Studying abroad in Barcelona is definitely the way to do it. With so much culture and beauty to explore, you’re never bored. Even if you’ve hit every tourist attraction, restaurant, nearby beach town or nightclub you might have on your list, there is always another. My favorite part about being in Barcelona is its location. It is the perfect place to have as your base if you plan on traveling around Europe throughout your time abroad—which I thoroughly intend to do. I’ve actually begun my adventures already, having taken three incredible weekends away from Barcelona. The first of the weekend trips was the infamous Ibiza.
Photo by Sophia RatkovichThe wild, crazy, inhibition free Ibiza! I had heard so many stories of the outrageous club scenes, the drunken boat parties and gorgeous beaches. After meeting my new roommates in Barcelona, we wasted not five days before jetting off to Ibiza together. If I had just a few words to describe Ibiza they would be beautiful, expensive and ratchet. It was beautiful because the beaches were stunning. The sunset torched the sky with a million shades of oranges and reds as we watched it set every evening while drinking mojitos on the beach and rise every morning on our way home from the previous evenings adventures.
Before heading to Ibiza, I had a vision of a perpetual party with famous DJs and lasers spilling into the streets at night and raging beach and pool parties during the day, much like Cabo on steroids. The town was filled with more locals than expected and during the day it was pretty quiet. If you wanted to do anything or go anywhere, you had to pay for it. Pool party during the day? 15 Euro. Going to a club at night? 40 Euro. Boat party during the day? 65 Euro and it SOMETIMES included ONE drink and maybe entrance into a club that night. Our best move was staying at the Ibiza Rocks hostel. We got all the benefits of the hotel guests including access to their “pool parties,” and….well, that’s it. They had a few cool DJs playing one night but it was over by midnight, unfortunately, so we had to pay if we wanted the perpetual partying to continue. The hostel was incredibly well-priced and in a great location so if you are going to Ibiza on a budget, stay there!
Photo by Sophia Ratkovich
Although expensive, I must say, the nightclubs were absolutely epic! Our first night we headed to Amnesia, one of Ibiza’s many world-famous nighttime escapes for those who are looking for a night to remember…or forget. Two huge rooms make up the club, each with its own unique vibe. When you enter the club, you can go left and find yourself at the base of a large stage with electronic dance music pulsing through the speakers. Just above you are dancers moving to the beats dressed as animals, robots, and aliens. If you chose the path to the right, you would find yourself in a room with a local DJ playing electronic house music and a multitude of bars surrounding you. My friends found their way on top of some of these massive speakers and danced the night away.
Our second night we went to a club called Space, voted #1 nightclub in the entire world for a few years running now according to locals. And boy did it live up to its raving reviews. If you go to one club while in Ibiza, Space is it! We went to Space on Sunday night to see Disclosure play at 2:00 AM before we hopped on our flight back to Barcelona at 7:00 AM to make it back for 10:00 AM classes. Did we think we were superhuman or something? Clearly. Space was like no other club I’ve seen or heard of. It was massive and at every turn I found myself in a new room with different types of music and different vibes. A Dubstep room where the beat dropped and the floor shook, a room for house music with patrons nodding and swaying to the beat, and an electro funk room, a much more mellow room with more space for conversation and seating area for those who might need a break from the other rooms. After seeing Disclosure on the main stage, we ran to the bus and went straight back to our room to pack up and head to the airport. The crash didn’t hit until we got on the plane but needless to say, I didn’t make it to any of my classes Monday morning.
If you plan to head to Ibiza next season, here are a few tips:
1. PLAN AHEAD: Those who don’t play ahead end up paying over $350 for flights as opposed to those of us who paid closer to $130.
2. STAY IN A HOSTEL: Look up all of your option and stay in a place that has the best prices and best reviews. Try hostelbookers.com, or just stay at Ibiza Rocks Hostel because it was a great price, well located and had a wonderful staff.
3. HAVE $$$ TO BLOW: Don’t be naïve. If you come to Ibiza planning on spending $200 while you’re here, that’s not happening. Flights, accommodation, food and entertainment will run you at the very least $600. (If you are choosing between Ibiza and another trip, keep an eye out for my other articles about places I loved even MORE than Ibiza, including Munich for Oktoberfest!)
Yes, Ibiza was incredibly expensive with people constantly trying to make a buck or rip you off at every corner and, yes, there was an unprecedented amount of ratchet foreigners and old men who seemed quite out of place. But it was an experience I’ll never forget and one I’ll be talking about for ages. Til’ next time!