THE BALEAPICS · beach clubs, sail boats and boozy lunches, or rather I did, pre baby, but having had a disastrous and rather dangerous beach holiday in Portugal the previous summer,

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Think Ibiza is the preserve of clubbers? Think again. Liz Dwyer returns to the scene of many a teenage rave to see how it, and the neighbouring island of Formentera, rate when there’s a toddler in tow. Photographs by David Sciora and Piotr Dybowski.

THE BALEAPICS



Opposite page, local landmark Cap de Barbaria on Formentera. This page,

beach bliss with baby - Liz Dwyer, centre, with toddler Charlie and

husband Aengus McCarthy.

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FAMILY | IBIZA

he last time I set foot on Ibiza, I arrived with £200 in my pocket, an appetite for adventure and a rucksack full

of hot pants. It turned out to be all I needed to see me through the summer of 1997, when Ibiza Nirvana for my 19-year-old self - was a fantastical haze of clubs, cocktails and college friends. I worked through my hangovers in a plastic Irish bar by day and chased cult DJs around the superclubs by night. It was epic.

Fast-forward 17 years, and I return to my former stomping ground with the husband and a toddler in tow, and a mountain of luggage stuffed with baby paraphernalia. While signing up for our rental car, our curious 18-monthold

son, Charlie, managed to wander into Cathy and David Guetta’s club lounge at the redeveloped airport. With its chrome fit-out, cool tunes and champagne-sipping clientele,

it was the first red flag that Ibiza was not the dropout outpost I left back in the 1990s.

As we drove up the dust path to the eerily quiet Can Planells (Sant Miquel de Balansat, +34 9714 334 924; canplanells.com), the agroturismo we had booked for our first two nights, my sister’s words rang in my head. “You’re staying on a farm! In Ibiza! That’s miles away from a beach or a club? You need your head seen to!” We had wanted to stay somewhere tame but tasteful, somewhere that tolerated toddlers,

Calm waters - Cala Xarraca Beach, above, off-duty mum Liz,

left, and below, the upmarket agroturisme estate of Can Planells.

’he Ibiza Tourist Board has ten offices scattered around the main towns and

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FAMILY | IBIZA

— liked them even — and friends with babies had raved about north Ibiza. They promised we’d revel in its beauty and balmy climate (especially in late September when we were visiting) and so we ended up bedding down in the modernised duplex wing of a classic Balearic villa.

Agroturismos in Ibiza are being heavily marketed to “the returnee”, aka former clubbers, like me, who come back en familie, looking for a grown-up version of their glory days. Under normal circumstances,

I’d rather eat my liver than spend my holidays on a farm. My day job is beauty editor on IMAGE magazine. I don’t do animals, fields or mountains. I do sun loungers, beach clubs, sail boats and boozy lunches, or rather I did, pre baby, but having had a disastrous and rather dangerous beach holiday in Portugal the previous summer, it was a toss-up between a Eurotrash hotel replete with family clubs and all-you-can-eat buffets, or getting down and dirty with the pigs.

SITTING PRETTY

' I axis in Ibiza are exempt from the law requiring child/booster

seats, and presenting your charges at a rank or at the airport will be unlikely to prompt drivers to produce them.

Pre-book with Ibiza-airportL transfers.com, which provides A

seats at €3 each perjourney. M

Less of a farm, and more of a

country estate, Can Planells

offers an infinity pool, glam duplex

accommodation and alfresco

breakfast banquets.

When we awoke the following morning to the sight of azure sky,

peachy cliffs and sun-drenched vines sweeping down to the

infinity pool, things started to look up. And as we joined the bunch of international guests under the olive trees for a morning banquet of fresh figs, avocados and coffee, the term farm suddenly seemed

rather inaccurate. A stunning country manor perched over an

agricultural estate would be a more apt description, and the only sight of muck or animals was in fact Charlie running around the vines happily chasing the household cat.

