Enjoy Ibiza to the max – 10 fun things not to miss

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Ibiza is becoming more and more popular. No wonder, Ibiza is a fantastic island with a lot to do and to experience, especially between April and October. Whether you come to party, just to relax or a combination, Ibiza can be fun for anyone. This article is includes 10 different fun to do’s and useful practical tips that will hopefully help you to prepare for your relaxing holiday on the beautiful island of Ibiza. Also if it is not your first time!

1: Admire Es Vedrà

This huge high limestone rock, surrounded by legends and myths, became the natural symbol of Ibiza. The view point looking at Es Vedrà is a popular spot for tourists to take pictures during the day, and also at sunset.

I know this beautiful girl on Ibiza who was named after the rock; her name is Vedra. Pretty cool right?

Over the years several people have claimed to get mysterious powers from the 413 meters’ rock. Despite the myths, no evidence has been found of any magnetic fields or whatsoever. The inhabited island is located 2.5 km off the coast of Ibiza.

2: Chill at the beach

Ibiza has more than 70 beaches to choose from. To get an idea of the locations, see map at the bottom of this article. A selection of my favourite beaches on Ibiza:

• Just 10 min by car north of Santa Eularia, Cala Nova is a pleasant long stretched sand beach. The water is pretty shallow, making it ideal for families too. There is a snackbar, several restaurants including Aiyanna and a beach club called Atzaro.

• Cala Bassa is home to the famous Cala Bassa Beach Club (CBBC), trendy and popular among families, friends and couples. The clean, clear water and fine sand makes this beach ideal for swimming and sunbathing. During high season African beach sellers are active on Cala Bassa, but if you rent a sunbed with CBBC they are not allowed to bother you. In the afternoon music can be pretty loud and food/drinks are pricey. 15 min drive from San Antoni, guarded parking available (EUR 5 p/d).

Also…

• Cala Moli is a small, cozy beach not far from Cala Bassa. It should be considered one of the most beautiful natural beaches of Ibiza as it is not contaminated with rows of sun loungers and parasols. This pebble beach is popular among locals and snorkelers. Lots of stones on the beach and in the sea so bring water shoes and wicker mat! Nowadays there is a Japanese restaurant.

• The sandy beach of Cala d’Hort offers a unique view over Es Vedrà. The combination of being popular and surrounded by high cliffs, makes parking a bit of a nightmare here. So try to come early, especially in summer, be prepared to walk for a bit or access by boat. There are several restaurants at Cala d’hort for you to enjoy, of which I would recommend Es Boldado up the hill.

• Cala Vedella is a nice large sandy beach surrounded by hills and pine trees in the southwest of Ibiza. The bay is also a popular parking spot for yachts and motor boats. The water slowly gets deeper. On summer days there is a lifeguard on duty. So perfect with little ones! There are a few hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, etc. Never too crowded. Park for free up hill at the view point.

And obviously…

• Playa d’en Bossa and Playa de Ses Salines are two trendy beaches of Eivissa, attracting hipsters and famous people (and wannabes). Playa d’en Bossa is the longest beach of Ibiza and full of bars and restaurants, charging a lot of money for food and drinks. If you come to Ibiza to party, this is your place to be – just come with a hefty wallet.

Of course there are other nice beaches on Ibiza, such as Cala Carbo, Benirras, Playa Cala Canta, S’illot des Rencli, etc. If you do not mind a hike before hitting the beach, try the more adventurous Cala d’Albarca or Atlantis. I noticed some websites rave over a beach called Cala d’en Serra in the northeast of Ibiza, but we found the abandoned, concrete buildings full of graffiti that the beach is surrounded by such a turn off! Especially with kids I would rather go to the above mentioned Cala Nova or Cala de Sant Vicent for example. I did not like the beach of Sant Antoni either – only at sunset!

