Complete Ibiza Travel Guide

Here's everything you really need to know about your trip to Ibiza. Learn about what the weather is like, how to get to and from the airport, which beaches are the best, which nightclubs to visit, and more.

Weather

Ibiza has excellent weather, thanks to its perfect location in the Mediterranean Sea. In terms of latitude, it is in line with Alicante, the south of Italy, central Greece and Turkey, so the sun and warm weather are virtually guaranteed for most of your days there. The other bonus is that by being an island, it is cooled more by the sea and the sea breeze.

When we visited, there were times when we found it just too hot, as well as a few cloudy hours where we almost put a jacket on. Nonetheless, you would have to be very unlucky to not get a tan when visiting in the summer.

As fall and winter roll in, good weather becomes far less guaranteed. It won't get as cold as in-land places such as Madrid but sunbathing weather is unlikely. If you are looking for winter sun in Spain, you'll need to visit the Canary Islands, which are much further south.

Airport Transport

Journey from Ibiza airport to San Antonio. Take the number 9 bus from the airport which departs every 60 or 90 minutes (summer/winter). But check where your hotel is first - the bus stops multiple times in the town, which is spread out over a bay.

The number 10 bus goes to Ibiza Town (Eivissa). The number 24 goes to Santa Eularia and Es Canar.

Where to Stay

Your main accommodation options are San Antonio and Ibiza town. Some points to consider:

• Ibiza is quieter and more 'Spanish'.
• San Antonio is cheaper.
• Ibiza is well connected to Formentera, Santa Eularia and Es Canar.
• San Antonio is where main bars are, though the nightclubs are spread over the island, with bus services taking you to them, wherever you are based (see below).
• San Antonio is well connected to many nice west-facing beaches, where you can watch the sunrise.
• Ibiza has a beautiful old town. San Antonio has no old town.

People often refer to there being the 'old' and 'young' sides of Ibiza, with San Antonio in the young side and Ibiza in the old.

Young people, afraid to be trapped with old people, gravitate towards San Antonio. This is not necessarily appropriate. The 'old' and 'young' tags are relative. having said that, San Antonio has more of a 'clubbers village' feel to it - if you met some cool people last night in a club, you're more likely to be able to hang out with them the following day if you're staying in San Antonio. Where you stay - be it Ibiza or San Antonio, and then whether it's the central or far off area of San Antonio - shouldn't matter, assuming you are here for the same reason most come to Ibiza - for beaches and/or clubbing.

Santa Eularia is another good option if you're looking for a quieter town that is well connected to Ibiza Town, but don't stay here if what you're after are wild party nights.

Is It Expensive?

Everyone says Ibiza is expensive. The hotels may be a little more than in Granada or Madrid. The nightclubs are definitely astronomical - 25€ to 45€ to get in, with most clustered at the higher prices. But food and drink prices are fair. There are plenty of large English breakfasts on offer for 5 euros, while we had a good menu del dia for 10 euros which would be quite acceptable anywhere in Spain. Beers are standard price, if not cheaper than elsewhere. There are many cheap flights from Spain to Europe, so it is not an expensive place to visit at all.

Getting Around

Nothing beats a car for getting around Ibiza. Ibiza is just 50km across at its widest point, but you'll spend most of your time zipping between the main urbanizations and their local beaches. Look at how close they are!

Distance Between Towns

• Ibiza to San Antonio 15km, 20 minutes
• Ibiza to Santa Eularia 15km, 17 minutes
• Ibiza to Ibiza Airport 10km, 12 minutes
• Santa Eularia to Es Cana 6km, 8 minutes

Beaches

The center of Ibiza Town is dominated by the port, but there are beaches close by at Figueretes and Taranca.

Figueretes is quite small, but it has a great restaurant, Mar y Cel (Paseo Maritim Figueretes, No. 16), which does an excellent, freshly made paella (with meat, vegetarian and seafood varieties) and some well-served cocktails. The cocktail barman is very interested in his drinks and will change ingredients if you ask.

