Elite Traveler Fall 2022

INFLUENCE THE VOYAGER The Voyager Quique Dacosta in Ibiza by Kim Ayling

As one of Europe’s most revered chefs, Quique Dacosta has done his fair share of traveling the world, it's safe to say. However, despite his presumably well-stamped passport, it seems that no faraway lands can trump the pull of his home country — Spain. Although he has restaurants dotted around the country — including the two-Michelin starred El Poblet in Valencia and an outpost at the Mandarin Oriental Madrid — Dacosta calls the seaside city of Dénia home. While it’s clear that home turf has Dacosta’s heart, picking a favorite vacation spot still doesn’t come easily. “I don't have a favorite travel destination, just like I don't have a favorite wine or a favorite food,” he says. But, like many of us, even an on-the-go chef isn’t immune to the appeal of glittering turquoise oceans and picture-perfect coves: “I can’t pick a favorite, but in Dénia I am

lucky to have a ferry port that connects mainland Spain with the Balearic Islands. I do that journey three or four times a year,” he says. And it is here, on the idyllic Balearic Islands, that Dacosta can fully melt into vacation mode. “What happens when you get out of that boat is that you relax. Your attitude and your mind frame have changed. And the fi rst thing I do when I [arrive] is lie on a beach in the sand, and just stay there,” he explains. Although all of the islands have their own appeal, it is Ibiza that Dacosta particularly warms to, not least for its ever-expanding food scene (he is a chef, after all). Despite the experimental nature of his own restaurants, when on vacation it’s back to basics. The fi rst stop is Casa Jondal — a super laid-back eatery headed up by El Bulli alumnus and longtime friend of Dacosta, Rafael Zafra.

Es Vedrà, Ibiza

“I try not to go to the same place twice, and I like to explore and fi nd those little o ff -the-grid corners.”