Beach clubs

If you like the beach but not the sand, add some luxury and relax at one of the amazing beach clubs of Ibiza. My selection:

• Jockey Club at Salines Beach
• Tropicana at Cala Jondal
• Amante at Sol d’en Serra
• Nikki Beach at Santa Eularia
• Cotton Club at Cala Tarida
• CBBC at Cala Bassa
• El Chiringuito at Playa Es Cavallet

On average, beach clubs on Ibiza do not come cheap. Cotton Club for example asks EUR 25 per bed, plus an x amount you must spend on food and drinks, depending on the number of people. I spoke to a small family who ended up with a bill of EUR 750! Cotton Club is also one of the few beach clubs on Ibiza where you can make advance reservations for a sun bed, but with many this is not possible/needed.

TIP Looking for a nice, affordable beach club with a down-to-earth atmosphere? Visit Cesar’s Watersports at Playa de s’Argamassa, Santa Eulària des Riu. EUR 18 for two sun beds and a parasol, bar and restaurant (paella EUR 6), shower, etc.

3: Shop at the hippie market

Ibiza has multiple hippie markets but the biggest are Las Dalias and Punta Arabi (Es Canar). You can buy hand-made and unique clothes, jewelry, shoes, bags, pieces of art, etc. Nowadays many shops have card machines too, making payment by credit card possible. Shop till you drop!

Las Dalias has been held since 1954. It is located at about 10 min by foot from the hippie village San Carles. The regular Hippie Market at Las Dalias takes place every Saturday all year round, from April to October from 10:00h to 20:00h and from November to March from 10:00h to 18:00h. Especially in summer the market can get pretty crowded, so go either early (first hour) or late (last few hours).

The Night Market at Las Dalias, held on Mondays and Tuesdays from June to September, and on Sundays in July and August from 19:00h to 01:00h, tends to be a bit quieter. We loved the atmosphere walking around there on Tuesday night around 23:30h and I bought several new things like a new belt, necklace and leather bag. We also enjoyed eating at one of the restaurants right next to the market.

Address: Carretera San Carlos, Km. 12, 07850 Sant Carles de Peralta. This is along the EI-200 PM810, north of Santa Eularia (northeast Ibiza). Free parking! See also map at the end of this article.

4: Enjoy the sea

As an island, Ibiza is surrounded by sea. So what could possibly be better than spending a few hours or a day out on the water?! There are a lot of exciting water sports options to choose from, to fill your day with adventure and fun, such as:

• Parasailing
• Efoil
• Snorkeling
• Scuba diving
• Kayaking

For those who wish to enjoy the sea in a more relaxed way, this boat cruise with open bar is a great option. For families I would recommend this half-day Sea Flower boat trip. Just don’t forget sun protection measures like sun screen and a baseball cap. Enjoy!

With kids on Ibiza? Go to Aguamar water park in Playa d’en Bossa! I am sure they will love the colorful water slides.

5: Drive around

What we love to do is drive around the island, especially in the mornings, to explore the numerous pretty beaches and bays of Ibiza. It is also worth driving to the smaller ‘inland’ villages on the island, such as Santa Gertrudis, Sant Josep and Sant Joan for example. To me, the best way to explore the island is by rental car (or another type of vehicle).

On Ibiza, some places can have multiple names such as: Ibiza City or Eivissa, Santa Eulària des Riu or Santa Eulalia del Río, and Sant Antoni de Portmany or San Antonio. It is the same place!

Be careful

Be careful when renting a scooter or a quad for example. This may seem fun, but the risk of getting into an accident with a scooter or quad is pretty high. And who wants ‘helmet hair’ anyway?! Unless you are looking for a specific guided day activity, then it could be fun. But I have seen many people driving around on quads on the public road, with not much more than a bikini on and I just don’t think that is a smart thing to do.

On Ibiza we drive on the right side of the road. Drive around the island counter clockwise to drive at the coastal side of the road (best for pics). Whereas the inland of Ibiza is pretty flat, the coast gets hilly and rocky, especially around the beaches in the northeast and southwest of Ibiza. Therefore I would highly recommend to hire a car of at least B category. The A category rental cars often have only 1.1 type of engine which sucks when having to drive up hill.