Nearby, you also have Playa d'en Bossa, home to the famous Borra Borra after-party bar (i.e. day time dance club). A little further out, heading north-east along the coast, you have Cala Llonga, followed by Santa Eularia (Ibiza's third biggest town and a popular place to base yourself).

The beaches vary in quality in San Antonio from acceptable sand to rocks.

Nearest good beach to San Antonio is Cala Bassa, which can be reached by bus or ferry. Crystal clear waters but the beach is packed and one over-priced company has a monopoly on the bars.

But the best beaches are on Formentera, just half an hour away by ferry!

Other good beaches include:

• Cala d'hort
• Cala Tarida
• Playa de Comte (good for sunset)
• Calo des Moro (Cafe del Mar)
• Port de Sant Miquel
• Playa Benirras
• Cala Xarraca

How to Get From Ibiza to Formentera

Formentera is the Balearic Islands' smallest inhabited island and is just 30 minutes from Ibiza. Car ferries depart from the port in Ibiza town. But there are also local ferries that will take you from Ibiza You can take the main ferries from the port (Balearia or Trasmapi.com), but these can be quite expensive (if taking a car, this is your only option).

Alternatively, Aqua bus will take you from Ibiza to Figueretas and Playa d'en Bossa and then from Figueretas and Playa d'en Bossa to Formentera. This company won't take you directly from the port, though.

Ferries to Formentera arrive in Port de Savina. The most famous beach in Formentera is Illetes, a couple of kilometers from the port.

Ibiza is probably the most famous of Spain's many islands, popular for its great beaches and wild nightlife. Read on for some ideas of what to do in Ibiza.

Things to Do in Town

The main 'cultural' activity in Ibiza is the Puig de Molins necropolis, which is a world heritage site.

Town Museums

• Archeology Museum
• Centro de Interpretacion Madina Yabisa (history of Ibiza)
• Interactive displays of Rennaisance weaponry and walls

Town Churches

• Cathedral (with museum)
• Capilla de Sant Ciriac (18th century)
• Sant Cristofal Monastery
• Iglesia del Hospitalet (Medieval Chapel of the old hospital)
• Santo Domingo Monastery (16th to 18th century)

Art Museums

• Museo Puget
• Sala Capitular Contemporary Art Museum

Nightclubs

It doesn't really matter where Ibiza's nightclubs are. In fact, the clubs and ticket sellers are quite reluctant to tell you. This is because, whether you stay in Ibiza Town or San Antonio, there are regular buses throughout the night to take you to and from the clubs - your bus there is included in your ticket price, while buses back are about three euros.

Still, there is a definite advantage in being able to walk home rather than having to wait for a bus. So, here are where the big six clubs can be found:

Nightclubs in San Antonio

• Es Paradis
• Eden (Twice as Nice is here)

Nightclubs Ibiza Town

• Pacha
• Space (actually Platja Bossa Bora Bora club at Playa Den Bossa)

Nightclubs San Rafael

• Privilege (Supermartxe)
• Amnesia (Cream is here)

San Antonio Guide

We were staying in the far end (the cheaper end) of San Antonio. Where we were there was a pleasant and quick ferry across to the main part of San Antonio. And it takes a little over half an hour to walk. And anyway, there were beaches and bars right where we were, as well as pick-up points for the (free) buses to the major clubs.

Playa Xinxo, in this south-west part of the bay, has a nice reggae bar playing good reggae (that is, not simply Bob Marley). It was strangely empty at night - a fact that became less surprising when we discovered the prices! Ouch! Get a beer from the nearby shops and sit near the bar enjoying their music for free (wink, wink).

There are several ferries across the bay (to where the cheaper hotels are) and on to Playa Cala Bassa, the nearest beach with clear water.

We had an excellent 10 euro menu del dia at a restaurant called Sa Prensa.

If you want to relax by a pool, check out S'Hortet pool bar, close to the bus station at Hotel Llevant, C/ Ramón Y Cajal, 5, 07820 Sant Antoni de Portmany (Eivissa), Spain.