Ibiza

Our flight to Ibiza was at 6 AM, so Lydia and I stayed up all night exploring Barcelona and hopped on the plane. The second we touched down, though, we were filled with the island's energy and spent the whole first day exploring the town. We stayed in an Airbnb in Dalt Villa, a picturesque village on a hill overlooking the Balearic Sea. Of course, you would never be able to tell that we only got thirty minutes of sleep; I guess that's just the magic of Ibiza (or the side effect of waaaay too much coffee). 

The next day we went on a boat tour that took us from the port of Sant Antoni to Cala Saladeta, a hidden beach paradise on the northwestern side of the island. I was absolutely BLOWN away by the coast of Ibiza. I had always just heard that Ibiza was nothing but a party island, but I quickly realized there was so much more that it had to offer. We spent the whole day swimming, snorkeling, hiking along the coast, rock jumping, and sunbathing. It was a perfect day until I stepped on a sea urchin - a big lesson learned: always wear shoes when swimming in shallow waters. I sucked it up, though, and still had an incredible day. Supposedly, vinegar should have dissolved the spikes in the bottom of my feet; however, I didn't notice any difference. Thankfully, they ended up coming out on their own about a week later (don't worry, mom, I really do have things under control). 

The next day, we rented an ATV and drove to Es Vedrà, a magnificent rock formation on the island's western side. There are lots of myths surrounding this rock. Some people say it is the birthplace of Tanit, a Phoenician goddess. Others say it is the home of sirens and sea nymphs. And some even believe it is the tip of the lost city of Atlantis. We hiked up to the top and saw a magnificent view. As we were sitting at the top, we saw people walking down to some rocks at the bottom along the coast. So naturally, we had to hike down there and see what was happening. We got down there and discovered it was the site of an old rock quarry, now known as Atlantis, allowing the myths of Es Vedrà to truly come to life. From hiking up and down the cliff to swimming in the water, riding an ATV, and exploring new places, I had one of the BEST days of my life.

Formentera is a small island just south of Ibiza. It was supposed to be a quick and easy ferry ride; however, the wind and waves were so bad the day we went. Everyone on the boat was extremely seasick, and there was vomit everywhere. I felt like I was trapped in a horror movie! Once we got to the island, we spent most of our time recovering and relaxing at the beach and pool. We were so nervous about getting back on the boat; we strategically decided to take the ship with the open-air deck. For the first ten minutes, I was prepared for the worst. With two barf bags in my hand, I gripped the seat in front of me for dear life. Ten minutes into the ride, two drunk guys wandered out to the deck, and I realized everything would be ok. The winds had subsided, and the ride back was actually enjoyable and scenic - who would have thought!