We went to Es Canar for a week at the end of July, and it was soooo hot.
This was my first time abroad since I was a child, and I am 45 now. I went with my partner and our 10 year old son. After that long away from it, I had no idea what to expect.
Ibiza did not disappoint.
The hotel
The Ereso is a three star, but it felt like more than that. It was clean throughout, the rooms were clean, and the staff were really welcoming and helpful.
My son loved the pools, and the snack bar outside was a great hit with him.
The one thing I would mention is that sunbeds were sometimes hard to get. It did not spoil our days, but it is worth knowing if you like to be out by the pool early.
The food
The selection was amazing. There was something at every meal to suit all three of us, which is not always a given.
That mattered more to us than it might to some families, and it was one of the things that made the week as easy as it was.
Es Canar
The town itself is lovely. There is the beach, and the views are stunning.
There are plenty of places you can walk to from Es Canar: beaches, the hippy market and some beautiful scenery. The hippy market was lovely to browse around.
For getting further afield, there is a taxi rank, a bus stop and a water taxi all just a few minutes' walk away.
It felt family friendly and safe, which is a big part of why we relaxed as much as we did.
What we did
There was so much to do. Over the week we did:
A glass bottom boat trip
A day in Ibiza old town
A day trip to San Antonio for snorkelling and paddle boarding with Meet The Sea
Another trip out to go exploring caves
The San Antonio day was my son's favourite by a long way. The snorkelling and the paddle boarding with Meet The Sea was an incredible experience, and if you only do one trip out of the week, I would make it that one.
The best bit of the whole holiday, though, was simply watching my family enjoy all of it. That is something I will never forget.
Eating out
We mostly ate at the hotel, which being all inclusive made sense, and the food was good enough that we never felt we were missing out.
The one exception was a cheeky McDonald's in Ibiza old town.
What it cost
We booked through a local travel agent and paid £3,100 all inclusive, with transfers included.
On top of that we took £1,500 with us for shopping, the trips out and any extras. With four excursions in a week, that covered everything comfortably.
Travelling with a son with ASD
Our son has ASD, and I planned this holiday around him. What I did not expect was that it would end up being a holiday for me too.
The things that made it work:
We requested a quieter room, which was great.
The meal time slots were ideal. We got in and seated quickly, which takes away a lot of the stress before you have even sat down.
The vast variety of foods fitted his picky eating well, and the snack bar in the afternoons filled any gaps.
The staff were very accommodating.
The hotel is spacious and there was always a quiet area to sit.
I also took extra funds so we could get taxis wherever we wanted to go. Partly to avoid standing around waiting in that heat, and partly to ease my own anxieties about times and timetables.
He loved the entertainment and the foam party. He is a good swimmer, so I was happy for him to go off in the lifeguarded pools while I lay on a lounger and relaxed.
He experienced so much, and he brought so much confidence home with him. He had the best first holiday abroad.
Would we go back?
Definitely.
For a first trip abroad in 35 years, with a 10 year old in tow, I could not have asked for much more. A clean hotel that punched above its star rating, food that suited all of us, a town we could walk around, and more to do than we managed to fit into a week.
And I came home having had a holiday myself, which I had not really expected.