Ibiza – an island with much more than parties

Brunching and holiday in Ibiza

Who doesn’t dream about spending a few days in Ibiza for their holidays?

Well, one week in Ibiza and Formentera was my birthday present this year, and I can say that I was very pleased with my choice.

June was a good time to go and see the island’s incredible beaches, but the water was still a bit cold. The good thing was that they weren’t too many tourists around.


From Barcelona you can get there by boat, but the option to fly and be there in about 50 minutes won for us, not least because we got some really cheap tickets through skyscanner.

Click on the logo to see how cheap are the flights to Ibiza.

Cheap flights skyscanner

Beaches to visit in Ibiza

When I was smaller my father used to ask for all July off work and almost immediately we’d begin our routine of driving to the beach each day. We’d get up fairly early, and before 10am we were enjoying a nearly empty beach.

We all know that if you get to the beach at 1pm you’ll be lucky to find a spot to lay your towel down. In Ibiza you also have to remember that the beaches aren’t very big, so the best thing to do is to be at the beach by 11am at the latest.

Among the prettiest beaches on the island I would recommend:

Cala Conta in Sant Josep de sa Talaia. Fairly easily accessible, with a restaurant to one side and free parking spots.

Ibiza-Playa-Sant-Josep-de-Sa-Talaya

Cala Salada in Sant Antoni de Portmany. Pretty difficult to get to. To get to the beach you have to go down some steps. If you’re also unlucky enough to get there when the parking for the beach is full you’ll have to walk quite a way, and the road up the hill isn’t easy

Cala Saladeta in Sant Antoni de Portmany. Very difficult to get to. Only accessible from the Salada beach, by going over several metres of rocks.

Cala Vadella in Sant Josep de sa Talaia. Very easy to access and with parking nearby for 3€ a day.

Ibiza-Cala-Vadella

 

To find them just put the name into google maps. It’s impossible not to get there!

 

Where to stay in Ibiza

There’s plenty of accommodation in Ibiza, you just have to pick the type you prefer – tourist apartment, hotel, or airbnb. Tania and I went for airbnb, as we do on most of our trips. We were in a duplex apartment that belonged to a Brazilian guy in a quiet area with free parking just outside the house. The guy was so sweet he even prepared us a small surprise on Saladeta beach.

If you’re still not a member of the airbnb community, I invite you to join with a gift to yourself of 21euro.

Click on the logo to subscribe and get a 21€ discount on your first booking.

Descuento-airbnb

 

Transport around Ibiza

A lot of people opt for a motorbike for transport. We chose to go around in a car, and I reckon it was a good choice. We hired a car through Avis and could pick it up straight from the airport and leave it by the port the same day we went to Formentera. The pickup and drop off were very easy. Bear in mind that if you don’t know the island well you’ll need some kind of sat nav. We used google maps on our phones and everything went fine.

 

Getting to Formentera from Ibiza

There are several ferries that go to the island from Formentera – what you need to look at is the journey time. We caught the Balearia boat, which took just 30 minutes and cost us 35euro each for a return. Its boarding point is just in front of the Avis office, which was the company we hired our car from. The boats were very good, with air conditioning and sofas on the upper deck. They were also very punctual, which is the main thing.

View of Ibiza from the ferry direction Formentera

 

Getting from Ibiza city to the airport

There’s a city bus which takes you from the port road to the airport. It goes on a slightly mad route and actually passes by the first stop at one point, but it’s worth getting on at the beginning of the route to guarantee a seat. The price is 3.5 euro. The first stop is on the pavement in front of McDonalds in the street Santa Euraria des Riu, on the sidewalk on the water side. In the summer it runs every 20 minutes (and every half hour in the winter), and takes half an hour to get to the airport.

 

Where to eat in Ibiza

When preparing for my trip to Ibiza I couldn’t not seek out a brunch, which led me to discover the Passion chain of restaurants, which are the work of an incredible entrepreneur called Lana. There are 5 restaurants on the island, and their menus are based around healthy food and drink. I visited the restaurant in San Jose de Sa Talaia, the latest to open. It’s a very welcoming place, generously sized and with a wide offering of breakfast and dinner dishes. The portions are generous and prices are mid-range for the island.

Passion-Brunch-in-Ibiza

 

Things to do in Ibiza

Old town – Dalt Vila

If you visit Ibiza you can’t miss a walk around the historic heart of the city, el Dalt Vila – literally, the high city. It’s a series of narrow, steep streets lined with houses and thousand-year old architecture. Don’t even think about going there in the hottest part of the day because you’ll probably faint. It’s a very good idea to wear comfortable shoes. Among the alleyways there are plenty of restaurant terraces and bars that open late into the night.

Dalt-Vila-Ibiza

 

Sant Antoni de Portmany to see the sunset

I’m sure you’ve heard of the famous Cafe del Mar. In Ibiza there’s one in Sant Antoni de Portmany, next to other bars and terraces. Everyone looks to the sea and from there you can enjoy the most amazing sunset. Of course, it’s worth hanging around in one of the local bars, where a bottle of beer is 6euro. A lot of people opt to see the sunset from a boat anchored a few metres from the shore, others prefer to go parasailing and some just sit wherever they can, waiting for the sun to disappear. When it happens everyone starts to clap. It’s a strange phenomenon similar to what happens when a plane full of italians applaud when the plane lands safely…

Ibiza sunset

 

Mercado de las Dalias

The biggest hippy market in Ibiza. In Ibiza you’ll find a lot of posh people on one side and a lot of genuine hippies on the other. This market is full of stalls, many selling handmade goods. It isn’t cheap, but even if you don’t want to buy anything it’s wonderful to go for a stroll in this slightly alternative world.

Ibiza can be visited for lots of reasons – to go partying, to rest, with friends, family or alone. Go with whatever suits you, I’m sure you’ll love the island!

Brunch in Ibiza

See the complete map Coffee & Brunch

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1 comment

  1. 1
    Visiting Las Dalis is an absolute must! I'm glad you put it on your list of things to do :)Most people just wanna party 24/7 but the hippie market was the big attraction for me in Ibiza. But I've always been a sucker for flea market types of deals.

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