So far, so bliss, but we’d hardly had a dip in the gloriously cool pool when the daily nap saga was soon upon us. We don’t follow a strict schedule at home but if he’s not down by lunchtime, we pay the price. Midday naps become the bane of our holidays because we need to be near the cot (the buggy never quite cuts it in the heat) and thus any day trip, or beach visit, was curtailed until he awoke around 2pm. But here’s where the agroturismo trumps other accommodation options for a young family — in terms of security, they’re in the middle of nowhere, with no passing foot traffic other than the few resident guests, they’re run by kind families who float around keeping a weather eye on their tiny guests, and the pools, terraces and sun decks are only a stone’s throw from your very secure room. This meant we could lounge outside in the gardens only a few metres away, catching some rays, while he safely caught his zzzs.




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We had only just settled into the languid Can Planells mode, when we set off again the following day. Ibiza’s boon (or downfall, depending on your perspective) is that nowhere is more than a short drive away, and tucked in the northeast corner of the island is another gem of an agroturismo, Can Gall (Ctra. San Juan; agrocangall.com), a magnificent converted 200-year-old farmhouse. We had planned to down bags and hit the nearest beach on arrival, but as soon as we caught sight of the infinity pool swathed in bougainvillea and palm trees, with a cute straw honesty bar, oodles of vacant sun-loungers and Bob Marley crooning in the background, it was a case of why bother? It was our wedding anniversary that day, and we passed the most glorious afternoon, just the three of us dancing around the bar, dipping in and out of the pool and trying to teach our toddler some reggae riffs.

The fantastic owners of Can Gall, Santi and Anna, have two

Too lovely to leave - Bob Marley

tunes, palm trees, an honesty bar and the pool at

Can Gall, above, and left, Santi

Mari Ferrer, one of the

co-owners.

young boys and their family-friendly but sophisticated retreat is a magnet for cool couples with a tot or two in tow. In fact there were eleven other identikit couples to us in residence, from various parts of Europe, all of whom we chatted with over a home-cooked candlelit dinner in the gardens at night, rocking the Bugaboo in one hand while sipping sangria with the other.

It was day four before we ventured

Stay at... BUDGET Invisa Motel Club Cala Verde is part of the large Ibiza hotel chain, famed for its family packages. Perched on a cliff overlooking Es Figueral beach, its location is perfect and amenities abundant, including four pools, a pirate water park for kids, a playground and bars and restaurants a plenty. The rooms are basic and the food served up in the main restaurant at mealtimes is rather canteen-like, but it can't be beaten for value. Rooms from €78. (Playa de Es Figueral, +34 902 248 248; invisahoteles.com)

MID-RANGE I Paraiso De Los Pinos offers spacious, self-contained rooms and apartments (some with roof gardens, others with terraces). But the real treat is the newly refurbished restaurant and pool area. Also, the breakfasts are sublime, and it's all just a stroll through the woods to a secluded sandy beach. Downside, it’s about two miles from the main road and towns, so you’ll need your own transport. Double rooms from €85. (Platja Mitjorn, Formentera, +34 971 322 613; paraisodelospinos.com)

SPLURGE I From the walk-in hydro showers to bedrooms stocked with Disney DVDs and the provision of baby monitors to the honesty bar by the luxe pool area, Agroturismo Can Gall is an Ibizan family hotel which hasn't missed a trick. The food prepared by the in-house chef was by far the nicest we had anywhere in the Balearics - the roast chicken is a must and the owners, parents themselves, provide a family concierge service that could rival the Four Seasons. Double rooms from €170. (San Juan; agrocangall.com)

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Eat at... BUDGET | Stroll through the square of Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera in Ibiza and you're in the heart of the local community, with children playing, dogs barking, tourists ambling and the locals chatting outside their shops, stalls or restaurants. Pull up a stool outside Bar Costa (Plaga de L’Esglesia, +34 971 197 02l), and order a few portions of mouthwatering tomato bread, €2.50, and plates of their famous Serrano ham - of which literally hundreds hang from the ceilings behind the bar. |2y[jjH*Q5Q3 Whether you want a lazy lunch or a sunset dining experience, Elements (Playa Benirras, San Miguel, +34 971 333 136; elementsibiza.com)

at first glance is a vast, modern, beach deck, serving classic Mediterranean fare alongside tourist favourites such as cheeseburgers and fries for around €15. On closer inspection there's also a juice bar, cocktail lounge, treatment and massage room and craft shop behind the deck. With cracking views and killer cocktails, you’d be hard pressed not to enjoy a few hours grazing here.