We spent about 50 euro on gasoline during one week. Parking is free almost everywhere, except a few private, guarded parking lots at Playa d’en Bossa and Cala Bassa for example. In Cala Basa the parking lot was EUR 5 per day (cash only). The maximum speed on Ibiza is 80 km p/h but several roads only allow 50 or 30 km p/h. Watch out for the speed camera at the EI-200 road between Eivissa and Santa Eularia (near 8km pole)!

Honestly, Ibiza is not pretty all over the place. Driving around in (late) summer, you will notice the dry landscape. Plus ugly graffiti tags, some abandoned buildings, electricity wires, waste. A pity.

Bus or bicycle

If you do not have a driver’s license, you could take the public bus around Ibiza. The downside is that the bus only goes between the bigger towns. In spring or autumn you could go around Ibiza by bicycle as well. The main streets on Ibiza (80 km p/h) are quite tricky as it lacks a special bicycle lane, but the smaller streets are OK.

In the municipality of Santa Eularia there are 12 bicycle routes to explore, each indicated with a number and color (for example pink for route 3, red for route 4, etc.). If your accommodation does not have any bicycles, just contact Bike Ibiza and they will deliver them to you, anywhere on the island. Baja Bikes offers fun guided bicycle tours on Ibiza.

6: Dance at a DJ party

As mentioned in my earlier article Top destinations for people who love music and rhythm, Ibiza is THE place to be in summer for those who like house music. All the big names play on Ibiza: Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, etc.

The biggest, most advertised and most popular clubs on Ibiza are:

• Ushuaïa
• Pacha
• Hï
• Amnesia

DJ parties on Ibiza

Big names such as Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren and Dimitri Vegas perform in Ibiza almost every week, at Ushuaïa alone. Check the calendar of the club you want to visit and plan your trip around it. The season runs from late May to late September, with most shows in July and August. In 2023 Kygo and Tiësto were also playing in Ibiza, but I didn’t see them in 2024.

Other parties and venues worth checking out:

• David Guetta, Black Coffee & Eric Prydz at Hï
• Pacha (all days within the season)
• Elrow at Amnesia (Saturdays within the season)
• Children of the 80s at the Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza (Fridays)
• Namaste at Las Dalias (Wednesdays from 7 PM, entrance EUR 15)

Also a nice idea: take a ride on the party boat departing from Playa d’en Bossa! Or if you are really adventurous: go to a (alcohol-free) tantra party on Ibiza…

Calvin Harris

In the summer of 2019 we went to DJ Calvin Harris (UK) at Ushuaïa Ibiza. His DJ set was really good, so many great songs he has! It was very hot and crowded, barely any security, some fainting girls, difficult to get a drink (and expensive). A bit like you would see a big boyband concert but than a slightly older audience (18-40). We purchased our entry tickets online in advance to ensure we would not miss this show, but there are other options to get tickets (until sold out). The ticket prices I saw for Calvin Harris:

• Online EUR 60
• Door EUR 70
• Beach sellers EUR 50 (if lucky)

Parking right next to the opposite Hï is for free, unless you go VIP. Just take into account some extra time if you come by car due to busy traffic. The event starts at 17:00h but Calvin only gets on stage at 21:30h. Once we got in, we received a bracelet that also offers entrance to David Guetta’s show at Hï afterwards for EUR 60 (Calvin ended at 23:00h, Guetta’s event at Hï started at 23:30h). I would NOT recommend buying the advance drinking package deal of Ushuaïa because the bars are hard to reach.

Drink enough water in advance, arrive late, dress light and bring a hand fan. But most of all: ENJOY!!

7: Eat trendy & healthy food

Obviously you have got to eat. But on Ibiza this is a special thing because there are so many good, high quality restaurants with a fantastic, authentic decor! Ibiza is one of the top trend setting places world-wide where healthy food became a big hit, resulting in plenty of restaurants all over the island offering this type of food. Honestly, I never encountered a bad food place on Ibiza. Pretty much everything is Hip, Healthy and High quality! But don’t worry; there are steaks and desserts too!

