Imagine you were to sit down with your family and were given the chance to design an ideal resort for this year’s summer holiday.
The location would probably be Spain. It’s the most popular destination for Irish holidaymakers with well over one million visiting the Mediterranean hot-spot every year.
The resort would most likely revolve around a giant swimming pool, full of activities to keep the children occupied throughout those long, hot summer days, with plenty of space and available sun-loungers for the parents, and perhaps, the sulky teenagers.
Proximity to the beach would be another deciding factor. Clean and comfortable dwellings; satellite TV would be nice.
How about a high-octane water-park, an adventure playground, astro-turf football pitch, tennis courts, table tennis tables, archery and a range of other activities?
Welcome to the Holiday Village in Ibiza.
Falcon’s Holiday Villages were designed to offer amazing family holidays, where all your entertainment and activities are available onsite, allowing you to enjoy a hassle-free escape, where everyone, from toddler to adult is catered for both day and night.
I had been to Ibiza once before, back in the day with a group of mates, looking to explore Europe’s party island in the nearby resort of San Antonio.
But now I was back on the island, and for the first time travelling with a young family.
To be honest, the thoughts of spending the entire week inside the one compound was something that would never have appealed before, but it didn’t take more than a few hours to see how such a place works so well with families.
Checking in at the very welcoming Holiday Village, you will be tagged with a wristband that stays with you for the duration of your stay and in holidaying terms, it is the equivalent of a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, as the stand-out feature of the Holliday Village experience is that the resort is all-inclusive.
So while the kids are off exploring what the resort has to offer, signing up to the various clubs and activities that are scheduled for the week ahead, wide-eyed, giddy, grinning adults can be spotted sauntering around the resort’s many bars, restaurants, snack bars, poolside bars and buffet carts testing out the capabilities of the magic wristband.
After three days of my stay in the resort, I eventually had to spend some cash as I took a stroll to the near-by shops to buy a newspaper, and this really emphasised the value that was being enjoyed at the Holiday Village.
Once the holiday is paid for, the wallet can stay locked away in the room safe with the passports. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, all included. Sneaky snacks, drinks by the sunlounger, pre-dinner drinks, post-dinner drinks, just flash the wristband and carry on.
The drink machines and food stations are everywhere and kids can help themselves with no narky staff members giving out or taking an eternity to get back with your order. It is a food and drink utopia and it works, flawlessly.
The food options at the Holiday Village are exceptional as the hotel’s selection of restaurants includes a sprawling buffet with a child-friendly zone, plus three à la carte restaurants, which will give you a bit of diversity during the week.
Lots of time will be spent in the buffet area as you take breakfast, lunch and dinner there most nights, but the range of food on offer goes way beyond the norm with fresh fish stations, roast meat options, pastas, pizzas, the list goes on.
And a well-timed visit will allow you to procure a table out on the balcony, which overlooks the adjacent beach inlet, complete with gently rolling waves and setting sun.
But these resorts are really about the kids and the Holiday Village covers all bases with week-long activities planned for all ages from very young (there is a crèche option for babies) right through to those difficult-to-please teenagers.
Kids from 0-2 can join the Twinkle Stars Crèche, which is well staffed and offers educational toys, puppetry and swimming sessions.
Moving into the older age-groups, the Little Stars (3-5) and Super Stars (6-8) can sign up for all sorts, from mini-fencing to wild west-themed games, while that tricky-to-please age range have Mega Stars (9-11) to offer plenty in the way of sports, quizzes and team games.
The over 12’s club offering everything from canoeing to interactive online games, along with the Superstar DJ sessions, and the crazy stuff like Water Walkerz (human hamster balls designed for rolling about on the water).
And what about the young at heart? Well before you leave, make sure you take advantage of the resort’s recently renovated water-park, which brings out the big kid in all of us.
Nightlife
The Holiday Village comes alive at night-time as the stage show begins for an hour or so before dinner, keeping young kids entertained on the stage with cartoons, magic shows or talent contests, while as the evening progresses, the show stage becomes the centre-piece of the resort as the staff and local entertainers showcase their talents as a range of shows take you from the sublime to spectacular, while being bizarre and brilliant at various times throughout the week.
Sports fans can sneak in and watch the live football on the satellite stations in the bar, while there is also an adults-only bar and disco downstairs.
Exploring Ibiza
As great as the Holiday Village resort is, it is always a welcome change of scenery to get out and about to explore the area and further afield.
A short taxi ride took us into the town of San Antonio to enjoy a stroll about the harbour in the afternoon sun. From there you can wander out the paved promenade that will take you to the iconic strip of beachside bars, where you can enjoy a cold beer at the world renowned Café del Mar, listening to some Balearic beats as the sun starts to set below the calm blues waters.
The Old Quarter in Ibiza Town on the other side of the island has been classed a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, and worth a day trip, where you can appreciate the fortress, which overlooks the Medieval stone walls.
Around the island, places like Puerto San Miguel and Portinatx, on the north coast, offer an idyliic getaway, where you can enjoy the remote, sandy coves and hills blanketed with wild flowers.
Santa Eulalia to the south provides a happy medium between lively and laid-back. The boutiques and bars there have a cosmopolitan edge, and the town’s long sweep of pale sand is a favourite with families.
Falcon’s 2015 Holiday Village, Ibiza Offer
Departing Sept 16th, 7 Nights, Dublin-Ibiza, Holiday Village Ibiza, All Inclusive, 2 Share from €949pp, 2+1 €2,138, 2+2 €2,620. Family prices include: Free Child place (saving of €479). Price includes: Flights, Accommodation, Baggage and Transfers.
For more information, visit www.falconholidays.ie or call 1850 45 35 45.
Ed Leahy
