Sunset strip, Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza

In the past couple of weeks I was lucky enough to return to Europe for the first time since I studied abroad there in 2007. Although I was going somewhere I’d never been before, it felt like a homecoming of sorts – it certainly reaffirmed my notion that the European continent is a lot more interesting and fun than the North American. The US has a lot going for it, but I’d rather spend time in Europe than anywhere else.

This time around I went to Spain – Ibiza and Granada specifically. As I have much to say about both, I’ve decided to split them up into separate reviews. Without further adieu, let’s talk Ibiza.

Wikipedia has this to say about Ibiza, and Sant Antoni de Portmany (the city I stayed in) in particular, “Sant Antoni de Portmany  is a town on the western coast of Ibiza. It is the second-largest town and municipality in Ibiza; an island described by Time Out magazine as “arguably the clubbing capital of the universe.” Many people aren’t even aware that Ibiza exists, but those that do tend to be familiar with this reputation. Trust me, the clubs are there and they’re amazing – but there’s definitely more to this island than just the nightlife.

When I first deplaned in Ibiza, I had been on an airplane for a long time. And as a bus took us the 20 minutes or so from the airport to Sant Antoni de Portmany, where we’d be staying, I briefly worried that I’d made a mistake. At first glance the streets looked like a dirtier Miami, with little except billboards advertising the major clubs’ closing parties to look at. It didn’t seem terrible (the weather was 80 degrees and sunny), but it didn’t seem to be the remarkable Mediterranean island I had envisioned. Luckily enough, I’d find that part of Ibiza in the next few days.

Where to stay

I stayed at Marina Playa, a small white-stone hotel overlooking Sant Antoni bay. By European hotel standards, the rooms

View from Marina Playa hotel balcony, Sant Antoni, Ibiza

were huge and very clean. We had a pretty awesome balcony and a fridge, and really needed little else. This place isn’t a 5-star hotel, but it was absolutely perfect in terms of location, comfort, and the overall experience. The hotel is run by and English family who could not have been more accommodating throughout our stay. If you ever head this way, I’d recommend this hotel without hesitation.

Where to eat

There are tons of good places to eat in Sant Antoni, but by far the most popular is “the sunset strip.” This strip of restaurants sits right on the sea, with the sun setting each night directly between two islands a few miles out. Hundreds of people gather each night at these restaurants, or simply on the rocks with a bottle of wine, to watch the sunset and listen to the DJs that play background music throughout the day and night. Nearly every restaurant has a DJ in Ibiza, and they’re almost all great. You might picture thumping techno music as something of an ambiance killer, but it’s not like that. You can certainly find that scene at night if you so choose, but the DJs that play on the sunset strip play more wistful, relaxing remixes that actually fit wonderfully with the scenery.

Cafe Mambo, Sant Antoni, Ibiza

If you head to Sant Antoni, the sunset strip is an absolute must do. This is definitely a place where I got my zen on – it’s really tough the be anything but relaxed when you’re there. Any of the restaurants will do nicely, but I had one of the best meals of my life at The Mint Lounge by Cafe Mambo. Drinks, appetizers, entrees, and an espresso cost something like 60 euros, which is absurdly cheap. Sticking with european tipping guidelines of 5%-10%, I left something along the lines of a 11% tip for our waitress. You would have thought I just successfully delivered her first-born child, as she soon emerged with two glasses of champagne on the house. Followed by two tequila shots on the house. As we soon found out, people in Ibiza are just dying to give you free stuff, especially if you tip even reasonable well.

The clubs

The clubs are the reason that most people go to Ibiza, and they are

Privilege, Ibiza

absolutely world-class. The week we were there, the first week in October, is actually the perfect time to go. August and September are “in season” and the island is generally packed with tourists, mostly Brits. I can’t tell you how many Spanish people said, “Ew, Ibiza. Too many drunk British people.” Sant Antoni is in fact filled with (largely drunk) Brits, but to me that wasn’t so bad. I love British people, and they only get wittier when intoxicated in my experience. But by going to Sant Antoni after the main tourist season ended, we had a much less crowded city all to ourselves – as well as nearly every clubs’ annual closing party.

