My First Time In Mallorca and Ibiza

 

Welcome to part two of my "French Daze & Ibiza Nights" cruise by Virgin Voyages. (Read part I here.) The cruise was a complete dream vacation that I would recommend to absolutely everyone who loves to travel. Best of all, it's adult only, with gourmet unlimited food! The stops on this cruise were in the beautiful cities of Marseilles, Cannes, Palma de Mallorca, and Ibiza. 

 

We arrived in Palma de Mallorca in the early evening, so we got to explore the gorgeous city at night. Palma is a resort city and capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca. The next morning, after breakfast on the ship, we explored Old Town Palma and visited the main landmark, the very large and stunning Catedral-Basilica de Santa Maria. The cathedral overlooks the Parc de la Mar and the Mediterranean Sea, making it one of the best places for photos and views.    

  Across from the massive Cathedral, sits the equally beautiful, The Royal Palace of La Almudaina. The Royal Palace of La Almudaina, which dates back to the 14th century, was the official residence of the King and Queen during their stays in Mallorca. The entire surrounding area, Old Town de Palma is all walkable and sits next to the beautiful sea. I also am so happy I got to see it via a horse and carriage ride. Lucca the adorable white blue-eyed horse, was the sweetest, and I really enjoyed the twenty minute tour with a very informative tour guide.

Now let's get to Ibiza. Now one of my favorite cities in the world (I can't wait to go back!), because of it's pure beauty, stunning beaches, and restaurants. The ship arrived from Mallorca to the island of Ibiza in the evening around 7pm, so I made reservations at Zuma Ibiza for the first night. As you may already know, I am a huge fan of Zuma, and I have been to almost every Zuma, so I had to add this location to my list. Zuma in Ibiza is just amazing. It's a huge venue that sits on the water at the marina, and has a live DJ, and great lounge vibes. There is also a lot of nightlife in the surrounding area that is walkable. We ended up going to a club called Chinos after dinner which is right next door.

The next day we went to the best beach club I've ever been to in my life, Cotton Beach. This beach club was about 35 minutes away from the main port area, but it was totally worth it. It's a gorgeous all white building that sits on top of the most beautiful beach I've ever seen. After a delicious lunch, I headed downstairs to the beach to take photos and have a quick swim. I really did not want to get out of the water. It was so clear, shallow, and warm. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to stay at Cotton Beach since we sadly had to get back to the ship. Going to Cotton Beach was definitely one of my top experiences on this entire cruise vacation. I honestly can't wait to go back to Ibiza so I have more time to explore, I love it there! 

 

xx   

(In partnership with Virgin Voyages)

 (Click the pink links throughout the post to shop!)

:: Outfit Details ::

Black sports bra:: Alo

Black shorts:: Alo

Sneakers:: Beige sneakers:: (similar) New Balance

 Sunset ombre dress:: Runaway The Label

Bikini :: Calzedonia

Sunglasses:: Prada

Red dress:: Runaway The Label

MALLORCA

IBIZA

Hola Barcelona

I would first like to say, Barcelona will always have my heart. I went to Barcelona at the end of September because my Virgin Voyages cruise left from the Port of Barcelona. I decided to stay three full days to explore Barcelona before the cruise. I had never been to Barcelona before, and didn't know much about the history of it. Barcelona is so beautiful to say it mildly with so much incredible history. 

The Spanish architecture is stunning, and my favorite parts of Barcelona are the Gothic Quarters, Segrada Familia (the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, designed by architect Antoni Gaudi, whose colorful Modernisme work was far beyond his time), and Park Güel, also built by the famous Antoni Gaudi, who was known as "God's Architect".

I went to Barcelona not really knowing anything much, but I came back learning everything about the city. I got see so much of the city by taking the Metro, and walking instead of taking cars. I love exploring new places around the world, and I've always wanted to go to Barcelona, especially since learning I am 40% Spanish from Spain, (after taking multiple dna tests in my early twenties, I had no idea!)

 I stayed in two totally different hotels this trip. The first hotel was more of a smaller boutique hotel, but it gave me a completely genuine Barcelona experience. (You can see the room in my Barcelona vlog on my YouTune channel.) I had a beautiful large terrace (that I manifested under the full moon on). Dalia Ramblas is tucked away in the Gothic Quarters area. As soon as you step outside, every single corner is just gorgeous and photogenic. There are hundreds of restaurants and shops all around the Gothic Quarters, and it is my favorite part of Barcelona. The metro (which I highly recommend using to see other parts of the city since the city is huge), is also nearby.   

I arrived in Barcelona in the early morning around 8am, after an overnight flight from Miami. It was perfect, because I got to sleep on the plane, and woke up ready to explore Barcelona. After changing at at the hotel, we went out and explored the entire Gothic Quarters, including the Barcelona Cathedral, which was built in 1289. We even went to the roof of the cathedral (photos below), which truly made the whole experience complete. It was just such a serene experience, you could feel the energy of the historic church inside of it. You could even see the enormous Segrada Familia Cathedral in the distance while on the rooftop.

This trip was filled with lots of walking, exploring, adventures, learning, eating, and praying. I had an amazing time. I highly recommend going to Park Güell, a beautiful park    (you need to purchase tickets beforehand), where The Gaudi House Museum sits. (The gorgeous pink house in my photos below, you need tickets for this as well.) Gaudi bought this home and lived there with his family from 1906 until his death in 1926. It is totally worth buying extra tickets to enter the house museum because it is such an intimate learning experience, it was my top three favorite things to do in Barcelona. The end of September/early October is perfect to visit Barcelona because it's warm, but not too hot.

The second hotel I stayed at (for one night and was a collaboration), is called H10 Cubik, and is located in the same historic part of the city, about fifteen minutes away. It is very modern, and totally different than the first hotel, but I loved both experiences very much. 

Other things that are not featured in this blog that I did and highly recommend are: 1.) Going to the public beach (next to the fabulous W Hotel), 2.) Taking a leisurely stroll down the main street at the beach, Passeig De Joan De Borbó, that offers so many restaurants to eat at, 3.) Visiting Cecconis for dinner or drinks, located inside Soho House Barcelona, 4.) Going out dancing after dinner, (I went to the Latin Palace, which was such a fun night if you love latin music from all generations like me), and 5.) A visit to Casa Batilló,a residential building in the center of Barcelona, now a museum, redesigned by Gaudi, making it one of his masterpieces. 

(Read Part I here.)  

 

xx   

 (Click the pink links throughout the post to shop!)

:: Outfit Details ::

All cross necklaces in this post:: Sirena Tosh

White blazer:: Meshki

White bodysuit:: Pacsun

 Shorts:: 7 For All Mankind

Pink Sarong:: VICI

Sunglasses:: Dior

Beige sneakers:: (similar) New Balance

Barcelona Cathedral

The Montjuïc Cable Cars

H10 Cubik Hotel

Sagrada Familia

Park Güell