Things to do in Ibiza, Spain

Last update : 05/09/2023

Are you heading to the Balearics soon and wondering what to do in Ibiza for your vacation? You’ve come to the right travel blog! This island in the Balearic Islands, a Spanish archipelago in the Mediterranean, is clearly worth the detour. If our first ideas about Ibiza are usually: parties, nightclubs and luxury, you should know that there’s a whole other side to the island, and it’s this one that we’re going to let you discover. 🏝

Peaceful villages, coves, turquoise waters, a unique art of living with designer restaurants and exceptional places, it’s quite a program that awaits you on this 571 km island! For both of us, this road trip to Ibiza was a “coup de coeur”. We went in October and the weather was perfect (between 22 and 27 degrees), we even managed to spend a day in Formentera and go for a swim… 🌞 Well come on, we’re taking you on board with us visiting Ibiza and giving you all our tips on what to see and what to do in Ibiza!

Summary

What to do in Ibiza? Our must-see map

Where to stay in Ibiza? Our good addresses

If you’re wondering where to sleep in Ibiza to get the most out of the island… Here’s our advice: choose 2 different hotels (one in the north, the second in the south) so you can discover the island to the full during your road trip to Ibiza. The two addresses we tested have their strengths, and we’ll tell you more below.

Paradiso Ibiza Art Hotel

A guaranteed crush for all lovers of design or retro decor, the Paradiso Ibiza Art Hotel is a colorful place. You’ll feel almost like you’re in Palm Springs with the various West Coast-inspired objects.

The rooms are large and comfortable, and some have a terrace – we had a great time! The only downside is the soundproofing between the different rooms, which isn’t exceptional depending on the noise level of the neighbors. 😅

We loved photographing it from every angle and enjoying its festive atmosphere. In fact, the day is lively on the two pool sides with a DJ Set and there’s a large terrace where you can have breakfast, lunch or a drink. Read more about the Paradiso restaurant below. ✨

We recommend spending 1 or 2 nights at the Paradiso hotel during your Ibiza vacation, then changing hotels to visit another side of the island. ❤️

View hotel

Petunia Ibiza

We discovered this hotel by chance when we went for lunch at its restaurant, Messa Escondida (we’ll tell you more about this restaurant at the end of the article, in the “restaurants in Ibiza” category). And what a surprise! We fell under the spell of this boutique hotel, its view of the Es Vedra rock and its colorful, bohemian decor. Greek inspirations can be found in the architecture and even in the restaurant menu. The place also boasts a bar with an exceptional view if you just want to have a drink in this exceptional location. If you’re looking for a warm, designer hotel, go for the Petunia Ibiza. 💕

See the hotel

Sol Beach House Ibiza

This hotel is located further to the north-east of Ibiza, making it easier to visit this side of the island. It’s a large hotel complex, less charming than the other hotels presented above, but very comfortable and affordable. The rooms are large and the bedding top-notch! Big plus point: the buffet breakfast is just incredible, one of the best we’ve done. 😋 The location facing the sea is great and very soothing.

View hotel

Since writing this article, we’ve put together a top of the best hotels in Ibiza and if you’re still looking for accommodation for your vacation on the island we recommend you take a look.

What to do in Ibiza? Visit the south of the island

What to do in Ibiza? Follow all our must-do’s to visit the south of the island! This is our favorite part of the island, where we spent 3 days on our Ibiza road trip. We loved its turquoise waters and pretty coves.

Cala Comte or Cala Conta

This pretty beach with fine sand and turquoise waters is located in the southwest of the island, close to the town of Sant Joseph de sa Talaia. One of Ibiza’s best-known beaches, it is 600 meters long and splits into two coves.

We advise you to go and discover it either fairly early in the morning, as during the day it’s very touristy, or at sunset. The setting offers an incredible spectacle with the colors of the sunset.

Where to eat in Cala Compte: Restaurant Sunset Ashram, we tell you more in the “Where to eat in Ibiza” section, further down in the article.

Cala Tarida

Cala Tarida beach is quite large (around 260 meters), you’ll find a few restaurant terraces and hotels. It seems to be quite family-friendly, but there are few shady spots. We loved strolling along its heights and discovering its little fishermen’s cottages, which you can discover in our photos just after.

Cala d’Hort

We came to this particular spot for the famous viewpoint over Es Vedra. Although this viewpoint is quite touristy, in our opinion it’s a must-see. Find out more about this mysterious rock right after!