I went to the closing party at Privilege, well-known as the largest club in the world. At capacity, this place holds 12,000 people. Yes, it was wildly overpriced, but it was worth every penny. The closing party started at 11:45pm, and didn’t end until 4:00pm the next day. Most of the best DJs and performances don’t happen until sunrise. We’re talking absurd performances throughout the night, smoke machines, fire everywhere, and all the while having unicyclists peddle on tight-ropes over your head. It’s silly as could be, and there are rooms with all sorts of techno, trance, and house music (yes, they are all considered to be very different in Ibiza).

If you’re looking for a club in Ibiza, you probably can’t go wrong with any of the island’s super clubs. I’d check out Privelege, Space, Pacha, Eden, El Paradis, or Amnesia.

Other stuff to do

Aside from checking out the beaches (yes they are largely topless, which caters nicely to my juvenile American mind) and the

Es Vedra Island, Ibiza

amazing Mediterranean water (salty enough that you naturally float), I’d absolutely recommend taking a boat tour to Es Vedra Island. I took a 3-hour cruise on a boat called the Captain Nemo that was absolutely fantastic. The cruise costs only 23 euros, and comes complete with a champagne toast, amazing music, and a stop to swim at one of the most spectacular beaches on the island. The journey shows you much of the coast of Ibiza, which is largely unspoiled and very remote aside from the cities of Ibiza Town and Sant Antoni. Once you get to some of the more remote parts of the islands, you understand why Ibiza is so popular with many celebrities. It gives them a beautiful place to get away where they absolutely won’t be bothered, yet there’s amazing food and nightlife readily accessible.

The highlight of the cruise is when you arrive at Es Vedra island, a small island of cliffs that is simply awesome to look at. It’s completely uninhabited, and supposedly has a magnetic pull much like the island in lost that has caused all sorts of weird things to happen there. As we returned back to Sant Antoni after leaving Es Vedra, we passed a fully naked man who waved to us as he steered his sailboat by with one hand and sipped a beer with the other – his also fully naked girlfriend sun tanning on the bow in front of him. That pretty much sums up Ibiza for you – unregulated, beautiful, and fun.

All in all, Ibiza should not be discounted solely as a party island full of drunken Brits – that stereotype is true, but it’s a very one-dimensional perspective on a place with so much more to offer. Whether you’re looking for a super lively vacation or one that’s beautifully desolate, you can find it in Ibiza.

We’re going to be going on a brief hiatus for a while, as I’ll be heading over to Spain to check out Ibiza and Granada. Look for the next installment of howiGit travel post-trip, somewhere in the vicinity of October 12.

In the meantime, you should all be plenty entertained by this Sunday’s Patriots – Broncos game. Remember that old Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning thing, mano y mano? It’s produced some of the most exciting football I’ve ever seen in the past, and you know Peyton wants this one even more than ever before. It’ll certainly be a good indication of how many cobwebs are still left on that right shoulder of his.

Let’s go Orioles!

When thinking of Tampa, Florida, my mind always conjured up images of spring training baseball, old people, and strip clubs. While these images may not be totally incorrect, I feel like I got to know the place having spent the last week there. It’s a bit of an unremarkable place, but it’s also one that I grew quite fond of.

In general, Tampa feels like one of those towns that exists solely to host conferences – alas, I was in fact there for a conference. There’s a ton of hotels, but there’s generally no one and nothing going on downtown. Sure, there’s a few skyscrapers, but there’s an abundant lack of restaurants, bars, people… quite bizarre. I came to learn that these things do exist in Tampa, just not downtown.

