One of the most commonly asked questions by parents using childcareibiza.com’s services last summer, when I told them that we had emigrated, was “what’s Ibiza like in the winter?”. My response was always “ask me next year!” as we had not spent a full winter on the island as a family before.
Well, now it’s warming up (in Ibiza anyway), the almond blossom and spring flowers are blooming I thought it was about time to give a round-up of how it’s been, spending our first winter in Ibiza with children.
The first thing to say is that Ibiza has never been all about the tourists, it is a thriving island where people work and live. The main economy is based around tourism however schools and offices need to run, roads need to be fixed, buildings are constructed, salt is produced and all the services people need and want to live are here all year. We live in a small town where things do not change too much from summer to winter so it is our own lifestyles that change more than our environment.
Our 2 children, who are now 5 and 3, have never been happier and have adapted incredibly well to speaking Catalan and Castilian (Spanish) at school and with their ever growing circle of friends.
We have been able to see much of the island looking at its best with very few people and filled with the vibrant colours that the bright winter sunshine brings.
Working as a nanny and babysitter in Ibiza through the winter also allows me to see more of the Island as I regularly go for walks with the children in the surrounding areas of the homes I work in.
There are events held all over Ibiza for you to take your children to in the winter although they are not regular and you need to keep your eyes open to find out about them. If you are not a resident here you can still take a look at the notice boards outside schools or town halls.
In November we went to an Emergency vehicle show in Santa Eularia where children were allowed to climb into and were shown a whole variety of police cars, motor bikes, fire engines, ambulances, scubber diving gear and the most exciting of all, 2 helicopters!
Our children’s favorite parts of the day were pressing all the VERY load sirens and shouting over the police load speakers along with playing inside the helicopters they see flying over head on a weekly basis.
Christmas was obviously a big event and when we were sat outside a local cafe having a coffee in the sunshine on the 23rd of December we had mixed feelings about the decision to return to England for Christmas. It was important for us to see our families this year however we returned to Ibiza on the 29th December and still had the chance to enjoy the festive period and it was perfect for our children as the main children’s event is when ‘els tres rais’ (the 3 kings) have a procession around each town and bring presents on the night of the 5th January.
There is always plenty for children to do in Ibiza and Christmas time is no exception. There is a Christmas fair on Vara de Ray every year and events with rides, stalls and food (especially churros) in all the larger towns. Everyone has their own idea of what the right amounts of festivities are and what is over kill.
In my opinion Ibiza has got it just right, the Christmas decorations
and shop window displays appear at the beginning of December rather that
in October/November and they look amazing againt the beautiful Ibiza sky.
Our first full winter in Ibiza has been in many ways just as we expected, quiet, beautiful, peaceful and spiritual. What we could not have even hoped for is the extent to how happy, healthy and settled our children are. This island has exceeded any expectations we may have had and proven without a doubt that Ibiza is a wonderful place for families and children to live and of course visit.
Running childcareibiza.com gives me the opportunity to appreciate and see Ibiza’s beauty in its simplest form because I am always on the look out for activities and places that develop children’s imaginations, interest in the natural world and history. As you can imagine this is not hard as the richness of the islands ecosystem coupled with its past and architecture makes this the perfect place for anyone planning and implementing developmental activities for children.
I would advise anyone to bring their children to Ibiza out of season and see the island’s tranquil side. Not every shop or restaurant is open and some resorts do seem to nearly close down but you are never far away from a delicious meal and stylish clothes, even in winter!
Cala Bassa and Cala Conta are places of natural beauty and in my opinion are at their best outside the months of July to September. Even in the height of summer it is possible to find a nice little spot if you go early or don’t mind setting up camp a little bit back from the sea.