Like with accommodation, inland restaurants tend to be – averagely taken – cheaper. Santa Eularia is also pretty affordable, at most places you will be able to eat a 2 or 3 course dinner with a few drinks for around EUR 30 per person, even at the marina. Eating and drinking at a luxurious beach club, especially at Playa d’en Bossa, is a different story. For example a mixed drink with Red Bull at Ushuaïa Beach Club costs already EUR 20. Dining with sea view at a stylish place may result in a bill of around EUR 120-150 for 2 persons. 

Restaurant recommendations

Some personal recommendations from my last Ibiza trip:

• Las Dalias Café next to the hippie market, affordable (EUR 65 for 2) and Cochinita Pibil starter to die for
• Cas Costas you may accidentally drive by this hidden gem full of locals, a fantastic grill for meat lovers, 5 min drive from Playa d’en Bossa strip
• On the beach with relaxed atmosphere and beach view on Cala de Sant Vicent (Playa San Vicente)
• Aiyanna trendy healthy food restaurant at Cala Nova beach with delicious fresh sea bass
• Aubergine (“Eggplant”) where – you may have guessed it already – many dishes are served with the delicious vegetable, but other tasty dishes can also be found on the menu.
• Passion now has several locations all over the island, ideal for a tasty, healthy lunch!

TIP Traveling on a budget? Go to one of the grocery shops and get some fresh fruit, baguette, ham or whatever you want, fresh orange juice, water, etc. for less than EUR 20!

8: Go to Formentera

Formentera is Ibiza’s small sister island, worth a day trip. I must say this one counts mostly for spring or autumn, unless you want to get sweaty on a bicycle, scooter, bus or rent an extra car for a day on Formentera. In high season the ferry from Eivissa to Formentera goes at least once an hour, and a few times a day with the capacity to take cars as well.

Keep in mind that most rental cars from Ibiza are NOT allowed to be taken to Formentera, while some sort of method for getting around is pretty handy there… If you do take your rental car by ferry from Ibiza to Formentera without the car rental company’s permission, you will drive around without insurance! So check in advance with the rental company.

Booking a ferry ticket can be arranged in several ways. At a booth of Las Dalias hippie market, at the ticket office of Trasmapi at Port of Eivissa or online:

• Get your guide
• Balearia
• Trasmapi
• A Ferry

For more Formentera inspiration I would like to refer to this recent blog post of Authentic Chica.

9: Yoga

Over the years, Ibiza has grown further as a popular destination for yoga retreats. My earlier blog post Interview with an Healthy Ibiza Yoga Retreat Experience Expert is still valid. My friend still goes on yoga retreat on Ibiza once or twice a year, I still haven’t. I guess I still want to see too many other things. But hey, my friend still comes back all relaxed and in an excellent shape from her Ibiza yoga retreats, I gained a few kilos, so who is the smart lady here?! Another thing you could do, is join a yoga class at Amante or Aiyanna.

Ibiza is a paradise for furniture lovers; there are many great furniture shops on the island.

10: Sunset

On the west of Ibiza you will be able to witness a pretty sunset. Benirrás, Cala Conta, Es Codolar, Sant Antoni Bay and the so-called Sunset Strip of Sant Antoni provide excellent sunset views. If you are looking for a restaurant with great sunset view, check out Puertas Del Cielo Ibiza. In summer the sun sets between 21:23h and 19:51h on Ibiza. If you time this hot air balloon ride over Ibiza right, you will have a unique sunset view!

It may feel like there are almost as many Dutchies on Ibiza as there are British tourists (only they might drink a bit less LOL) Dutchies love Ibiza!

When to go to Ibiza?

Different seasons provide different benefits, each season has its pros and cons so quite a personal choice. In spring, there are lots of flowers and the temperature is good for activities such as bicycling, but also chances for lower temperatures and rain.