The water in the picture above is not Tampa Bay, and yes, it is abnormally green (it was dyed this way for St. Patrick’s day). Tampa Bay, as I’ve always known the city, has fallen out of favor – in the name of the town’s baseball team (formerly the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, now the Tampa Rays) and in general use. Tampa Bay is in fact a part of the city, the swanky wealthy part in fact, but it doesn’t accurately capture the rest of the city. OK then, Tampa it is.

So aside from the obvious (the weather), what’s there to love about Tampa? First and foremost, let’s talk sports. This place ain’t Boston, but it’s definitely a town of sports fanatics – love it. The Buccaneers, the Lighting, and the Rays are, in order, where the town’s sporting faith lies. I think it’s awesome that it’s such an avid hockey city, given its southern location. That said, for everything I think of the Rays and the whole spring training baseball ordeal (home of the Yanks), I was disappointed to see the Rays in 3rd place in the hearts and minds of Tampians… er, Tampa citizens.

Aside from professional sports, Tampa is home to both the University of South Florida (USF!) and The University of Tampa. I was staying directly across the street from The University of Tampa, which was described to me countless times as a small private school of snobby rich kids (but they have a great baseball team)! The University of South Florida, on the other hand, has made me a fan. Everyone I met from this school was super nice, super fun, and willing to chat it up with a couple of presumed Boston assholes. They also love their USF sports, and I was sad to see them lose out to Ohio in this year’s NCAA tourney.

As for other things to get excited about, I stumbled across a few solid restaurants:

Hattricks – The shake and bake wings are a can’t miss.

Jackson’s Bistro – I had  carmelized diver scallops and red snapper, black jasmine rice, and red thai curry. It made me happy.

For bars (and St. Patrick’s day festivities), South Howard Ave (SOHO) is where it’s at. The Dubliner or MacDinton’s are both great, and even better is the fact that you can get cabbed around Tampa for $3 per person rather than having the cabbie run the meter.

All in all, Tampa was a much smaller city with a lot less going on than I expected – it makes Boston feel huge. But it’s a great sports town filled with super nice people, great weather, and just enough to do. I’ll be back next year for a spring training trip, and I can’t wait.

Fried yet refreshed, I’ve landed back in Boston following some time spent on St. John and cruising around the British Virgin Islands. Life seems quite grand as you’re sitting on a deserted island (above) while Tom Brady throws 6 touchdown passes back home.

St. John is a small island – about the size of Manhattan – and is home to only 4000 residents and 400 donkeys. There’s no airport, so you need to take a 20-minute ferry ride over from St. Thomas (Jet Blue flies direct Boston to St. Thomas for about $350). The island is basically populated around Cruz Bay, where the ferry drops you off, and otherwise is about 2/3 protected National Park. It’s the US so you don’t need a passport, and in comparison to some other Caribbean Islands, is very safe. Having been around the Caribbean a bit, this place is my winner so far.

Kekoa Sailing Adventures

If you do one thing in St. John, take a ride on the Kekoa – a 50-foot catamaran with a black sail, a bunch of hammocks, and an open bar. The boat was initially meant to be sold to someone on St. John, but was caught in a vicious storm off the coast of South Carolina while being transported down there. The crew hired to transport the boat was forced to call SOS and was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter, thus abandoning the boat at sea for some time. It was eventually found, albeit with $275,000 in damage, and was fixed by the shipbuilder who decided to move to St. John and start a charter company rather than reselling the boat. In other words, this boat has quite the story. Oh, and it’s also painted with solar paint that makes it glow blue in the dark at night.

My particular adventure took me snorkeling on a coral reef, then to a completely deserted island called Sandy Key, then on to one of the British Virgin Islands – Jost Van Dyke (population 200). Jost Van Dyke is basically a small island where ships pull up and everyone jumps in the water and swims ashore to visit the Soggy Dollar Bar (thus named because you pay with money wet from swimming ashore). You then cruise back to St. John, reggae floating through the air and a fruity concoction in hand. Captain Jamison Witbeck runs this family operation and ensures that everyone has a great time – he was even happy to hand over the reigns of the ship. Far and away the highlight of my trip.