Book the babysitter and go for a sexy meal and sultry late-night music session at Beach Club Blue Marlin (Cala Jondal, +34 971 410117, bluemarlinibiza.com; mains from €26). Mediterranean and Oriental flavours dominate this ambitious menu, which also features an extensive sushi list. Book a table and watch the waves crash on Cala Jondal to one side and, on the other, the jetset crash out on day-beds after giving it socks on the dance floor.

From far left, mixing it up with barman Natale Matia and, below, Saria Silny,

the bar manager at Elements; popular beach spot Platges de Comte;

Cafe del Mar, the place to go at sunset for a chilled-out cocktail.

)- out around the island, which has clearly graduated from finishing school since I was last here. From the excellent new motorway system (no small feat considering there were only twelve cars on the island in the 1950s) to the modernist, Miami-style beach clubs that have popped up like mushrooms around the best stretches

of sand, it has morphed into a sleek, international destination. Cote d’Azur types fight for ludicrously priced day-beds at Blue Marlin (1bluemarlinibiza.com) in Cala Jondal Beach, Santos (santosibizacoastsuites. com) successfully markets its coastal suites (ie, day-beds, a bar and pool) to the posh punters at Playa d’en Bossa, while the boho set heads to Sa Trinxa (satrinxa.com) on Las Salinas beach, to show off their beach bodies and flirt over cocktails. At night these hip hang-outs become a magnet for the St Tropez emigre, and the more sophisticated party set who demand first-class service, world-class cuisine, VIP status and who are more than willing to pay top dollar for it.

The fact that none of the clubs opens for dinner before 10pm meant booking lunch was our only way to join the jetsetters. After blowing the budget on a fun Asian-fusion feast at Sands (Playa d’en Bossa, San Jose; sandsibiza.com), we were just starting to convince ourselves that we were still hip young things, who could rock Ibiza as well as any childfree sybarite, and we figured we’d detour via the old town or Dalt Vila on the way home. This fortress-enclosed World Heritage site is awash with tourists by day, all snap-happy on the medieval bulwarks capturing

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Don't miss...

1 Every Sunday evening, as the sun sets over the picturesque cove

at Playa Benirras San Miguel, the islands’ true hippies come out to play on the beach. They deliver their homage to the sun as it makes its way below the horizon by playing drums and bongos to a hypnotic beat and a backdrop of bonfires and flaming torches. It’s transfixing, free and fun for all the family.

2 If your children are in need of distraction, Minibiza is a giant,

supervised, play area with both indoor and outdoor zones and lots of interactive workshops and organised games, from art classes to fruit sampling. They can also organise summer camps, babysitting and private childcare. (Club de Campo, Sa Carroca Carretara de San Jose, +34 619122 306; minibiza.com; €7 per hour)

3 Only open to the public on Mondays, the award-winning

vineyard Can Rich de Buscastell takes visitors on a tour of the winery topped off with an amusing tasting session, so you can try before you buy. It’s free but, after all the kindness shown by staff, it is hard not to purchase a few bottles of their velvety juice before you go. (San Antonio de Portmany, +34 971 803 377; bodegascanrich.com)

4 The Gecko Beach Club in Formentera is worth booking for a

spot of lunch, not least for the delicious grub prepared by their Michelin-starred chef, then you can enjoy the facilities at this boho luxe club, which include a kids’ playground, yoga classes, a stunning salt-water pool and an unbeatable beachside setting. (Playa de Migjorn, geckobeachclub.com; mains from €15)

5 Fonda Pepe (Calle Mayor, +34 971 328 033; mains from €20)

is a Formentera institution. This bar, restaurant and hostel is spread out across the lively Sant Ferran town square and the rustic menu and spartan furnishings look as if they haven’t changed since the 1970s - which is a plus, because back then rock legends Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley used to eat, drink and play here. And today you never know who’ll be strumming a guitar by the bar, as modern-day musicians like to drop in.

the panoramic views across the turquoise Mediterranean. By night it’s a peoplewatching

paradise, where the young and the restless saunter up and down the winding streets before settling at

one of the cute tables outside the stretch of sophisticated eateries. It sounds idyllic, but try it with a buggy and a teething nipper and it’s all steep steps, treacherous cobblestones and a labyrinth of trouble, with not a car park space within a mile of its drawbridge.

