Ibiza, photo taken by lone snapper

And here I am in Spain, continuing another adventure in Europe. What attracts me to this place is its adoration as a summer holiday destination. Spain receives most of its tourists from British Isles, France, the Scandinavian region, and Central Europe. In 2007, Spain experienced the biggest boom in their tourism industry, as more and more people from around the world came here to make their Spanish holidays, making Spain the second most visited country in the world, after France.

My Journey is focused on two major attractions of Spain, Barcelona and Ibiza. I will be starting my journey from the capital, Madrid, heading towards Ibiza via the port town of Denia and then ferrying to Barcelona. Denia is a port town situated nearly 446 KM east of Madrid. Being a port town and due its proximity to the Balearic Islands, it is a major journey break point for those who are travelling to Ibiza. 

Journey Plan, courtesy Google Maps

Starting at 10 AM, I planned to cover this six hours and twenty minutes adventurous journey by car with my university friends from Spain. The journey time could have been smaller but I preferred to halt at three different places on the way.

Ucles, Photo taken by Alberto P. Veiga

Our first stop was a small historical town of Uclés, in the province of Cuenca. It had a powerful and famous castle, located on top of a hill, whose watchtower can still be seen. It is a stretch of wall and two towers, including a gateway to the fortified enclosure, the Arco de la Fuente.

The urban set is still organized around the Plaza Mayorand despite the negative developments in the last two centuries. It still consists of several fine examples of architecture, including the City Hall with porticoed facade. But the ultimate landmark of Uclés is the parish house of the Order of Santiago, the monastery.

Heading a little further there is the town of Saelices (Cuenca). It is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Iberian Peninsula . Its origins date back to the Iron Age, although its time of greatest glory belongs to the Roman period, highlighting the theater and amphitheater of Flavian period.

Saelices, photo taken by mmarftrejo

Throughout the first and second centuries AD, in the city continued apace new construction, with the building of the theater, amphitheater, basilica, porticos, baths, etc. All this made this place a great city centre. Much of this work was financed by private contribution. The same is true for the great public baths in the city, built in the late first century or early AD.

My third stop was the town of Alarcón, in the province of Cuenca, sandwiched between the steep gorges of the river Júcar. The villa is maintained almost entirely in a walled enclosure, which surrounds much of the town. It also has a castle which was the centre of important historical events in the time of the reconquest, and is now a Parador.

On reaching Denia, we parked our car at one of our friend's place who lives in the city. A small relaxing and freshening up session we had at her place and then we headed towards the port to book a ferry to Ibiza.

Denia, photo taken by palazio

It takes roughly two hours on a fast ferry to reach the island, slow ferry can take four hours but is cheaper than the faster ones.

Birthplace of the rave, Ibiza is home to some of Spain’s most (in) famous clubs. The outrageous summer scene is complemented by a diverse collection of bars. Not only bars and clubs, it also has an absolutely beautiful coastline with dozens of tiny coves to discover, not to mention some of the most stylish hotels in the Mediterranean.

Arriving in Ibiza by boat, the first thing I noticed was the castle above the town. It seems every Mediterranean port has a castle. Below the castle there are the residences and, of course, the bars which make this place famous. And all around the island are pristine beaches. Whether you are here for the nightlife or relaxation, you will find something to do.

Ibiza, photo taken by Miguel Tavares Cardoso

One of the most memorable things I did in Ibiza was the trip to Forementera Island. It was one of the most amazing boat trip I have ever experienced on a holiday and I would recommened it to anyone. Not sure how much I paid but I remember it was well worth it. The boat was called the 'capitan Nemo' and was a glass bottomed catamaran. The trip to Formentera lasted approx 3 hours there and 3 back, we had about 2 hours on the amazing beach which was long enough as literally it is just a bit of sand in the middle of the sea.

The music on the boat was amazing and a couple of glasses of wine was provided. The journey there went really quickly looking at celeb boats and houses and feeding mini cheddars to the seagulls. On the way back, the captain stopped the boat to allow the perfect photographic opportunities near the 'horses mouth' and it was timed perfectly that we were at sunset strip in time to watch the sun settling down and were provided with champers.

If you are interested in spending your time partying on the beaches then read on. Playa d'en Bossa is the longest stretch of beach on Ibiza. The sea floor is soft and sandy, so you don't have to worry about any hard surfaces while you're wading around.

Playa d'en Bossa is probably the loudest and most crowded beach on Ibiza. So if you are looking for a lower key retreat then this beach may not be for you. The beach is dotted with cafes, restaurants and bars and most of them are playing their music loud so people laying on the beach will have something to listen to. It's more of a party atmosphere, but you should be expecting that; you are, after all, in Ibiza.

There are beach chairs that can lounge or lay flat. They are set up under the large umbrella tents on the beach. Laying on one of these chairs will cost you a small cover, (i think a few euros) but it is definitely worth it if you feel like laying around on the beach. Another benefit of using the chairs is that the waitresses that service the restaurant that provided the chairs will also come serve you. It's nice to have Sangria brought out to you while you lounge around on the beach.

A great alternative is, Talamanca bay. It is one of the closest beaches to Ibiza town. If you're staying in Talamanca, Jesus or Ibiza town, this is an option specially for those of you who want a beach life. The beach is fairly quiet compared to other beaches in Ibiza resorts, and if you do not like loud music and excessive partying crowd, this is the place for you. Talamanca is still fairly undeveloped being so close to the action of Ibiza town. There are a few hotels concentrated at the southern and northern end of Talamanca bay. One of the largest hotels in Talamanca closed down in 2008, leaving the beach nearly deserted.

There are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent at the southern end of the beach, which is where the beach is at its widest. There are a few popular restaurants/bars in the bay as well. The informal Bar Flotante, which is popular with the locals, Talamanca Club - a restaurant serving great pizzas where you dine directly at the beach, in the sand (Very popular place) and the Amnesia restaurant 'La Barraca'. There is a shop at the beach which is unfortunatly closed from 1 pm - 4 pm, but there's a supermarket (SPAR) right behind the hotels at the southern end of the beach.

The water is very warm in Talamanca! It must have been 28 degrees. My only complain is that the sand is muddy and the area is kind of a swamp which is creating a rotten smell. There is also quite a lot of seaweed at times. To get here from Ibiza town you can either walk (30-40 min), take a taxi or the ferry (Ibiza town-Marina at Talamanca, 2 euros).

And here I conclude my journey to the island of Ibiza, keep watching for this space, or subscribe to TWR Travels as I continue my journey to Barcelona.