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Miss W's blog

Ibiza Christmas shopping dilemmas

When it comes to Christmas shopping, I am a last minute girl – I'm talking a 6pm on Christmas Eve type retail hurricane...

When it comes to work, I’m a super organised person. Lists, deadlines, time tracking, meticulously labelled files, almost photographic memory, always on time – if it’s nerdy, I’m on it. But when it comes to my personal life, I am the polar opposite. I procrastinate like it’s an Olympic sport, I forget things, I’m messy and always late. So you can imagine when it comes to Christmas shopping, I am a last minute girl – we’re talking a 6pm on Christmas Eve type retail hurricane. But this year, thanks to the construction work in Ibiza town causing many of my favourite gift shops to shut down for the winter season, I need to plan way ahead. Of course, there are plenty of other boutiques, shops and concept stores across the island – I just need to make a plan of attack to get to them in good time. I’ve decided if I think of the task like work, it should be easier to execute.

The following is my Christmas shopping timeline and I think I can easily nail it in just one day. First stop: IBZCODE, on the road from Ibiza to Santa Eulalia. This is the one-stop shop for girlfriend gifts, whether you’re looking for a small trinket, unique jewellery, gorgeous scarves, luxe leather accessories and so much more. A pit stop here should cover off most of the ladies in your life – my biggest problem here is that I tend to have a habit of ‘one for you, one for me’. Tough break. Take two: CoCoq Ibiza, further up the same road, just after the turn off to Santa Gertrudis. This place is full of absolutely everything – from the littlest stocking fillers to huge statement gifts like art, décor and high fashion. For me, it’s a great stop to buy thoughtful gifts for your colleagues and clients – think coffee table books (in most languages), candles, quirky wall signs and more.

Third time lucky: Double back and turn down the main road to Santa Gertrudis and make a pit stop at my absolute favourite shop in Ibiza, La Galeria Elefante. I like to think of this little finca as a whimsical rabbit hole – a maze of rooms showcasing wonders from all around the world, suitable for all ages and tastes. IT’s a fab place to pick up one-of-a-kind gifts for family members, whether it’s a cashmere scarf for mum or a framed dragonfly for dad. Jewellery, candles, fragrances, homewares, art… there is absolutely no end to the Christmas shopping inspiration here. Speaking of the big day, it’s also the best place for Christmas cards and decorations – one for them, one for me… again! Stop number four is just a little further down the road, where you’ll spot a field full of fake cows. This is your sign to turn right and head into the wondrous, cavernous showroom of Sluiz. If you’ve got a ‘secret santa’ gift to buy, this would be the place as it’s chock-full of quirky, funny little gifts, alongside some incredibly stylish and amazing pieces, be it fashion or homewares. But you can’t go wrong with a stop here – plus, they ave a café for sustenance, because right about now, I know I’m going to be feeling hungry (my tip: try the fish and chips – it’s worth writing home about!).

The last stop in this neck of the woods is found within the village of Santa Gertrudis. Es Cucons la Tienda is my favourite place to buy presents for the littlest people in my life, as they have a super cool room full of kid’s games, toys, arts, crafts, stickers, musical instruments and more. There are also rooms full of beautiful accessories for men and women and it’s almost impossible to leave without buying something for your home! My final pitstop is actually back home here in Ibiza town, which is why I leave it until last – maybe I can still get that thrill of a last minute shopping buzz on Christmas Eve after all! reVOLVER is a treasure trove of stylish, well-thought out gifts, especially for the man in your life. Fragrances, wallets, sunglasses, footwear and of course, clothing – if you can’t find a gift in here then perhaps it’s time you just stopped shopping.

I realise a lot of you may at this stage be thinking, but why doesn’t she just shop online? After all, I spend most of my life working in the online world so on paper (or in a Microsoft Word document to be more precise) it makes sense. But, dear readers, the fact is I live on an island. And the postal service here is just about as reliable as a coconut wireless. Recently I paid a premium for five-day express delivery (we’re talking an envelope here too, not a parcel). It arrived 18 days later. I ordered another product for myself – this time with five-to-seven day delivery – and 22 days later, the tracking number shows the product is still yet to depart the UK. A pair of yoga pants coming from Germany have been allegedly sitting in the Madrid sorting office for three weeks now. And then when the products do eventually arrive in Ibiza, the couriers and postal delivery workers don’t ever bring them direct to your door. They just leave a slip saying ‘we tried to deliver but you weren’t home’, which is always a blatant lie, as I work from home and am always here, all day, every day! Sigh. Relying on last minute online gifts is just not an option here in Ibiza – but I’m not complaining. A dodgy delayed postal service is a small price to pay for 300 days of sunshine per year and the opportunity to call this island home. Now – less blogging, more shopping!