From Amnesia to Pacha, Hï to Ushuaïa, Ibiza's clubs are not just physically huge, they are known the world over. Sometimes, though, we seek a different clubbing experience - a place that doesn't cater to mass tourism or have a multi-million Euro budget. That place is Akasha.
Akasha is tiny in comparison to the clubs you know and love, but that doesn't make it any less modern. The boutique space sits within the grounds of historic music venue Las Dalias.
Opening its doors in late 2021, Akasha's launch was cloaked in intrigue.
By this point of the year, Ibiza was out of tourist season. Las Dalias is held in such high regard, was there a danger that the arrival of Akasha could tarnish that reputation? How would the locals react?
Well, pretty unanimously, the locals loved this new addition and agreed that it honoured Las Dalias in the most respectful and authentic way. When the tourists returned the following summer, they too would immediately take Akasha to their hearts.
Placing a sharp focus on sound quality engineered by audio expert Martin (it incorporates Fibonacci's auric mathematical formula and ancient geometric philosophy - ooooooooh!) But, yeah, it's a labour of love and you can feel the passion reverberate through you.
Oh, at this point we should mention that the DJ booth is positioned in the centre of the dancefloor. That's how intimate we're talking. In keeping with its hippy nature, Akasha was also constructed using carbon-neutral km0 materials, making it a truly sustainable project.
Quick facts
Number of rooms: Just the one, although on Sundays and at various other intervals throughout summer, Las Dalias garden opens during the day with the music starting outside parallel to the bustling market before moving inside later - the full works
Capacity: 300
Famous for: Legendary Las Dalias party Namaste, the DJ booth being slap bang in the centre of the dancefloor, impeccable sound, psychedelic wall projections, reasonably priced drinks, Las Dalias being the original hippy hangout and Ibiza's oldest music venue
Vibe: Intimate, programmed with love and channelling the hippy spirit in a modern way
Go if: You want an alternative to the bright lights in the south and you yearn for a clued-up crowd
Trivia: Akasha means "space", "sky" or "ether" in Sanskrit, the sacred language of Hinduism
Musical heritage
Few places in Ibiza are as culturally significant as Las Dalias. It has been a hub for musical performance since 1954, living through the years of Franco's dictatorship when non-Spanish music was effectively outlawed. What a rebel.
Las Dalias has always had a worldly nature, experimental even. It's still the best place to catch live musicians and acoustic performances, alongside modern electronic acts. Again, Sundays are the ideal opportunity to catch the best of both worlds. Akasha stays true to that heritage.
Dutifully presided over by chief booker Igor Marijuan, its programme respects the legacy and each booking is considered. Often electronic and traditional music overlap. Frequent acts including Medusa Odyssey, SanRa and Savage & SHē combine different musical elements.
The club nights are still electronic but tend to lean more towards the organic and melodic sound of Progressive House, which we have to say works perfectly at such an intimate spot.
Parties like Namaste don't tow or even entertain the commercial line. You could conceivably hear '60s soft Rock and mind-bending Psytrance in the same session. Throughout the year it's also possible to catch some Reggae or Balearic Beat.
Akasha tends to attract a slightly older crowd and certainly a musically-informed one. It's about as far away from highly-visible billboard clubbing as you can get. Recording on the dancefloor is much more frowned upon here than in the other clubs, for example.
For the finer details, find our party guide here.
How to get there
What? You didn't think it'd be easy, did you? Part of what makes Akasha such a gem is that it's off the beaten track (unless you happen to be staying near San Carlos, of course).
The village of San Carlos is a ten minute drive from the centre of Santa Eulalia. Needless to say, it is not on any disco bus route - and all the better for it, in our opinion. You don't get any walk-ins at Akasha. The people there are there because they've done their research.
Unless you have the benefit of a designated driver (adjacent parking is available at €4 per vehicle), Akasha's isolated location can make it tricky to navigate to and from. But that's all part of the adventure into unchartered territory.
If travelling from San Antonio, a taxi can get pricey. Maybe as much as €48 each way. Best make sure you fill every seat and split the cost. A taxi from/to Ibiza Town will be in the region of €32-37 and Playa d'en Bossa a little extra. From Santa Eulalia approximately €11 to €16.
At the end of the night, catching a cab home can be an Olympic sport, so buddying up with strangers in the taxi queue is paramount. Told you you'd have to work hard for it.
Not that we recommend it, but there's always the option to do as the hippies did and hitchhike your way home. Not worth it, in our opinion. As soon as the sun gets high enough, you'll regret it!
Food & Drink
A bottle of Estrella beer sits reasonably between €6 and €8, while spirit and mixers are €10 to €12. And the cocktails - they are strong. No measured pours here. Las Dalias does proper Spanish mixology! A few Mojitos certainly do the trick.
Hungry? Before entering grab some traditional Spanish food at Las Dalias Café. It's simple, but affordably priced, tastes great and ideal for sharing. We're big fans of the patatas bravas and burrata salad ourselves.
In Las Dalias garden, there is also food wagons serving hot dogs, burgers, pizzas, curry dishes and vegan options. The choice increases on market days with a range of international cuisine available. You can also buy fresh smoothies.
Dress code
There's no dress code at Akasha, but since you find yourself in the spiritual home of the hippies, why not embrace your inner flower child?
You will even find a vast array of hand-crafted clothing and jewellery at the Las Dalias market, from ponchos, capes and robes, to maxi dresses, necklaces and rings. Not to mention woven bags, dream catchers, trinkets and various other accessories. Tie-died to the max.
Nothing is too outrageous. Believe us, San Carlos has seen it all before.
DJ set times
DJs may announce their set times via their own channels, but our recommendation is to go with the flow and just immerse yourself. On several occasions, we have gone for specific DJ A or B, but left having discovered a new favourite. Tap into that open-minded and curious mentality.
Cloakroom / ATM
For the colder months, there is a cloakroom facility located between Las Dalias garden and the inside bar.
You will find a La Caixa ATM directly outside Las Dalias Café, roadside. A second ATM can be found inside Las Dalias garden next to the outdoor toilet block and cigarette machine. More cash points can be found in the centre of San Carlos, but all bars accept contactless payment.
Akasha's yearly cycle
Due to being (almost) a year-round club, Akasha doesn't have an Opening and Closing Party - at least not like the other clubs do in the summer. Open roughly 11 months out of 12, Akasha usually takes a well-earned mid-winter break in January following the New Year celebrations.
Then sometime in February it begins to stir and has a year opening.
Even after just over a month closed, these parties prove very popular as residents who have missed the dancefloor clamber for tickets. 300 capacity doesn't stretch very far, so those tickets are the proverbial gold dust.
Whether it's the opening or any of the big-name DJs playing, it, therefore, makes sense to secure your ticket as early as possible to guarantee admission (see Sven Väth's dates as a prime example - tickets get gobbled up in next to no time).
Just like main clubs, Akaska's weekly and monthly parties do have a summer closing season in October, capitalising on the last wave of tourists. Then moving into November, things are scaled down ever so slightly, with earlier closing times and smaller profile, but still amazing, DJs.
This article is part of our Ibiza Virgins' Guides, packed full of information on how to get the most out of your stay on Ibiza. Check them out.
