When most people think of Ibiza, they think of pounding basslines, neon lights, and nights that blur into early mornings. And while the Spanish island’s reputation as the ultimate party destination is well earned, my recent stay at The Unexpected Hotel revealed something different. Beyond the late nights and electronic music scene, Ibiza can be a sanctuary, a place where Black women can embrace rest, beauty and intentional travel without the pressure to shrink, explain or conform.
For me, this trip was about leaning into softness. Waking up to Mediterranean breezes instead of alarm clocks. Lingering over long breakfasts without rushing. Sitting poolside or by the beach and realizing that presence, not productivity, was the point. It was a reminder that destinations known for chaos can also hold space for calm and that Black women deserve to experience them fully, on our own terms.
That sense of permission to rest, to take up space, to simply be in places that may not have traditionally catered to Black women is something many of us are still learning to embrace through travel. Asia Scales knows this firsthand.
“Be there with your head high. Make eye contact and make them feel as if you’re supposed to be here because we are supposed to be here,” says Scales. “I feel like when you go in these places, don’t think about how they may see you. Focus on how you see yourself because how you see yourself is projected to the world.”
The travel influencer began exploring the world in her 30s after deciding to leave what she describes as an “aggressive surrounding” growing up in Washington, D.C., in the ’80s and ’90s. In her search for healing, she also learned to conquer the societal notions that Black women shouldn’t travel to certain destinations, like when she visited Antwerp, Belgium, to attend the rave festival Tomorrowland.
“I got so many looks,” Scales says, noting that she was the only Black person amongst the crowd. “But by being that only Black person there, I learned to keep my crown up high… You can’t control other people’s ideas of you. You control yourself.”
Her words resonate because Ibiza is also often framed through a narrow lens that’s only for Europeans and partiers. But more and more, Black women are refusing to be limited by expectations.
That transformation is exactly what Danny Rivers Mitchell, founder of Black Girls Travel Too, had in mind when she launched her company in 2015, inviting Black women to explore outside the U.S. border to countries like Thailand and South Africa.
“I wanted to create a company that not only gave permission but presented something very visual for women, specifically Black women, to know that, yes, you can travel,” says Rivers Mitchell.
For her, it wasn’t just about collecting passport stamps. Travel was about rewriting scripts, showing Black women they belong in global spaces and can thrive in them.
“I’ve learned that a lot of times, and oftentimes, especially within our culture, we have to see something over and over again before it registers in our psyche that, you know what, we can have access to that as well.”
Cole Banks, founder of Sisters Traveling Solo, knows the feeling.
“It takes a lot of courage to do what you’re doing, to be the only one in the airport, the only one in business class that looks like you.”
And yet, courage transforms into joy when we embrace it—a lesson I carried with me while exploring Ibiza’s cobblestoned streets, sporting my high puff unapologetically. At times, I was one of a few Black people in the area, but walking with confidence allowed others to embrace my presence. There was no feeling that I shouldn’t be there—just the simple joys of being present while I enjoyed gelato from one of the many shops in town.
Nicole Sahbaee, CEO and co-founder of En Root Travel, which caters to HBCU alumni, sees this shift reflected in the itineraries the company curates for Black travelers.
“Being intentional about that really helps us limit some of the negative experiences that you may have in traveling to other countries,” says Sahbaee. “That’s a huge plus for us.”
For me, that’s the heart of this movement. Black women are redefining what it means to travel, turning places like Ibiza into sanctuaries of softness and joy, even when the world hasn’t imagined us there. We are reclaiming space not only by showing up, but by resting, thriving and insisting that everywhere we go, we belong.