Ibiza, Majorca or Malaga?

Question

A couple fiends and I are planning a European trip at the end of August for my birthday. In addition to our England/Ireland leg of the trip, we want to hit the continent and are thinking about Ibiza. I've heard mixed reviews from people who have been. We are more the bar crowd than club crowd. We are just looking to have a wild time for my birthday. We are 3 decent looking, fairly hip, straight men in our 30s looking for a younger crowd but where we'd fit in. Since we're going to be visiting England & Ireland, when in Spain I would rather meet Spanish girls than a bunch of tourists from the UK. What do you think? Where would we have the best time, and where is our greatest potential to have a wild birthday with the locals?

Answer 1

End of August in the Balearics is wall to wall tourism, with most of the locals employed 7 days, probably the same in Malaga.  Although I live on an island just south of Ibiza, my choice would be Mallorca because Palma is genuinely a Spanish city - tourists visit for a day but rarely stay there.  Check out the Ramblas and especially Apuntadores, in the Cathedral area.  You'll certainly find heat & tourists, but you might also come across those senoritas!

Answer 2

All of these destinations have a lot of bars and a lot of nightlife. In all of these destinations there will be a lot of tourists from all over NW Europe - Germans , Dutch , Swedes etc etc as well as UK folks.

This link will indicate what's on in the Ibiza bar scene http://www.digitalibiza.com/bars/

Malaga:http://www.viva-malaga.com/bars_restaura...

It's a good idea to make sure your accommodation is as close to the action as possible, so I've given you some links to accommodation deals in those areas. Best to book ahead as the last minute specials are better for outside peak season and getting a place to sleep at short notice will be a problem in the good places:

Ibiza:http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

Ibiza / San Antonio:http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

Mallorca:http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

Malaga:http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

Some of the apartments work out to be a good deal

Alos here's a Spanish site which has a lot of good deals in Ibiza:

Answer 3

I find it funny that you say you want to "hit the continent" but are going to an island.  LOL

Anyway, if you want to party a lot, go to Ibiza.  If you want to relax a bit more, go to Majorca.

Answer 4

i dont like malaga very much.  never been to ibiza and mallorca though

Answer 5

Ok... Three very different destinations there, but all are worthy of a visit.

Although, when you say Malaga, I'm assuming you don't mean staying there, but rather flying there and staying on The Costa Del Sol?

Ibiza and Mallorca/Majorca are both lovely islands, very versatile with something for everyone.

San Antonio is the best resort on Ibiza for nightlife.

Whether out for a beer in the famous West End, relaxing in one of the sunset cafés, or enjoying a tasty snack whilst out and about on the town, San Antonio boasts a fabulous and lively bar scene.

In Majorca, Palma Nova/Magaluf, is the place to party by the beach. This last couple of years it's been really popular with the younger crowd, but it also appeals to families in school holidays.With Palma Nova's many cafés and cocktail bars and Magaluf's numerous bars and nightspots right next door, there's never a dull moment in either resort!

Costa Del Sol is probably the most versatile and appealing to all, although out of your three choices, I'd say that it wouldn't be the first destination to come to mind when looking for a nightlife-rich bar/clubbing scene place to spend a holiday.Torremolinos and its neighbour, Benalmádena, are the places to head for for serious partying. I would however, say that you've probably more chance of having a more authentic Spainish Style experience on Costa Del Sol than you would on Majorca & Ibiza where the Brits vastly outnumber the locals!

Of course, if you can afford it, Marbella would be the ultimate party destination, but you would have to expect to pay top money to stay and party there- it's fabulous!

If I had to say pick one for a holiday, I think that maybe I'd say Magaluf/Palma Nova for bars & pubs. In my opinion, Ibiza is more of a clubbing-scene than Magaluf. There are clubs in Magaluf, but not so much as San An- it's more pubs & bars than clubs.

It's possible to get the best of both worlds by staying in or around Palma itself (Majorcas Capital) but unless you go out towards C'an Pastilla and Playa De Palma, Palma itself is not for a beach-holiday, it's a small city so bear this in mind.

However, defo Costa Del Sol for more of the authentic Spain with access to pubs & bars galore!

It's a tough choice!

Whatever you decide, I hope it goes well for you- all the best!

Answer 6

Stay away from Ibiza....it's really not a good place to be...Better and safer partying can be done on the mainland in Barcelona, Malaga and Marbella and on Tenerife in the Canary islands - pretty good bars and nightclubs there especially around Playa de Las Americas.