New to the OC Blog pages is Eye Swoon's Athena Calderone, who will be sharing delicious tidbits about food and travel! Stay tuned for more to come, but to start you off, here's a little tour of the charming Spanish island of Ibiza.

Funny how sometimes your impressions can be completely off the mark. This was certainly the case for me when I thought of Ibiza strictly as a party town. That changed this summer, as I engulfed myself in the absolute beauty that the Balearic island has to offer, with its rocky coastlines and turquoise water. It is true that there is a duality to this island––the partying side and the pristine, natural side (Ibiza is a UNESCO world heritage site for its biodiversity and culture). And teeter-tottering on the edge of both worlds worked perfectly for me (my husband is a DJ who spends five weeks on the island each summer, and we also had our son in tow).

We chose to stay in a villa with a group of old friends from Copenhagen. The villa was part of an agricultural farm, Hotel Atzaro, a beautiful Balinese-style hotel separated from the villa only by a gorgeous orange grove. We were fortunate to get all of our vegetables, fruits, and eggs from the farm.  In the morning, we pampered our bodies with über-relaxing yoga classes, which were juxtaposed with nights of yummy meals that were typically followed by late-night dancing.

Our first big night out was to DC10, a hardcore music-driven night that begins at 4pm and goes until 2am. There are no VIP tables and no bottle service, just serious music heads. There, we ran into some friends, and off in a corner we danced until 2 o'clock. On Sunday evenings at Benniras beach, there is a hippie drumming ritual where people dance wildly as the orange sun slips behind the rocks. It's spectacular! I certainly fell head over heels in LOVE with this island. Swoon!


FILED UNDER: Travel , I'll Take You There , Ibiza , Spain , Athena Calderone