We are at that stage of life where we still want a couple of proper nights out, but we also want to be horizontal by a pool with a book. Ibiza, we assumed, was for one of those things and not the other. Playa d'en Bossa, and specifically staying at Fergus Style Bahamas, turned out to be the rare place that quietly does both. This is our honest account of a week there as a couple.
How we booked
We went with an all inclusive package through a UK operator rather than booking the pieces separately. Partly it was cheaper, and partly neither of us wanted to be doing mental arithmetic over every drink. Fergus Style Bahamas is on the usual package sites, and you can book the room direct with FERGUS if you prefer. We would choose the same again, with one caveat: if your plan is to eat out most nights and party more than you lounge, half board might actually serve you better than all inclusive.
Getting there
If you have ever endured a two hour transfer at the end of a delayed flight, this will feel like a gift. The airport is barely two or three miles away. A taxi is 10 to 15 minutes and about 15 to 20 euros, and our coach took roughly 25 minutes. The one honest note is noise. You hear planes overhead by day and revellers drifting home by night, so if you both value your sleep, ask for a room away from the road and the pool speakers. We are fairly heavy sleepers and coped fine.
Where we stayed
Fergus Style Bahamas is a four star all inclusive on the beachfront, and the location is really the entire pitch. The pool is generous, the beach is a few steps away through a gate you open with your room key, and two of the most famous clubs on earth are within walking distance. For a couple who want to swim and read by day and dance by night, it is almost too convenient.
We will not pretend about the rest. The rooms are dated, the air conditioning varies from room to room, and there are no tea and coffee facilities, which felt a touch mean. Check in can be a 20 to 30 minute queue. What rescues it is the warmth of the staff, who remembered us and made the effort, and the fact that you simply cannot buy this location for the price anywhere else on the strip. Book it understanding that it is a lively, functional base and not a romantic bolthole, and you will not be disappointed. We were not.
What we did
Our days were gloriously uneventful: the pool, the beach, and a shared reluctance to move. Sunbeds by the pool go early, so we usually took towels to the sand instead. One afternoon we booked a beach club day bed, which felt like a small, decadent celebration of being on holiday at all.
The nights are the point, though. Ushuaia and Hi Ibiza are close enough to walk to, which means no eye watering taxi home at four in the morning, and Pacha over in Ibiza Town is about a 16 euro cab if you want the old school classic. We were careful to balance the hedonism with the pretty side of the island, which is where Ibiza really got under our skin. We watched the sun drop behind Es Vedra, the mysterious rock off the southwest coast, and spent an evening losing ourselves in the lanes of Dalt Vila, the walled old town above Ibiza Town, which is properly romantic. We also took the fast ferry from the Playa d'en Bossa pier to Formentera for the day, where the water at Ses Illetes is almost absurdly clear. Book that ferry ahead in high summer.
Where we ate and drank
Being all inclusive, we ate in more than out. The buffet is decent and honestly better than its online reputation, with themed nights and good grilled dishes and paella, although the novelty fades by the last couple of days. The one thing to prepare for is the cocktails. The included ones are famously watered down, so we drank beer and wine on the package and simply paid for a proper cocktail at the outdoor bar when the mood took us. Do note there is no included food late at night, which sits oddly with Ibiza's hours, so plan around it.
When we did venture out, Ohana Ibiza at the far end of the promenade does lovely paella and seafood with a sea view, and Dunes Ibiza is a livelier spot to kick off an evening. For a genuinely romantic dinner, though, go up to Dalt Vila, where the little candlelit restaurants on the old streets are worth the short taxi. The beach clubs, The Beachouse, Tanit Beach and Nassau Beach Club, are a treat by day but the bill climbs quickly.
What it cost
Broadly, an all inclusive week for two in summer is very reasonable by Ibiza standards, which is a large part of why it works. The savings are all in the location: walking to the clubs rather than taxiing everywhere adds up to real money over a week. Budget separately for club entry, which is not cheap and is best bought online in advance, proper cocktails at ordinary bar prices, a beach club day bed if you fancy it, and the Formentera ferry at roughly 40 to 50 euros each. The only thing that stung was paying twice for a good cocktail because the free ones barely qualified.
The verdict
We would go back without hesitation. For couples, Playa d'en Bossa strikes a balance we did not expect: cheap, easy beach days, world class clubs on foot, and the prettier, cultural Ibiza a short drive away when you want it. Do not come for a beautiful room or a hushed, romantic retreat, because it is neither of those. Come for a lively, brilliantly placed, affordable base that lets you have both versions of Ibiza in a single week. Our tip for first timers: choose your two or three big nights, book the club tickets early, and spend the days in between out at Es Vedra, Dalt Vila and Formentera rather than only ever on the strip.