How to have a grown-up holiday with a baby in Ibiza
Ibiza is synonymous with world-famous clubs, hedonistic lifestyles and staying up all night.
But is the party island a suitable holiday destination for a baby?
Our little girl had just turned five months old, so my husband and I â€" after almost mastering leaving the house â€" decided now was as good a time as any to get the first trip abroad under our belts.
For our first family holiday, I was happy to compromise, but I didn’t want to end up at a family resort surrounded by lots of (screaming) children just yet, so we settled on Ibiza â€" with a short flight time at two-and-a-half hours from London.
With a short flight time from the UK, in-house catering offered, spacious rooms, stunning views and a pool, Villa Sol in Ibiza is an ideal place for mums to relax on a post-bump holiday (Pictured: An outside view of the villa and its pool)
We decided a self-catering villa would suit us best, so we could eat when and what we wanted. It had to be near to the main towns and restaurants, but far away from the clubs, so we could relax, and it had to have plenty of space.
Taking a baby on holiday for the first time takes a lot of planning. There are so many more things to consider than when it was just the two of us.
It’s a far cry from the days of throwing everything into a suitcase and disappearing into the sunset for a romantic break. Now there are checklists, sleep schedules, nappy changes and feeding to bring into the mix.
Add that to a long list of requirements for your accommodation while away, and it may seem as though it’s too much hassle.
But, if planned well and done right, getting away with your little one can be just as easy as being at home.
Our first hurdle was the flight. However, our little girl was a dream, and, surprisingly, easyJet was brilliant â€" we could take a car seat (the Doona, which transforms into a pushchair) and cot (a Sleepyhead) at no extra cost, and we were able to fast-track through security and get priority boarding â€" perks of travelling with a kid.
The villa sleeps up to 22 people and is just a 15-minute drive from Ibiza airport - near to the picturesque town of Sant Josep - making it easy to access with a baby
The impressive-looking building sits on top of a hill, meaning its afforded incredible views from all sides of the mountains as well as the beautiful Ibiza TownÂ
After landing, we picked up our hire car and headed to our villa â€" called Villa Sol - just a 15-minute drive from Ibiza airport, near to the picturesque town of Sant Josep.
Making our way up the short hill to our accommodation, past its security gate, we could see we had definitely hit the jackpot.
The impressive-looking building sits on top of a hill, meaning its afforded incredible views from all sides of the mountains as well as the beautiful Ibiza Town - the street lights twinkling in the distance in the twilight as we came to a halt.
This was definitely more in-keeping with our pre-baby holidays.
We wanted space, a nd we certainly had it here. It sleeps 22 people, and has eight bedrooms in the main building, which is split into an upstairs and a downstairs.
Then there are two separate one-bedroom annexes, ideal for if you’re travelling with wider family and friends and want to be a bit more space from the group with your baby.
New mum Carol Driver, who stayed in the villa with her husband and five-month-old daughter said: 'This was definitely more in-keeping with our pre-baby holidays'
Villa Sol offers a lounge and dining area with a TV, comfy sofas and iPod docking stations â€" as well as patio doors that open up on to an al fresco dining area by the pool â€" ideal for keeping an eye on a baby
We explore inside â€" it’s incredibly luxurious with a minimalist, modern décor.
And it has everything we will need â€" and more rooms than we would ever use.
There’s a lounge and dining area with a TV, comfy sofas and iPod docking stations â€" as well as patio doors that open up on to an al fresco dining area by the pool â€" so baby can stay inside in her cot while we’re just a few feet away.
There is also a large kitchen â€" offering plenty of space for a play area for baby, while we cook â€" it also has a large dining table, a dishwasher and a big fridge.
And it†™s not just the inside that’s impressive. Outside also boasts the wow factor. The villa sits on a huge plot, and is surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens.
Directly outside the downstairs part of the villa, there’s a swimming pool featuring a waterfall. There’s also a bar, a BBQ, a huge sun-deck area with sunbeds and a beach-style chill-out bed â€" all surrounded by the beautiful panorama of the Ibizan countryside.
The family set themselves up in the main bedroom (pictured) which had an impressive design and layout and felt 'like staying in a five-star hotel suite'
All rooms and areas in the villa are incredibly luxurious and boast a minimalist, modern décor
There’s enough shaded areas for our little girl to be outside with us during the day, and we take it in turns to catch some rays.
