At last! The sun is back out, the flowers are blooming, and the streets are full of colourful lights. It can only mean one thing, Christmas is coming! The festive period in Ibiza has a unique flavour. Here are a few of the things to look out for over the holiday period.
Families
Around the island’s towns and villages, the decorations are up and the streets are alight with festive cheer.
In Ibiza Town the giant Christmas tree and market stalls fill the boulevard Vara de Rey with enchanting light, while Papa Noel will be paying a visit to the children there on Christmas Eve. At weekends there will also be children’s magic shows for courtesy of the entertaining Cachirulo and Nieto. In the marquee on the Plaza Antoni Albert i Nieto there is an extensive Christmas programme for the whole family with concerts, workshops, an ice rink, bouncy castle and much more.
Over in San Antonio the celebrations centre around the fountain square where the annual marquee plays host to many family-friendly events. There is Santa’s Grotto, Piruleto the Clown entertains the children and there are Christmas train rides. This year there is even a long toboggan slide for the little ones.
Santa Eulalia has organised an impressively long timetable of events, running until 16 January, that includes concerts, magic, dance, theatre, and cinema. Plus, there will be a workshop to learn how to make your own version of the famous Spanish Christmas treat, Turrón.
After a brief hiatus at the start of 2021, the Reyes Magos (3 Wise Men) are due to make their triumphant return from the Orient on the evening of 5 January 2022, binging cheer and gifts to the children of the island once again. Many details are still a little unclear, but Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar are certain to be spotted parading through the streets, once again, in Ibiza, San Antonio and Santa Eulalia and surrounding villages.
The Hub is having their usual busy time in the run up to the big day with their annual Christmas market supporting the Ibiza Food Bank and a selection of family or adult Christmas themed movie nights, in conjunction with Cinema Paradiso.
Restaurants
As always there is plenty of choice when it comes to avoiding having to cook the Christmas dinner at home. Many restaurants stay open over the holiday period, with exceptional festive menus on the night of the 24 December or lunchtime on 25 December.
Ample 32
San Antonio’s popular Ample 32 restaurant will be closed so that the team can concentrate on preparing their Christmas take away menu on 24, 25 and 31 December. Collecting from their new location in La Kiki Apartments, on the road to Cala de Bou, you can take the stress out of the kitchen with a great selection of traditional Ibizan Christmas dishes.
L'Atelier No.74
Santa Gertrudis’ unique art, craft and culinary venue, L’Atelier No.74, has a host of events running over the holiday period. On Christmas day there will be a special sharing menu for the whole family. If you’d like to go, bookings must be made by 20 December to secure your place. Workshops will be running every day, with Family Sundays offering a multi-activity table for the kids, face painting, special menus and more...
A Mi Manera
One of our favourite Christmas treats is enjoying a family dinner al fresco beneath the shade of the fruit trees at A Mi Manera in the San Juan countryside. The deluxe Italian banquet is an exquisite dining experience, including many ingredients grown on site, and this year’s menu on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is a very mouthwatering prospect indeed. Feast your eyes on this…
Nagai
Another of Ibiza’s finest winter restaurants, perfect for the alternative Christmas dinner, is the colourful Nagai, which always offers an imaginative choice of Japanese meat, fish and vegetarian set menus. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal and the DJ soundtrack is always certain to surprise. Try the wine and sake pairing for the full experience!
Party the festive season
For those who like to enjoy Christmas dancing in the company of other free spirits, there are couple of great party nights to look froward to.
Lio is the place to be on Christmas Eve, with the Melon Bomb team warming up the festivities in their inimitable style. Then, it’s over to Akasha at Las Dalias where Roy Rosenfeld, part of the powerful All Day I Dream stable, will be behind the decks for a deep, melodic end to Christmas Day.
In our events calendar you will find many other events in this beautiful, sunny Christmas time on the island!
For information about events planned to see in the new year, check out our New Year’s Eve article coming up soon.
