48 Hours in Ibiza: Destino Five, Pacha Nights and Pure Island Energy

Ibiza doesn’t do half measures. Two days here is all about precision moves: poolside luxury, open-air sessions and nights that keep the island’s reputation alive. Our base was Destino Five Ibiza, Pacha Group’s reimagined five-star hideaway perched above Talamanca. The property has undergone a full redesign, balancing sleek, sunlit minimalism with Balearic spirit. There are 159 rooms and suites, but the Cherry Suites, each with a private pool, are the real prize.

Destino is more than a hotel. It’s a platform for the kind of experiences people come to the island for. Pools that feel like stages, dining that could hold its own anywhere in the Med and a programme that blurs the line between resort and club.

Day One: Playa Pacha to Abracadabra

After checking in, it was straight to Playa Pacha Pool. The setting couldn’t be better: curved like a cherry, loungers lined up under the sun, cocktails on rotation. A place to slow things down before the night inevitably takes over.

Before hitting the main room, we stopped at Paradiso, Pacha’s in-club cocktail bar designed by Giacomo Giannotti. It’s a surrealist playground for mixology, where every drink feels like theatre - the kind of prelude that sets the tone for what’s to come.

And what a night. Blond:ish was closing out her debut residency with the final Abracadabra party at Pacha. The first female-led residency in the club’s history has been one of the season’s talking points, and the closing didn’t disappoint. The concept is about connection, sustainability and a global crowd, wrapped in a soundtrack that refuses to be boxed in. Blond:ish, joined by Maz and Malónec, delivered a flow that moved from tribal percussion to cosmic house with a hypnotic ease. The crowd was as eclectic as the music – sequins, feathers, big smiles and zero pretence. When the lights came up and Formentera started to glow in the dawn, nobody was ready to leave.

Day Two: Pacha ICONS and Defected

Thursday began gently, but by the afternoon the pulse was back. Pacha ICONS turned Destino into an open-air arena, with Marco Carola at the helm for Music On. It’s the daytime party everyone talks about – crisp, rolling tech-house set against an endless sky, five-star luxury framing the chaos. The energy built in perfect balance, the kind of pacing only Ibiza can pull off.

As evening closed in, it was time for Defected’s residency at Pacha. Few brands have the heritage and forward momentum that Defected does, and its return to Pacha feels like a perfect fit. The crowd was a mix of old-school heads and new-generation house fans, united on a dance floor that felt alive from the first track. Dennis Ferrer brought raw, soulful depth, Themba added Afro-house textures, LP Giobbi lit it up with piano-driven bombs and Sem Jacobs plus Nasser Baker pushed the tempo into the early hours. It was house at its purest – no gimmicks, just energy, sweat and smiles from wall to wall.

What’s Next at Pacha?

The season isn’t slowing down. Pacha Ibiza has revealed a stacked run of closing parties running from late September into mid-October, featuring Sonny Fodera, CamelPhat, Pure Pacha, Defected, Music On, Flower Power and Solomun +1. It all builds to an epic finale: Marco Carola closing Music On across two nights, Solomun going all night long for his +1 send-off and a Grand Closing Weekend with Rüfüs Du Sol on October 11 followed by Roger Sanchez on October 12. After a record-breaking summer, Pacha is set to sign off 2025 in true Ibiza style – big names, iconic sets and a dance floor that doesn’t want the lights to come up.

Destino Five isn’t just where you stay – it’s the epicentre. Days at the pool, sunsets over Dalt Vila, open-air sessions with Marco Carola and nights that write themselves into Ibiza’s history books. Two days, zero regrets.