of the beach, and is enclosed which is nice if you need a break from the sunshine. There are sunbeds located on the beach in front of the restaurant that you can book separately. If you like oysters make sure to grab the guy walking around with fresh ones. There’s also great trees in the back of the restaurant that the kids loved climbing.
Juan Y Andrea
You absolutely can’t go to Ibiza without doing a boat day to Formenterra, and one of the best restaurants on the island is Juan y Andrea. The food is incredible (be prepared, it’s pricey), and it was the best service we had the entire trip. There are photographers at almost every single restaurant in Ibiza but the family photos that we took by the ladies at Juan y Andrea are some of my favorites of all time, so make sure you ask them to take some snaps of you and your children. After your lunch, order another bottle of rosé, the guys will put it on ice for you and you can spend a long lazy afternoon laying on the beach watching the kids swim in crystal blue water.
Experimental Beach
If you’re going just with adults, I would book a sunbed and hang out at Experimental Beach ALL DAY. If you have kids in tow, go at sunset. We ordered pizzas for the kids and watched as the sky turned golden pink. The moms of course had cocktails.
A note on the taxi situation in Ibiza. They are pretty impossible to flag, and they are perpetually late so plan accordingly. Order a taxi to pick you up at your villa and then specify a time for return. If you call one on the fly, be prepared to wait.
And if you need a break from the kiddos….
Obviously we had some grown-up time as well, so if you can escape the children I would recommend dinner at Peyotito at the new Nobu Hotel. The food is just as good as the Notting Hill location, but the view is just so much better. Located directly on the water, the staff is lovely and the cocktails are incredibly delicious.
If, like me, you hate house music but still want to get to a night club, try Pascha’s Flower Power night. You’ll be transported back to the 60’s with the music and the decor. This is also a really fun one to dress up for, so pack your flower crowns! Keep an eye out for your teenagers though, since many of them know where to get a fake id and might try and sneak in too!
We’re already booking the same trip for next July and I can’t wait to go back.
What a lovely holiday! As great a city as London is, it can be wonderful to get away for a bit – and returning home makes you appreciate it so much more! Thanks for this great guide on Ibiza! It really is a fantastic location – with or without the whole family!