For those into fitness, the villa also has a tennis court, and the gardens â€" complete with lemon and orange trees - are perfect to explore during a morning walk.
We set ourselves up in the biggest bedroom of the five in the upstairs part of the villa. With its impressive design and layout, it’s just like staying in a five-star hotel suite.
It’s a huge, wide-open space, with a large double bed at one end, and a bathroom, complete with a Jacuzzi bathtub, at the other, as well as huge wardrobes.
There’s plenty of room for us for a travel cot (which the v illa company provided) right next to our bed, and the bathroom area is big enough for us to designate a section as a baby changing station.
Pulling back the bedroom curtains reveals a large window and a stunning view of Ibiza Town, there’s also a very large balcony, where we enjoy a nightcap or two after putting the baby to bed of an evening.
There are eight bedrooms in the main building, which is split into an upstairs and a downstairs, and two separate one-bedroom annexes, ideal for if you’re travelling with wider family and friends and want to be a bit more space from the group with your baby
All the other bedrooms are designed to a similarly high standard as well and all of them have en-suites â€" meaning even if there’s a large party travelling together, there are no queues for the bathroomÂ
All the other bedrooms are designed to a similarly high standard as well and all of them have en-suites â€" meaning even if there’s a large party travelling together, there are no queues for the bathroom.
Our days are spent lazing by the pool, taking it in turns to sit in the shaded area with our little one, although as we’re visiting early in the season, the pool is far too cold for us to enjoy a swim.
It's less than a five-minute drive to the pretty town of Sant Josep, which is a world away from the clubs the island is famous forÂ
And the villa is in a perfect location for us to easily explore the island â€" and when we need supplies, there’s a supermarket just a two-minute drive away.
It's less than a five-minute drive to the pretty town of Sant Josep, which is a world away from the clubs the island is famous for.
It boasts 50 miles of coastline, Sa Talaia, the highest hill on the island, for beautiful views, as well as lots of restaurants and cafes.
Heading the other way by car, is Ibiza Town, which we explore for a few days.
Gee Van Donselaar runs 2 Chefs Ibiza (pictured), a private chef service that comes to your villa, yacht or retreat to create incredible dishes
On a mission to show 'vegan food is not boring', Gee visited the villa to create an impressive three-course lunch - starting with a beetroot offering
Parking is easy, and there are plenty of restaurants and bars to pop into for a bite to eat or a drink as we make our way to the beautiful castle in the Old Town.
I'm carrying our little one in a carrier as it wouldn't be an easy walk with a buggy â€" but it’s worth it just for the views at the top.
After our exploration, we reward ourselves with lunch at one of the many eateries on the cobbled pathways, before making our way down for ice cream.
We also head out to explore a couple of beaches - making sure there are areas in the shade, and places we can walk to so that baby gets some sleep.
Cala Jondal is just a two-minute drive from the villa, and the trendy Playa Den Bosa is a 15-minute drive, as is up-market Playa De Ses Salines.
We also head over to the town of Talamanca, just a 20-minute drive from our villa, and enjoy lunch at OD Talamanca, a five-star luxury boutique hotel minutes away from the beach.
The family headed over to the town of Talamanca, just a 20-minute drive from our villa, and enjoyed lunch at OD Talamanca (pictured), a five-star luxury boutique hotel minutes away from the beach
'Families are welcome at the OD Talamanca resort, and we enjoy a delicious grown-up meal (just like pre-baby times), with first class food and moreish wines at a table on the terrace, overlooking the hotel’s numerous pools'
Families are welcome at the resort, and we enjoy a delicious grown-up meal (just like pre-baby times), with first class food and moreish wines at a table on the terrace, overlooking the hotel’s numerous pools.
The head chef - Silvia Nicolini â€" is impressive, and whips us up purple gnocchi, wild seabass, pear and cinnamon sorbet with homemade granola, and a delicious Nutella and coffee tiramisu.
Fully sated, we make the short drive home to our villa. Our little girl sle eping peacefully in the car after a full day.
So while Ibiza makes for the perfect first holiday with a baby, with lots of places easily accessible and plenty of activities to keep you entertained, we have the perfect base to explore from that feels like home.
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