Arriving into Ibiza

Our first morning onboard Breakaway starts a little foggily. I’m not talking about the weather but rather our wine induced hangovers. Nothing some fluids and carbs can’t sort out.

We are still heading southward towards the Balearic island of Ibiza at a steady 10 knots. I step out onto the balcony to a cool, fresh breeze. I can spy land ahead, the northernmost tip of the island I assume. The white triangles of sailboats tack against the breeze as seabirds track our progress, always on the lookout for a tasty snack which some passengers encourage by throwing bits of bread to the agile gulls.

We are not due to dock at IbizaTown until 12:30pm and those carbs are calling so we dress and head up to the Garden Cafe. It’s busy but we find a recently vacated table and claim our spot. As usual there is a lot of choice but I keep it simple with some scrambled eggs, sausage and beans (we Brits love our baked beans, I personally refer to them as ‘Beloveds’ such is my affection for these little pulses). And yes beans on toast do indeed slap.

Breakaway slips gently into the harbour and moors next to a variety of ferries and working boats. Since we last visited the port has grown to accommodate more vessels. We have no excursions booked today but I have devised a self guided walking tour of Dalt Villa which is the old fortified town that sits at the entrance to the harbour.

We gather cameras, water and apply some sun protection for good measure before heading ashore. We purchase some tickets for the water taxi to take us across the bay. €8 per person and you can use all day. We are docked until 23:00 so we have plenty of time.

​Our little boat is busy and we are soon bobbing our way over to the old town as everyone excitedly take photos of the views from our little boat. Within 15 minutes we alight at the pier and head into the old town.

Dalt Vila

Our tour starts proper at the Portal de ses Taules. We climb the main rampart up to the entrance gates before emerging into the pretty little area called Plaça de la Vila We head upwards towards the main fortified walls, stopping for a breather in a small garden surrounded by old whitewashed houses. At the walls we have expansive views over the harbour and to our ship in the distance. We take some snaps before continuing our walks which takes us further into the maze of narrow streets filled with shops, restaurants and fancy boutique hotels. We emerge near the top by the cathedral which gives us another amazing viewpoint over Ibiza Town. 

Descent is much easier as we make our way down through the huge wall fortifications. It’s tricky going with steep and slippy cobble stonework underfoot. We emerge through the same gates as we entered into the busy shopping district that surrounds Dalt Vila. Lots of pretty boutique shops selling everything from lace to fashion and souvenirs. 

It’s quite warm now as we head back to the pier to catch the boat back over to the ship. We are lucky in that we catch a boat just before it is due to pull off. Again it is a short leisurely ride across and we are soon within the air conditioned bowels of Breakaway.

We ate lunch before we left the ship so we spend the rest of the afternoon in our cabin. Peter is journaling and I am blogging. It’s a warm and pleasant afternoon, especially on our balcony where I listen to some carefully curated playlists I made for this trip.

We are dining at Cagney’s Steakhouse tonight but we head to Shakers Cocktail Bar first to get some drinks. It’s busy but we manage to nab two bar seats and enjoy them whilst people watching. The team behind the bar do a sterling job serving so many drinks in quick order.

Cagneys

Dinner at Cagney’s is nice but not outstanding. We are beginning to wonder if the extra charge for these restaurants are really worth it.The food of course was perfectly fine. Our starters of Collosal Shrimp cocktail and Wedge Salad are very nice. The filet steaks along with the sides are very enjoyable and our desserts are not too overwhelming in size that we can’t enjoy them. Still $60 extra per person is not cheap and we find that a lot of the mass market cruise lines are not what they used to be in terms of service and quality in their upcharge restaurants. 

After our late night shenanigans the previous evening we decide and earlier night is in order so we take a glass of wine each back to our cabin. Breakaway is just leaving Ibiza and setting course for Palma, Majorca tomorrow.