In summer, the famous DJ’s hit the island, especially August is a great time for party lovers to visit Ibiza. July and August are top season with top prices; decent accommodation easily costs EUR 200 per night. But if you book early, who knows…?

Obviously this will be cheaper in low season like April or October for example. End of September and early October can be pretty interesting as prices go down, there are several great closing parties and temperatures are still nice but not too hot any more.

Most ATMs on Ibiza add a fee of EUR 3.95 for each cash transaction.

How to get to Ibiza

More than 7 million tourists visit Ibiza every year. The majority comes in via Ibiza’s only international airport (IBZ) located at Eivissa (also known as Ibiza City). More than fifty different airlines fly on Ibiza’s airport, including Transavia, TUI, Iberia, Vueling, KLM, Ryan Air, Easyjet, Eurowings, etc. plus many private jets! You may want to check Skyscanner for flight possibilities and price indications.

An alternative way to reach Ibiza is by ferry from:

• Gandia and Denia, both south of Valencia (2h)
• Palma de Mallorca (2h)
• Barcelona (9h)
• Formentera (35 min)

For more detailed info on how to get to Ibiza check this article.

Where to stay on Ibiza?

Since different areas provide different experiences on Ibiza; the choice for location is quite personal. 

• If you prefer a peaceful environment for your accommodation, you will have to take into account that going out for dinner or something will require a (short) drive. In other words: you will need a rental car (or another kind or vehicle) and the driver cannot drink. 
• Generally speaking, inland accommodation will averagely be quieter and cheaper, just check on the map whether there is any main road (EI) right next to it that may disturb the peacefulness.
• In summer, book accommodation early and make sure it has at least air conditioning inside the room and a pool, or otherwise a nice beach nearby. A fridge can also be convenient, so you can have some chilled drinks within reach.

Tip for a nice hotel on the countryside of Ibiza: Casa Naya Rural.

Or…

• Playa d’en Bossa is the place to be for luxurious party seekers. In high season count on at least EUR 250 per night and EUR 20 for drinks at beach clubs.
• Sant Antoni is popular among a younger (mostly British) crowd of party people, cheaper and pretty ugly to be honest. Bus and ferry to Playa d’en Bossa available.
• Santa Eularia (northeast) and surroundings is really pleasant in my opinion, most restaurants are still pretty reasonably priced (dinner EUR 30 pp possible), peaceful atmosphere and not too crowded. Public bus available to Playa d’en Bossa if needed.

La Hacienda Ibiza

In the summer of 2019 we stayed at La Hacienda Ibiza, located at about 14 km from Santa Eularia and on walking distance from Las Dalias hippie market. A lovely classy finca with outdoor pool, tropical garden, sunbeds, comfy beds, air conditioning and private bathroom in some rooms, good breakfast, joint refrigerator and friendly staff. See above and below pics for an impression.

Update: unfortunately this accommodation was recently sold. Check booking.com for alternatives. Count on ± EUR 200 p/n including breakfast in high season for something like this, or try to find something within your budget.

Harissa Villa Ibiza

If you have got big money to spend (like thousands), consider renting a place from Harissa Villa Ibiza. This company was the first to create luxurious beautiful houses on Ibiza for rent 18 years ago and has many happy, loyal customers ever since, including famous folks. Harissa Villa Ibiza was praised by several magazines as all villas look stunning. So proud of my cousin!

Map Ibiza

This map includes places and spots mentioned in this article (and more). This one is ‘smartphone friendly’; you can easily use it via the Google Maps app. Click the icon at the top left to open the menu and see the categories. To adapt the map to your own preferences and interests, (de)select a category. Via Google Drive you can copy the map to your own My Google Maps account.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this article and find it useful. Do you have some tips to add? Please feel free to leave a comment below to ask any questions or remarks you may have.

Interested to read more articles about Spain? Check out the Spain Blog Archives.

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Last Updated on 08/25/2024 by Elisa Flitter Fever