Accommodations

I also hit a homerun on the accommodations front. Aside from a large Westin hotel, there are very few hotel options on the island aside from eco-resorts and various campgrounds. One of the few, the Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel, is an absolute gem. It’s small, clean, and simple – there are only seven rooms altogether. That said, it’s charming, centrally located, and owned by David and Denise – a couple that was married on the island then decided to move back and live the dream. They go out of their way to make sure you’re having a great time – they returned my rental car for me, and even chased me down the street to give me a bottle of aloe vera upon seeing my epic sunburn. Hotel guests also share breakfast each morning on a balcony overlooking the street which adds to the sense of community among the guests staying at the hotel. It’s the little things like this that set this place apart, and when I go back I wouldn’t stay anywhere else.

Beaches

In typical tourist-question-asking fashion, I asked numerous locals which beach they thought was the best on the island. The resounding response, “They’re all great,” frustrated me at first but was actually spot on. St. John’s beaches are among the best in the Caribbean, and you really can’t miss. Trunk Bay is the most spectacular but also the most touristy (meaning there may be 30 people on the beach max), but Honeymoon Beach provided a completely desolate option for those looking for more privacy. In general, adventure around and check out as many beaches as you can – you can’t miss. The best snorkeling was in Francis Bay. 

Food

In general, it’s super cheap to drink on St. John and very expensive to eat. We’re talking $15 cheeseburgers, and $30-$45 entrees at the nicer places. There are some awesome restaurants – if you’re looking for a great meal, check out any of the following.

Asolare
Waterfront Bistro
La Tapa
Zozo’s
Da Livio Italian Restorante
Lime Inn

You absolutely cannot miss with any of these places. I had the crabmeat crepes followed by the Caribbean lobster tail in pink peppercorn butter over spinach ravioli at Waterfront Bistro, which was a huge hit. Asolare is the place to go for a view. At some point you will find yourself drinking painkillers, a concoction of dark rum, coconut milk, OJ, pineapple juice, and freshly shaved nutmeg. These babies are quite addictive -repeat if desired.

In general, St. John is a spectacular, very comfortable island with plenty to do. I had probably the most relaxing vacation I’ve ever had, and I will be back. For those looking for the anti-Cancun crowd, this is your island.

Fresh off of my journey to Old San Juan, here is my latest travel run-down. Aside from the obvious pluses Puerto Rico has to offer (you don’t need a passport if you’re a US citizen, direct flights are cheap, it’s always hot, and a beer costs a dollar or two), this is really a guide for those looking to do more than simply post up at a ritzy beachfront hotel. With this in mind I decided to dive into the streets of Old San Juan…here’s what I found.

Accommodations

We stayed at the Posada San Francisco Guest House, a family owned establishment catering mostly to young travelers exploring the Caribbean. This place is no Ritz, but the owners are overly friendly and the location simply can’t be beat. Overlooking Plaza Colon and San Juan harbor, this place is located in literally the single best spot in Old San Juan. The guest house is on the top two floors of the tallest building in Plaza Colon, so you are overlooking the entire old city when sitting on the balcony — a huge plus in my book. You are close to everything, and are literally next door to Castillo de Cristobal, a old fort historically used to protect the city. Anything you could be looking for — beaches, restaurants, bars, shopping, casinos — it’s right there. In my opinion this is not a place to drag your girlfriend, but if you can deal with roughing it a bit this place is a straight bargain and is filled with lots of interesting people, who made our stay that much better.

Beaches

It’s the Caribbean… San Juan is hot as hell, pretty much all the time. As far as the beaches go, I’m told we made a mistake in not hitting up Condado. We took a day trip to Isla Verde, where we were initially very happy with the beach until we were told that it was the worst beach in San Juan. If that’s the truth, Puerto Rico is doing pretty well for itself on the beach front. The beaches tend to have coarser, more yellowed sand than the typical “idyllic” beaches of the Caribbean. We also hit up a strip of beach directly behind Castillo de Cristobal, about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. This was a rockier strip of beach, but a great place for a quick swim, until we realized that their were packs of gay men hiding every few hundred yards in the jungle beyond the beach. Apparently this little strip is a meeting spot for San Juan’s sketchiest, who use a series of whistling calls to beckon to one another. We did not return, and I suggest you steer clear as well, unless you’re looking for a romp in the bushes.

