7 things you should know when you move to Ibiza

Posted by Ryan Lock+ on Oct 01, 2012 in Ibiza Tips

Picture By Ana Lui

Are you ready to move to Ibiza and are you in need of a little push and some advice? In this post Ryan James Lock shares his experiences with you. Enjoy!

My Story

My first memory of Ibiza is when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I sat on the beach with my Mother (I can’t remember which one) and I was telling her how much I loved it here and that one day I would go and live there one day. It’s the kind of thing that 8-year olds say, but fast forward this to 18 years later and here I am! The island has always been a special place for me. My family had had a property on Ibiza since the 6’s, and I grew up spending my summers on the island so I have lots of happy memories. I recently followed my heart and moved to the island to live there. It all started last September. I hadn’t gone back to Ibiza for about 8 years and I came over with a friend. I was spending some time on the beach, sat at the ocean side and had a vision of me living there for the following year doing what I loved to do for a business. What happened was that the following few months proved how true that vision was.

Are you ready to move to Ibiza

Picture by  Ivo Schwalbe

Time to leave London

I’d been living in London for 6 years and during my last few months there I had the feeling that something was about to happen. I knew I needed a change of scenery. Then I remembered what I felt on that beach the year before and it hit me – Ibiza! The Island is full of happy memories and was just what I had been longing for so long: nice weather, beaches and a more laid-back way of life. Within a week I found an apartment in the north of Ibiza, right at the beach, which has always been another dream of mine: living near the ocean. I got rid of about eight bags of stuff I didn’t need, said goodbye to London and booked my ticket. I moved to Ibiza in early July. As soon as I arrived on the island I felt like myself again, a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. There are a few things that I still have to get used to, like the bus times. In London you can get anywhere at any time. The island is teaching me patience, which I need a lot more of! I’m so happy to be back on the island; in the next few months I’m going to be documenting my progress here on Ibiza Inside.

Some Ibiza facts

Ibiza is a small island located about 60 miles off the coast of the mainland of Spain. It is part of a group of four islands called the Balearic Islands in English, (or “Islas Baleares” in Spanish), and which include Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca & the tiny island of Formentera. It is just a little less than two hours flying time from the UK and is now served by direct flights from Stansted all year round, as well as by multiple UK airports in the summer during tourist season. Therefore, it’s easy now to get to and from the island even during the winter months, which had not been the case until last year.

The Gorgeous weather

One of the reasons I moved here was the beautiful weather. The weather here is one of its best features with an average of more than 300 days of sunshine a year and up to twelve hours of sunshine per day during summer. It can get pretty humid at night so make sure you have good air conditioning and fans! According to some expats I’ve met here, winter brings cooler weather but it rarely drops below 10 degrees, even on the worst days, and when the sun comes out in December and January it’s still not unusual to get burnt by the sun if you’re not used to it. Winter days of more than 20 degrees are not rare.

Picture by Ana Lui

Understanding Ibiza

I’m still getting used to the Ibiza way of life. I love it here but there are a few things that can prove to be an adjustment. The siesta for example is usually between 2 and5 pm when most shops close down and then open up again at night. If you don’t drive yourself, it is important to schedule a lot of extra time for the busses, as I have found out that they don’t run according to schedule. In winter months the island takes on a completely new character: it’s much quieter and calm so it’s good to make friends with other people who live here all year round. The clubs are mostly shut so it’s all about dinner parties, BBQs and picnics on the beach! When I moved here someone told me that Ibiza forces you to let go of the big city mentality, and as hard as that is at times, I’m really enjoying that. So, don’t get frustrated with things, enjoy the change of pace!

 Work

Lots of people are discovering the joys of working remotely via the internet whilst living here, and some even travel to and from often. The Times Online recently coined the phrase, “The LonZa” (London-Ibiza). If, like me, you work from behind a laptop and would like to move around, you will be happy to know that there are free WiFi spots in nearly every town and village. Although most places have WiFi, it’s still good to have your own connection for use at your Ibizan home. You could have this at a mere 2 Euros a day with good connection all over the island, and I have found Movi Star to be really good In order to work for a Spanish company you will need an NIE Number which basically is a tax identification number for foreigners in Spain. You need it if you are going to work for a Spanish company or if you are going to buy a house or a car. The NIE number starts with ‘X’ and is followed by seven numbers and a letter.

Picture by Glyn Lowe Photoworks

Spanish

Although most people speak English, I’m learning how important it is to speak Spanish here. It makes all the difference in how people respond to you and it is the difference between the feeling of being a tourist or someone who lives here. Ever since I have started learning, I have found the phrase “Pardon, practicar mi Espanol” (sorry, I am still practicing my Spanish) very helpful. I have found the best way to learn Spanish is by practicing and being patient! If you are going to be here for a long time it makes sense to have Spanish lessons as well. UniSpain offers a brilliant Spanish Course.

 The people here are lovely, so it is quite easy to make friends

Although Ibiza is best known for being a party island, there is such an amazing history here too. In the short time that I have been here I’ve met some really interesting and lovely people who have been very kind in showing me around and explaining life on the island. There are groups of people who share nearly every interest I have here. One of the most helpful things I found here was to attend groups and classes to meet like-minded people

Enjoy the beauty

Ibiza is an incredibly beautiful island with stunning beaches and breath-taking countryside views. Part of the beauty of living here is what you can see around you every day. Exploring the Island, going for walks through the countryside, visiting the secret beaches and just taking in the magic of the island can be truly life changing.

We thank Ryan for his very nice look into his Ibiza life, and we are looking forward reading more stories about Ryan’s adventures here on Ibiza. Do you have plans to move to Ibiza. Please feel free to share your stories, comments or questions here with us.