Ibiza

The world's party island, with a World Heritage old town, tranquil coves, hippie markets and sunset cafés.

Ibiza (Eivissa in Catalan) lies in the southwest of Spain's Balearic Islands; it covers about 572 km², and a drive around the island takes roughly 2 hours. Its "Biodiversity and Culture" is a World Heritage Site, covering the walled old town of Dalt Vila in Ibiza Town, Phoenician sites and the Posidonia seagrass meadows of Ses Salines. Areas: Ibiza Town in the southeast has the old town, the port and Pacha nightclub, while Playa d'en Bossa and Ses Salines to the south are home to beach clubs and superclubs; Sant Antoni in the west is known for its sunset strip and coves such as Cala Comte and Cala Bassa, with views of the islet of Es Vedrà to the southwest; Santa Eulària on the east coast is quiet and family-friendly, with hippie markets nearby; the north has pine-fringed coves, caves and country churches. Getting there: Ibiza Airport has direct flights from all over Europe; from China, most travellers connect via Barcelona or Madrid (about 1 hour). Ferries also run from Barcelona, Valencia and Palma. The island has buses, but a car is the easiest way to reach the smaller coves; in summer there are dedicated night buses to the clubs. The best season is Jun–Sep; May and October are quieter and cheaper, and from November to April most clubs and beach facilities are closed. Allow 4–6 days, including a day trip to Formentera. Tips: accommodation and car hire are expensive in high season, so book early; club drinks are pricey – drink responsibly and watch your belongings.

Top sights

• Dalt Vila – The walled old town on the hilltop of Ibiza City, with Renaissance walls, stone-paved lanes and white houses. It is a UNESCO World Heritage…
• Es Vedrà – A limestone islet rising about 400 m from the sea off southwest Ibiza, shrouded in legend. It is the island's most famous sunset view.
• Ses Salines Natural Park & Beach – Ancient salt pans and wetlands that form part of a World Heritage Site, with pink salt lagoons, flamingos and one of Ibiza's trendiest long…
• Café del Mar & Sant Antoni Sunset Strip – A strip of sunset bars on the western shore of Sant Antoni Bay, where Café del Mar and Café Mambo bid farewell to the sun with lounge music.
• Cala Comte – One of the clearest-water bays on Ibiza's west coast, with emerald shallows, rocky islets and a famous sunset spot.
• Formentera & Ses Illetes Beach – A small island a 30-minute ferry ride south of Ibiza. Ses Illetes beach is hailed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean…
• Ibiza Cathedral – The Our Lady of the Snows cathedral atop Dalt Vila, with a Gothic bell tower and a Baroque nave. The square in front is the highest viewpoi…
• Puig des Molins Necropolis – Part of the World Heritage site and one of the best-preserved Phoenician-Punic necropolises in the Mediterranean, with an archaeology museu…
• La Marina & Sa Penya – The old harbor district at the foot of Dalt Vila, lined with whitewashed fishermen’s houses, boutiques, night market stalls and seaside bar…
• Sa Caleta Phoenician Settlement – An 8th-century BC Phoenician settlement on a headland, part of the World Heritage site, beside a small bay with red rock cliffs.
• Cala d'Hort – A sandy little cove facing the islet of Vedra, with clear water and seafood restaurants on the shore where you can dine while watching the…
• Torre des Savinar – A coastal lookout tower built in 1756 to guard against pirates, nicknamed the Pirate Tower, and the best hiking viewpoint for watching the…
• Platja d'en Bossa – Ibiza's longest beach and the heart of its party scene, lined with top nightclubs and beach clubs such as Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza.
• Pacha Ibiza – A cherry-logo nightclub that opened in 1973 and is one of Ibiza's nightlife veterans, with top international DJs performing every night in…
• Amnesia Ibiza – A legendary superclub famous for its foam parties, with room for about 5,000 people, and one of the birthplaces of Balearic beat.
• Cala Bassa – A half-moon white-sand bay framed by juniper trees, with calm, shallow water, a beach club, and ferries to San Antonio.
• Cala Salada – A twin bay about 5 km north of San Antonio, framed by pine forest and cliffs, with clear water and photogenic fishermen's boathouses.
• Las Dalias Hippy Market – A hippie market held since 1954 in the courtyard of an old country bar, with handmade jewelry, bohemian clothing, and live music.
• Punta Arabí Hippy Market – Ibiza's earliest hippie market, founded in 1973, held every Wednesday in the pine woods by the sea at Es Canar.
• Santa Eulària des Riu & Puig de Missa – A tranquil small town on Ibiza's east coast, known for the white fortress-style church on the hilltop of Puig de Missa and its seafront pro…
• Cala Llonga – A long bay reaching deep inland on the east coast like a fjord, with fine sand, shallow water, and full facilities, popular with families.
• Aigües Blanques – A long sandy beach beneath red cliffs on the northeast coast, with well-preserved natural scenery and part of it a naturist beach.
• Cala Benirràs – A hippie cove on the north coast famous for its Sunday sunset drum circle, with a rock at the mouth of the bay shaped like a praying hand.
• Cala Xarraca – A quiet pebble cove on the north coast with clear water, snorkeling over underwater rocks, a fishermen's boathouse, and a corner where you…
• Portinatx – The northernmost small resort on Ibiza, with several connected fine-sand coves of calm, clear water and a lighthouse trail nearby.
• Cova de Can Marçà – A limestone cave about 100,000 years old in the north coast cliffs, once a smugglers' hideout, with a light-and-music show and an artificia…
• Sant Miquel de Balansat Church – A 17th-century white fortress-style church on a hill, with a mural-decorated chapel and traditional Ibiza folk dancing in summer.
• Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera – A rural village at the heart of Ibiza, where cafés, delis, and art galleries crowd the square in front of its white church.

Where to eat

• Ca n'Alfredo – An iconic Ibiza Town restaurant opened in 1934, open year-round, and a premier destination for fish stew with rice and…
• Es Boldadó – A cliffside seafood restaurant directly facing Es Vedrà, famous for its bullit de peix, rice dishes, and golden hour se…
• Can Pujol – A seaside family restaurant opened in 1980 that serves only seafood, with its signature bullit de peix widely recognize…
• Bar Costa – A historic bar on the village square of Santa Gertrudis, with ceilings hung with hams, famous for its toasted bread wit…
• Asador Can Pilot – A highly popular charcoal-grill restaurant in San Rafael, famous for steaks served pre-cut alongside a small table gril…
• La Gaia – A one-Michelin-starred restaurant inside the Ibiza Gran Hotel, where Chef Óscar Molina crafts creative cuisine using se…

Itineraries

• Ibiza Old Town & West Coast Coves – A short getaway covering the old town, salt flats, north coast, and west coast sunsets, without focusing on nightclubs.
• Balearic Island Hopping: East to West – Fly into Menorca and out of Ibiza, taking ferries to connect the coves, mountain roads, and old towns of four islands.