Food

The food in Old San Juan was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. If you’re looking for a reasonably upscale place to get a fantastic meal, The Parrot Club is it. While the decor is relatively unremarkable, it’s the food and the service that will blow you away. I went with grilled plantain encrusted mahi mahi, served over a mound of mashed yucca with green beans and summer squash, then drizzled with beurre blanc. The mojito and the tropical fruit cobbler completed this hour of bliss. While it’s immediately obvious that Old San Juan is filled with great food, I’d go back to this place in a heartbeat.

The second of my food excursions of mention was The Blessed Cafe. I’ll categorize this as a place for someone looking for a more authentic Caribbean experience. This place is Jamaican (yes, in Puerto Rico) through and through, and is owned by a Jamaican mon who has brought his native cuisine to Puerto Rico. It feels like you are sitting in a bomb shelter, but the Jamaican decor, the owner of the place, and the soft reggae music make you surprisingly content. I had the garlic shrimp, served with steamed coconut rice, grilled plantain, and carrot, along with a side of coco bread. To drink? Red Stripe of course (we’ll touch on Puerto Rican beer later this week). While a little pricey for a dive of sorts, the food at this place was a pleasant surprise.

For breakfast, hit up Yurta — fresh squeezed OJ, eggs, bacon, toast, and incredible homefries for $3.95. Nuff said.

All in all, Old San Juan is a great place to hit up if you are looking to explore Puerto Rico outside of a resort. If you are looking casinos and Senior Frogs, you’ll be able to find that. But if you are looking for cobblestone streets, pastel buildings, awesome food and just enough seediness to keep things interesting Old San Juan is worth checking out. Oh yea, and the coffee (always made with steamed milk) is awesome… drink it wherever you go.

I’m outta here for the next few days, people, headed down to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico with a couple of clowns. The land of tropical breezes, beautiful beaches, and fruity drinks awaits. Expect a sufficiently spectacular travel post sometime early next week.

At least as I leave you all this time it’s not so bad as the winter in Boston is over. Oh yeah, and the Chicago Cubs are in town for the first time since 1918. Check it out.

That’s right — on March 12, 2010, I wrote my first post introducing howiGit’s blog to the world. I wasn’t completely sure why I was blogging, and I certainly didn’t expect that this is what would become of it.

On that first day, howiGit’s blog had 11 readers — on a recent day past we had 2200+ readers. We’ve had articles reach #1 on Google searches, we’ve had 300+ posts, 3500+ comments, and subscriptions are growing every day. I started out solo and the site has grown to having 6 steadily contributing writers. We’ve certainly come a long way and I’d like to thank the following people for being a part of the action.

howiGit Writers

• Jimmy Cunningham
• Alan Raff
• Matt Moore
• Thalia Bardell
• Buster Paris

Other Contributors

• Mark McCormick
• Patrick Klimm
• John Levine

Fellow Bloggers

• Rob Lunn
• Chris Ross
• The Sports Minion
• The Sports Glutton
• Chris Kelley
• Big Dan

Publications

• The Dirty Water News

All of our regular readers and commenters, led by:

• Teck
• A.Rab Money
• Kevin Youkilis
• Some dirty kid I went to college with…
• And the lovely, Kelley Shelpman

Big things are coming down the pike for howiGit’s blog in 2011 — you’ll be seeing a new redesigned version of the site launching this upcoming week. The redesigned site will help us grow even more, and we’ll also be adding a Philadelphia writer in the upcoming weeks as well.

Keep tuning in, and we’ll keep on bringing it. Between the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, and Patriots there’s got to be a championship on the horizon for 2011.