How to do a mum-friendly, girly weekend in Ibiza with hotel rooftop pools, legendary clubs and flights for just £18
FOR most parents, the back-to-school rush usually passes in a blur of panic-buying new uniform and juggling the logistics of the term ahead.
So what better way to shake off that frenzied feeling than with a child-free, girls’ weekend on the island of Ibiza.
Straight from school drop-off, I hopped in a cab to the airport with three other school mum pals.
By the time we would usually be tackling bathtime we were sipping rosé and admiring a dreamy Ibizan sunset.
What better place to kick off our whirlwind White Isle weekend than at Ibizan institution Pikes.
The legendary venue in the hills above San Antonio has been around since the late Seventies and over the years everyone from Freddie Mercury to Grace Jones has partied there.
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With an over-25s policy, it attracts a crowd of devoted locals and Balearic free spirits who love its relaxed, anything-goes vibe.
And for a group of girls who grew up in the Eighties, what could be better than partying around the pool where Wham!’s Club Tropicana video was shot.
With a restaurant, bars dotted around its gardens and a cavern-like nightclub downstairs, Pikes is a bona-fide day-to-night venue.
It is also a boutique hotel and its 25 rooms have been given a revamp for this season.
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If you’re looking for something a little less party-party though, not far from Pikes, and also in San Antonio, is the newly refurbished INNSiDE Ibiza Beach hotel.
Its rooms feature funky decor and balconies, many of which overlook the ocean.
There’s a small but well-equipped gym and it’s dog-friendly, with welcome packs.
But its real selling point is the daily DJ parties by the rooftop pool.
Rock up on Sunday to see rugby player turned DJ James Haskell on the decks.
If this is up your street then you’ll definitely enjoy the new UM Beach House tucked away at the tip of the picturesque promenade in the smart resort of Santa Eulalia.
It’s a wonderfully secluded spot from which to soak up the sun while laid-back Balearic beats play in the background — pure bliss.
Family holidays are great but I was relishing the novelty of being able to sit down on my sunlounger for more than five seconds.
Even if you don’t spend the day at UM Beach House, it is worth dropping in for lunch or dinner as the restaurant is stunning, offering laid-back, feet-in-the-sand dining with a lovely view over the river.
Over a bowl of seafood linguine and a bottle of rosé, the girls and I truly put the world to rights.
It is easy to presume Ibiza is purely a party paradise.
But you could spend a whole holiday on the island and not go near a nightclub.
In recent years, Ibiza has also become a gastronomic paradise, brimming with fantastic restaurants.
On our second night we tried out House of WOW, relaunched this year.
It proved a hidden gem, just outside the tiny inland village of Santa Gertrudis.
This huge, open-sided space is filled with plants and greenery, creating a jungle-like vibe.
Ibicencan chef Cristina Dueñas Gledson has created a delicious contemporary menu with a local twist — and at reasonable prices.
We tucked into Iberian pork and traditional Ibizan cheesecake, known as flao, all washed down with, what else, fruity sangria.
We couldn’t leave the White Isle without one big clubbing night under our belts though.
I might be in my forties now but, after three kids, have had plenty of practice staying up all night.
We headed to perhaps the most iconic Ibizan club of them all, Pacha, which this year celebrates its 50th birthday.
Opened in 1973 and designed to look like a Spanish farmhouse, it was Ibiza’s first ever “super- club” and still hosts the world’s best DJs.
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We danced until dawn in the huge main room before dragging ourselves to the terraces for some chill-out time.
The best part is, after a wild weekend, we were still home in time to read the kids their bedtime stories.
GO: Ibiza
GETTING THERE: EasyJet flies from Luton, Bristol and Manchester to Ibiza from £17.99 each way.
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STAYING THERE: Rooms at Pikes start from €199 each in low season.
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B&B rooms at INNSiDE Ibiza Beach start from €160 per night.
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