Since the pandemic, there has thankfully been a significant shift in luxury between the traditional bastion of exclusivity, towards an emerging ethos of inclusivity, sustainability, self-affirming creativity and eco-friendly practises. The trend for high-end living is suddenly not about extravagance at ANY cost. It is now about a type of luxury that enriches our lives in a conscientious way. If old luxury was about ‘belongings’, then new luxury in our post COVID world, is certainly about ‘doing’. As our society faces new existential threats such as AI and sociocultural volatility, this new luxury stands for life-affirming creativity.
And aren’t we glad about that. NATIV asks a wide variety of islanders and professionals about what luxury means to them in 2024. We shall also be sharing with you some Ibiza experiences that will give you that beautiful luxurious feeling, without breaking the bank. Luxury in Ibiza is about living the life you want to lead and enjoying the small pleasures that are all around you on Ibiza. It’s about finding yourself again and not following the boring masses…
Wellness Luxury
01
Head to a nudist beach and strip off, allowing the sun to kiss all those body parts that usually remain under cover. You’re alive!
Julia Carlota Fioravanti Riquer
Marchioness of Nájera
“My favorite luxury experience is to do a forty-minute run on a mountain route and finish on a rock with a swim in the sea. I also like to eat in nice places without too many people and enjoy the island’s gastronomy with my family and friends. I believe that status is not in luxury but in your upbringing, in the values and culture”.
02
Take a yoga mat to Punta Galera at dusk, then dive into a mesmerising flow as the sun melts into the horizon in the distance.
03
Buy some fresh local Ibiza eggs and olive oil from a roadside stall for a deep hair mask recipe.
04
Swim to sa Conillera and back for a cardio challenge in some of the clearest waters in the Balearics.
Neus Serra
Handling agent at Ibiza airport
“I love a cold beer with some anchovies in Cala Salada or Cala Bassa, but I come out in hives when I see champagne for 70,000 euros. It is a luxury to see the sunrise or sunset in any corner of this island; the ease with which you can be somewhere else watching the sun in twenty minutes, without a table, without a tablecloth, with your hair in a ponytail and your flip-flops on”.
05
A meditation session at a Cala de Sant Vicent sunrise helps clear the mind and invigorate the spirit like nothing else.
06
The rolling valleys of Santa Agnes in Spring are peppered with the puffy white blossoms of almond trees, go for a walk and get smothered in petals.
07
Enjoy a natural jacuzzi under the cliff tops of sa Punta de ses Eres Roges, nobody knows you are there!
Carlota Ferrer
Yoga teacher and training technician
“Practicing yoga on a platform in Cala Conta overlooking sa Conillera, accompanied by the sunset and a swim in the sea is a luxury. If luxury were understood as a feeling of connecting, of enjoying, of freedom, it would contribute to everyone’s happiness. Unfortunately, luxury is often understood as exclusivity, something only accessible to a minority”.
08
Picture perfect Cala Xarraca is home to naturally occurring mud baths. Smother yourself and emerge looking 20 years younger!
09
Swim in the nude at cala es Canaret! Nothing is as invigorating for body and soul as salt water enveloping the skin.
10
Dance is an elixir for body and mind. Hit a dancefloor sober and let the music transport your serotonin levels to a higher realm.
Romantic Luxury
11
The gay community congregates at El Chiringay on es Cavallet for near naked parties atop the sand. Flirt the day away fuelled by fizz, sangria and sunshine.
Verónica Núñez
Oceanographer
“Sailing calmly through the pristine northern area, immersing myself in its crystalclear waters, swimming among Posidonia and showing my son the rich marine biodiversity… This is something unique that really connects me to the roots and essence of the island. If we can make our visitors understand the uniqueness of the natural environment that surrounds us, we will make them aware of how important their behavior is to preserving it”.
Luis Quesada
Architect
“Enjoying the amount of wonderful landscape that surrounds us, which is unique and helps me to find balance and personal serenity; this is linked to the possibility of contributing as a contemporary architect with its understanding of the place. My experience with luxury design has to do with the different perceptions that my clients have and with the chance to discover something new in each of them”.
Frida Ray
Singer
“The freedom to be fully present as nature allows the noise to dissipate so we can connect from within. Watching the sun set from Punta Galera after an evening swim, some Spanish olives and a fresh lemonade, that’s luxury to me”.
Edwina Iglesias Stelling
Poster hanger
“I consider it a luxury to be able to enjoy the landscape of the island, the wonderful views it offers us, the good food and the cultural diversity that exists in such a small place. Luxury should be accessible to everyone, although in reality those of us who are from here enjoy it without needing to be ostentatious”.
12
Head to a beach before sunrise for a breakfast picnic, with a chilled bottle of cava…there’s nothing quite like having an entire swathe of sand completely to yourself.
13
Sail from one secluded cove to another on a traditional Ibizan llaüt. An unhurried journey back in time.
14
Every summer in mid-August, thousands of comets burst through Ibiza’s skies thanks to the Perseid meteor shower. Grab a blanket and a partner and watch the galactic spectacle above.
Lydia Madero
Masseuse
“Being on a yacht eating paella in good company or in my house overlooking the sea. For me, luxury is something you can’t touch: it is moments and sensations. So I think that in the future it will go beyond material pleasure and will be more about living social and cultural moments, and events. That said, the island is increasingly focused on luxury and the middle class finds it hard to come and adapt to the lifestyle”.
José Manuel Martirano Cáceres
VIP Security Controller at Pacha
“Going out with my children to walk along the beach, enjoying a refreshing swim in its beautiful waters, continuing along a mountain path and eating something up there while looking at the spectacular views. I believe that luxury does not contribute to the general good, although it helps to create very well-paid jobs, which can be beneficial, given how bad the salaries are here compared to the rents and the cost of living”.
15
A walk in the countryside can awaken your senses with the aromas of orange blossom, jasmine, rosemary and pine at every step.
16
Hop on a scooter and head for the island’s southwestern beaches, where the sea views are sensational and the serpentine coastal road provides plenty of opportunities for holding on tight to the driver.
17
Make eye contact on a dancefloor to your favourite song. And watch the Ibiza electricity sizzle…
Juan Miguel Costa
Director of Tourism in Ibiza
“It’s a luxury to be able to stroll through the streets of Ibiza, which are full of history.”
How does luxury reflect cultural and social status?
I believe in luxury as a subjective perception: for many, luxury can be having a yacht, wearing expensive jewelry or living in a villa. For others, luxury may be having health, family and a good job. We can all live in luxury if we understand it as the abundance of something good, be it an object or the simple things in life.
How do you think luxury should be marketed at the current time?
As life experiences. More than as valuable objects or expensive products, luxury should be marketed as life-enriching experiences: in Ibiza it is a luxury to be able to stroll through its streets, which are full of history; to swim in its crystal-clear waters; it is a luxury to get to know its people, its traditions and its culture.
What does luxury mean to you?
Given that I’m a person with simple tastes, luxury is enjoying the good moments, such as eating a bullit de peix by the sea, as I dig my feet into the sand.
What is your most memorable luxury experience?
Anything that involves being with my family and friends.
How has your perception of luxury changed over time?
I suppose as it has for everyone: to begin with we associate luxury with expensive possessions; now, with the passing of time, I’ve discovered that luxury is about collecting valuable experiences with my loved ones. With the pace of life that we lead, I would say that having time to share with my loved ones, even if it’s just watching TV for a while, is a real luxury.
