Sunshine Dreaming

I don't know about you, but when I think of Ibiza, I picture mega-clubs, dance music, and drunken debauchery on a yacht as the sun rises.

Now, I have no problem with any of this, but it means that it's not uppermost in my mind when I think of someplace to go for a family holiday. I'd heard that it was great for families, and that outside of the club district there was a whole beautiful island to explore, but still.

One afternoon I was idly scrolling through a holiday website, dreaming of a family escape, and Olivia pointed to the screen: "I want to go to that one" she declared. Casa Luis Apartments in Ibiza had used a photo of their children's pool as the main hook for their residences - possibly in anticipation of this very situation, as Oli asked constantly over the next few days when we were going to the pool with the clown. I eventually caved, added the hotel to my shortlist, and booked our holiday. Very clever, Casa Luis.

We flew with Jet2 Holidays, and our experience from beginning to end was excellent. Having everything (flights, transfers, and accommodation) covered meant we were less nervous about our first holiday as a family than we might have otherwise been. I understand they revamped their customer service training post-covid, and, although I can't speak to its previous state, the contact, communication, and service couldn't be faulted. The lady at the check-in desk let Olivia press the button to send our suitcases to the plane, and from then we were on holiday!

Ibiza greeted us from the airplane window as a series of golden beaches, rugged rocks, and sea of an impossible colour. Honestly, I couldn't get over the gorgeous turquoise water. We spent long afternoons on the golden sand of Santa Eulalia beach, just gazing at that horizon, and it was blissful.

The hotel that started it all, Casa Luis, was clean, and spacious, and our self-catering apartment a good size for a family of three. I appreciated the balcony terrace (glass-sided) as it allowed Taz and I to sit out in the evenings for a quiet drink without the worry of what to do with OliBug. We had a little difficulty getting the hob in the kitchenette to work, but once we'd worked it out we were perfectly happy with the amenities. The on-site restaurant had a good selection of drinks and food available, and a daily menu de chef for a very reasonable price. The gated resort felt very safe, so Olivia enjoyed running around, playing in the three pools of varying sizes (unheated, but nice!), and on the little swing park. And, fortunately, the children's pool was exactly as pictured! Watching her little face light up when she realised we were actually at the place she'd seen in the pictures was such a joy.

On our five-day holiday we went on two excursions by boat - Olivia's first time on a boat - she gazed out at the waves, trying to spot mermaids!

The Es Cana Hippy Market is one of Ibiza's largest markets, running on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and taking up what felt like several acres of space! We spent a nice few hours looking around at the wide range of stalls, and dancing to the music that floated across the space. It was exceptionally busy, though, so be prepared for crowds, and the popular stalls had crushes of people next to each one. They also don't accept haggling, the price is the price.

We spent an afternoon exploring Ibiza Old Town: a truly beautiful maze of picturesque streets and shops, interspersed with houses that had lines of laundry drying in the sun, so the air smelt of clean linen and flowers. The citadel was incredibly impressive, and the views were spectacular, but brace yourselves for a long walk up steep hills with little shade.

Olivia wasn't in the best mood for either trip, and would probably have preferred to have stayed by the hotel pool or nearby beach the whole time, but such is the case on a family holiday!

I was pleasantly surprised by Ibiza, how green it was, welcoming to families and children, and did I mention the colour of the sea? I had been apprehensive about travelling with a little one, but she loved it, and I'm already planning our next holiday abroad together!

Where should we go next?

My top tips:

- Factor 50 suncream. We used P20, which is on the pricier side, but Oli's skin was completely protected the whole time we were there.

- Shorts and light trousers, sun hats and a change of shoes. We did a lot of walking, in low humidity and high temperature, so staying cool is essential.

- Children's travel lap-desk. We used this one from Amazon, and it meant that Oli was able to draw while travelling, which kept her entertained (when she wasn't making friends with the lady behind us on the plane!)

We flew to Ibiza from Manchester with Jet2 Holidays, and stayed at Casa Luis in Santa Eulalia.