One afternoon we drove south to visit the Aquarium Cap Blanc (San Antonio; aquariumcapblanc. coni). It’s a natural cave flooded

ervice, with 24-hours’ notice required for bookings. But the fee of at aast €20 an hour was a hard pill to swallow. Instead, bring your baby

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Opposite page, from left, the charms of the Old Town of Ibiza; the Hippy Market; to the lighthouse the laidback island of Formentera; below, Oscar Enguita, stall holder at the Hippy Market.

with sea water and home to turtles, fish, a few crustaceans and squid, but not desperately exciting, if you’re only one and a half. And on another morning made a pit stop at the infamous Hippy Market (Las Dalias, Santa Eularia des Riu, lasdalias.es), which was akin to hitting Ikea in the Christmas sales. Crammed with shoppers and beautiful yet heftily priced handicrafts, we ran out when a grumpy old man went to slap Charlie, after he grabbed and spilled his Sprite from the communal table at which we were taking a breather.

Our most successful outings were to the beach, but if you’re on the hunt for a family-friendly spot along the northern coast, research and local knowledge are essential.

The coast here is peppered with picturesque islets and coves, replete with aquamarine seas and flamingopink

cliffs, but many require a hike or even a swim to access them and, when you do get there, you can find sand in serious shortage and jagged rocks and boulders aplenty. Playa Benirras, which Santi had directed us to, was the only entirely toddlerfriendly

stretch and we bunkered down blissfully here most afternoons.

On day six we said adios to Ibiza and took the 30-minute ferry ride to Formentera (ferries run every half hour from Ibiza port, €46 pp return; trasmapi.com), the smallest Balearic island and former magnet for hippies and artists. Nowadays it’s more of a secret hideaway for King Carlos of Spain and the super-yacht set who

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sail over from Ibiza to anchor along the Playa de ses Illetes for a dip in the glistening, cerulean waters. We were smitten by the juxtaposition of beaches so beautiful they’d make Barbados blush and the rugged stone-walled interior, dotted with sleepy villages, dirt tracks and whitewashed haciendas — the Caribbean meets Connemara.

In Formentera no one would have blinked if we’d shown up to a fine-dining restaurant with screaming octuplets. We flitted like carefree teenagers around the island in our little rented car and, for the first time, felt relaxed enough to read a book or just simply watch Charlie, paddling in the calm shallows.

We’d linger over a lazy lunch at whatever beach bar was nearest; most are tables-in-the-sand joints and serve fresh Med fish, veg and salads. But just because you’re eating in basic surroundings doesn’t mean you won’t end up seated beside Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman and their daughter India. Which is how we ended up befriending Hollywood’s heavyweight power couple, over a glass of rose at the Formentera institution Juan y Andrea (Illetes Beach; juanyandrea. com). It’s just that type of place — egoless, egalitarian and easygoing.

Formentera nightlife is the antithesis of what’s on offer in Ibiza, with not a superclub or sleek bar in sight and, for us, therein lay its charm. Sandy and sun-kissed, we’d head straight from the beach to one of the two main villages,

Sant Francesc or Sant Ferran de Ses Roques, and sit outside one of the twee taverns or tapas bars on the church squares. Here we’d devour traditional Spanish dishes, fill up on local wine and settle our €20 bill before letting Charlie off to run around with the local children.

As we began our odyssey home, a tourist board poster in La Savina, Formentera’s efficient ferry port, caught my eye, declaring the island as “Europe’s last paradise”. My younger, footloose self would have laughed at the utopian notion but, in our current circumstances, when we need a holiday that’s safe but stimulating, it sums it up just perfectly. We’ve already booked the flights for next year.

Q Follow Liz Dwyer @BeautyBootcampl

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THE BALEAPICS · beach clubs, sail boats and boozy lunches, or rather I did, pre baby, but having had a disastrous and rather dangerous beach holiday in Portugal the previous summer,