Home to arguably the longest stretch of sand on the Ibizan shoreline, the resort
of Playa d'En Bossa is predominately about the beach itself. Over 2km long, the
beach is home to upwards of 50 bars, most of which serve food along with your beverage.
The food ranges from toasted sandwiches all the way up to haute cuisine. Two things
you needn't suffer here are either hunger or thirst.
Shade is in limited supply along the beach. If you desire an umbrella, then either
get here early or bring your own. The golden sands stretch out into the sea for
quite a way, so there's little chance of stubbing your toe on an unforeseen rock.
This makes for ideal conditions for water-play. Swimming here is probably amongst
the safest you'll find on the island. Lifeguard towers are situated at regular intervals
along the beaches, not to mention that the Ibizan family-led values mean your little
ones are as safe as is humanly possible. Families here tend to watch out for one
another, as you'll quickly come to appreciate. There are also pedaloes, banana-boats,
canoes, parasailing, volleyball and windsurfing schools in several places. Playa
d'En Bossa is a particular favourite with windsurfers, as the waters can get just
choppy enough for fun and yet not too rough for beginners at most times of the year.
As for snorkeling, well, first off, if you insist on snorkeling here then keep your
eyes open, for boats, jetskis and the like abound on these waters. Secondly, if
you're an avid snorkeler, you're probably better off in a nice rocky cove. Playa
d'En Bossa is about fun and frolics in the waves. Young clubbers and families make
up the majority of the visitors here. Having said that, there is a scuba-diving
school here, but then they'll take you away from the beach to deeper, more suitable
waters.
Playa d'En Bossa is a very family-friendly beach and, though topless sunbathing
is common, full nudity is not tolerated, so families with younger children need
not worry about chancing upon any nasty surprises.
The beach is south facing, and as such will have the benefit of the sunshine from
dawn 'til dusk. The beach itself, much like the rest of this resort, never really
sleeps. At dusk the young and the restless congregate in bars all along the front,
most notably in the Bora Bora Bar, which boasts its own nightclub in the form of
the Bora Bora Beach Disco. Free to enter, this is an ideal way to while the night
away until, if you have the stamina for it, Space opens its doors in the morning.
Space is situated behind the beach, next to the water-park, and is known predominantly
as the "daytime club". When all the others are closing their doors after the sun
is well and truly risen, Space is just beginning to kick off.
If you're not staying in Playa d'En Bossa itself for the duration of your holiday,
then you'll find it easily enough. Only 4km from the centre of Ibiza Town, it is
well serviced by the bus routes and taxis that ply their trade here.
There is a wealth of choice when it comes to accommodation in Playa d'En Bossa.
From self-catering apartments all the way up to full-on, five-star hotels, all situated
either directly on, or within easy walking distance of, the beach itself.
Away from the beach, the resort of Playa d'En Bossa has got it all covered. There
are so many restaurants that I have to confess I lost count. Every style of cuisine
is catered for here. There are, of course, the traditional Ibicenc restaurants,
with seafood so fresh it may well have swum directly to your plate. You can find
an incredible variety of international dishes here, as well. Chinese, Thai, Indian,
Italian, French and more. If it's a taste of home you're after, then you won't have
to search far to find either the good ol' Full English Breakfast, Sunday Roast,
Chip Shop or even, gasp!, the typically English Kebab Shop, for those late night
munchies when only a great greasy meat-and-bread combo will really hit the spot!
As for bars, in Playa d'En Bossa you are once again spoiled for choice. The bars
are legion, and a pub-crawl from one end of the street to the other will only result
in a short night and a very fuzzy head. You could do a crawl every night for a fortnight
and still not discover every watering-hole Playa d'En Bossa has to offer.
Cafes, too, are so numerous it's untrue. But then, in Ibiza, some cafes are bars
also, and many bars are cafes, while all or certainly most of the restaurants have
bars and welcome not just those out for a meal. Confused? Dive right in, because
after the second or third Mojito cocktail it all suddenly appears to make sense.
Licensing hours are what the Ibizans would call "at the owner's discretion", which
roughly translates in English to "utterly whimsical".
Have fun out there!
Shopping in Playa d'En Bossa couldn't be more easy or less colourful. There are
supermarkets and 'corner-stores', not necessarily on corners, for those of you either
self-catering or feeling the sudden urge to don your chef's apron. The Tabac shop
(tobacconist) is where you'll find all the duty-free cigarette bargains. Bear in
mind you can't buy cigarettes at the paper shop as in England. The Tabac has all
sorts of other items on sale, mind you, not least of which are the little terracotta
'beach ashtrays'. If you smoke, these are a worthwhile investment, believe me. Easy
to use, nice and clean, and you leave a beach behind you as pristine as when you
first stepped onto it.
There are also numerous tourist shops here, with goods ranging from designer-label
gear to hand-made, traditional Ibicenc clothing. Elsewhere you'll find every kind
of souvenir your heart could desire.
Every Friday, there is a hippy market in Playa d'En Bossa, well worth a visit. In
the evenings, the street entertainers come out in force. Buskers, jugglers, fire-breathers
and the like offer you free entertainment. Well, ostensibly free, but there's nothing
stopping you from throwing a few coins in their direction. If you like the goods
on sale here and enjoy the hippy atmosphere, then we can recommend taking a trip
to Es Cana on a Wednesday, where the biggest hippy market on the island takes place
each week throughout the summer.
The water park, Aguamar, is also well worth a visit at least once during your stay.
There are plenty of steep and scary slides suitable for both the young and the young-at-heart.
The park is also home to several pools of varying depth, and so is suitable for
all ages, and there are several places offering food and drink.
If you're here with a young family, then there are myriad other entertainments to
be had that involve a lot less water. Playa d'En Bossa boasts an amusement park
with go-karts, trampolines and a bouncy castle, ten-pin bowling, mini-golf and much
more besides.
If Playa d'En Bossa is not enough to keep you entertained for the entire duration
of your visit, then you'll find the place is well serviced by bus routes that will
take you to any part of the island. Being already on the doorstep of Ibiza Town,
you must make the trip to the port area and Dalt Vila (the walled city) at least
once. You can see the walls of this ancient fortification from the comfort of your
beach lounger on the sands of Playa d'En Bossa.
So welcome to Playa d'En Bossa, one of the busiest, and most fun-packed, areas Ibiza
has to offer. Well, you didn't come here for the peace and quiet, after all. So
book up now, and get ready to party!
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