Spring is only a couple of weeks away, the weather is warming up, the open road is calling, and we have one question for you: what’s on the itinerary? If the answer is “nothing,” well, it’s time to start planning.
Every year, spring and summer come faster than you expect, and before you know it, the people in your social media circle will be humble bragging about their destination festival VIP wristbands while you scramble around for anything not already sold out. Next thing you know, you’re wearing a sweater and stressing out about Christmas. It’s a vicious cycle!
In the spirit of the spring break party season, we’ve hit up the perfect person to usher you into your very own unforgettable unhinged weekend: Below Deck Sailing Yacht‘s resident party boy, Gary King. If you haven’t been watching Bravo’s Below Deck Sailing Yacht, which returned for a third season a few weeks back, you’ve been missing out on all sorts of Menorca-based sea drama — much of which wouldn’t exist without our guy Gary.
To kick off the party season, we reached out to Gary for a guide to his all-time favorite place to let loose: the Spanish island of Ibiza. Not only did Gary provide us with some of his favorite club destinations and his personal guide to doing Ibiza the right way, he also shared a story that Sailing Yacht fans could only describe as “Peak Gary.”
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For the best Ibiza party experience, describe the ideal game plan, from morning until night.
Enjoy The Day, Prepare For The Night
This all depends on if you’ve gone to Ibiza to see some of your favorite DJs or if you’re just going with the flow, but ideally, start the day off with a healthy and nutritious meal. Then head to a beach club, ideally get a cabana or a big sunbed, soak up some sun, swim in the warm sea, and enjoy a few cocktails while listening to some banging tunes in the background.
Once sunset has gone by, definitely get a shower and change of attire and head out to one of the many clubs Ibiza has to offer. They close around 6 am so depending on how you feel after that and who you know, there are always after parties happening around.
What is the best club to listen to music and dance in Ibiza? If one is too hard to pick, please list a few of your favorites and what makes each special.
All of the clubs have such good sound systems and decor that it’s hard to choose. The ones I’d recommend, just to name a few, are:
Space
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What is your favorite bar in Ibiza and what’s the go-to drink order?
For the experience, I’d say Lio. get a table there (not cheap), and enjoy the cabaret shows with a bottle of Grey Goose. [Editor’s Note: Come on, Gary, “bottle of Grey Goose” is playing pretty fast and loose with the concept of “a drink order.”]
Favorite place to grab a late-night bite?
Kebab
It’s gotta be the nearest €5 kebab.
Where is the best place to grab breakfast in the morning after partying?
Haha, well I’m not usually up for breakfast or just completely miss it, but the Spanish aren’t the biggest culture for breakfast so I usually just make my own.
If you’re looking for a lazy day in Ibiza, what’s the game plan?
Go for a walk
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Maybe a walk around the old town or a day on one of the many beaches Ibiza has to offer.
Where is the best place to take in the natural surroundings of Ibiza, any good hiking trails, nature walks, etc?
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I’d say the west coast of Ibiza with its beautiful mountains and cliffs. There’s an island just off the south west coast called Es Vedrà, it makes for beautiful sunsets. The old town is also amazing to walk around, take a walk around the 2500-year-old city
What about Ibiza is less appreciated/ talked about?
The Surf
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How good the surf can get in the winter! Not much happens on the island from November till April. Funny enough, the Mediterranean makes for some good surf during those winter months.
What is your favorite thing to do in Ibiza?
…Party
It would be to go and party. I base myself out of Mallorca which is an island just north of Ibiza and after a long summer season, it’s good to go with a bunch of friends and have a good party.
What is one thing in Ibiza everyone needs to experience?
A Trip To Formentera
A day or two trips to the island just south of Ibiza called Formentera. It is like the Mediterranean’s hidden gem. It has some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen and the white sand beaches are breathtaking. The island is quite small so I’d suggest renting a moped for a few days there.
What’s a memory of partying in Ibiza that stays with you?
A couple of years back I was on a boat in Ibiza, we were anchored in Cala Jondal on the south coast of the island. A good friend of mine, Welsh Kate, was also on the island. I ended up going to see her as she had just dropped off charter. We were pre-drinking on her boat before heading out to, I believe it was, Space, and partied till around 6 in the morning.
Kate got a taxi home and I ended up going to the bay where the boat was anchored. I didn’t have a ride back to the boat so I thought I’d steal the tender that was just tied to a rock in the beach. Little did I know that when I went to start the engine by pulling the cord the engine backfired and made a massive bang sound, all of a sudden three guys were on the beach screaming at me in Spanish. I had now drifted offshore a bit towards the channel markers and in my nonexistent Spanish all I was saying is I’ll bring it back “lo vuelvo, lo vuelvo” they seemed less than impressed and started taking items out their pockets to come after me.
By now I was shitting myself. I’ve stolen these guys’ tender and started drifting further into the darkness. A random dingy came past, I asked for help and he screamed at me in Spanish and pointed his torch to the guys on the beach. I realized my options were stay here and get fucked up in this tender that won’t start or bail. I was against the channel lines and quickly pulled myself further and further away from shore until I was at the end. All this going on whilst the other guys are almost in the other dingy headed my way. I jumped out of the dingy, went underwater, and swam away for what felt like over a hundred feet.
Coming up in a completely different location had fooled them. I was near a small sailing boat and held on to their anchor chain before making my way to their dingy hanging off the stern. I immediately jumped in so I could hide under the pontoons. Little did I know there was rainwater in the dingy and it was freezing. Now I’ve just been partying in Ibiza for over 12 hours, stolen and ditched some people’s tender and I’m hiding in a puddle of cold water in a 4 ft dingy. I had the lights of the torch from the other dingy come over me and see it hit both pontoons. I thought they had found me, but my sideways downward dog was small enough to be under the pontoons, I swear If it wasn’t so cold I think I would have poo’d in my pants.
I heard the 2 engines go into the distance and I was like ‘alas, I’m away.’ As cold as I was I had to get into the warmer Mediterranean waters, so in I jumped and all around me was this bright phosphorescence. Now, I know I was still a bit drunk, but I had never seen anything like this. I was tripping out. I had swam about 100meters/300ft from where I ditched the boat to my dingy hanging off the back. Completely exhausted I climbed up, pulled myself towards the boat, jumped up and kissed the deck, and thanked the lord I made it.
I took off my clothes. Lost my shoes in the swim as it was too hard and just crashed out. The next day I didn’t even surface as I was scared to go outside, but being young and not realizing these Spanish guys might just think I’d have drowned. Now in my come down, I was paranoid about coast guard and police looking for a missing person. I’m thinking ‘Gary what have you done?’
In the end, there was no news of a missing person, guess the Spanish lads were like, ‘well f@#k him!’ It was the biggest roller coaster of feelings I’ve ever had in one night, even to this day.
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Catch all the crew antics on Below Deck Sailing Yacht every Monday evening on Bravo.