Ibiza Ibiza

Es Vedra, the mysterious rock

What to do in Ibiza? It’s impossible to miss Es Vedra during your visit! This rock, which you can admire from many places on the island of Ibiza, is quite fascinating. It is said to be the 3rd most magnetic point on the planet. Legend has it that its magnetic field can unhinge clocks and disturb visitors. Others go even further, suggesting that its high energy could attract extraterrestrials. Whatever the case, it’s a place worth discovering! 😂

We advise you to plan to go at sunset and to take along something to have a little picnic – an aperitif. To get to the location shown in our photos, park in the dedicated parking lot and walk about 15 minutes. You won’t get lost, as you’ll be well surrounded by locals and tourists alike, who come here to enjoy the sunset and the music. We really liked the festive ambience and atmosphere of the place. To help you out, we’ve also added the GPS coordinates of our sunset spot.

Dalt Vila, the upper part of Ibiza town

Dalt Vila is the name given to the upper part of Ibiza town. It has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1999. We loved this little town of cobbled, flower-filled streets, white facades and pretty, colorful terraces. Don’t forget to bring flat shoes, as the streets can be quite hilly. It will take you around two hours to complete the tour, with a short coffee break (or sangria? 😂) on one of the little terraces.

Where to have a drink in Dalt Vila: the best-known of the terraces is the one called L’Escalinta Ibiza, set in a staircase converted for the occasion.

Sa Caleta or Es Bol Nou

This magical spot is made up of a fine sandy beach, orange stone cliffs and surrounded by numerous pine trees. We found this place very charming, and the contrast of colors seduced us. You can settle in on the beach, or head off to discover the heights of the cliffs. This is where you’ll find a passageway to an ultra-photogenic underground cave. 🧡

What to do in Ibiza? Visit the north of the island

During your Ibiza vacation, also take time to discover the north of the island, which is wilder than the south. Discover Cala Xarraca beach and the hippie market of Las Dalias.

Cala Xarraca

This pretty beach, wilder than the others mentioned above, is well worth a visit. It’s not the ideal place to swim or spend a day at the beach, as the ground is made up of seaweed and stones. We found the place superb all the same, so we’d recommend it more for a short stroll. ✨

Where to eat near Cala Xarraca: we dined at the restaurant Los Enamorados, which is truly incredible and located less than 10 minutes’ drive from Cala Xarraca. Find our photos and explanations a little further down the article. 😋

Marché de Las Dalias

Ibiza’s hippy market offers all kinds of souvenirs to bring back: clothing, decoration, wicker baskets, accessories… All handcrafted and ethnic. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the visit is accompanied by music. We really liked the atmosphere of the place, and there are also several restaurants and terraces. 🌞

The market is open from May 1 to October 31 every year, on Saturdays only. If you come by car, park in the dedicated parking lot, which will cost you €2 per vehicle.

Where to eat in Ibiza? Our good restaurant addresses

Los Enamorados Restaurant

For the name of this restaurant, understand “Les amoureux”, that alone makes you want to! 😍 We loved this address for its incredible sea view and relaxed atmosphere. We recommend going at sunset time for magical colors! We ordered local white wine and tapas to share, and everything was delicious and quite hearty. As with all Ibizan restaurants, prices may be high, but we found the balance between quality and price to be just right. We’ll definitely be going back on our next trip to the island!

The Paradiso Ibiza restaurant

At the heart of the ultra-design Paradiso hotel, you have the option of breakfast or lunch, whether you’re staying at the hotel or not. The cuisine is quite trendy but remains affordable, you’ll find Smoothies, burgers, avocado toast… on the menu. A good address for a musical lunch, with a DJ Set in the background. 💕

The Messa Escondida restaurant in Ibiza

We’re on to an ultra coup de coeur address. ❤️ In the heart of an exceptional hotel, you’ll feel alone in the world for this refined lunch. Prices are higher than those of our other addresses, around 80/90€ for 2 people, but the cuisine is refined, colorful, seasonal and local.

Every starter and main course appealed, but we had to choose. 😂 We opted for a homemade gazpacho, melon salad & feta, followed by pasta with zucchini, yoghurt sauce & mint and a fish.

The other great thing about this place is its stunning view of the Es Vedra rock. The staff are adorable, which makes the moment even more precious. In short, go for it, even if it means eating a picnic the next day to balance the budget (which we often do 😋).

Sunset Ashram, famous restaurant at sunset

This address had been recommended to us many times, so we went to try it out, at sunset as it should be! In all honesty, we found the prices really high and the place packed… We preferred to just have a glass of local wine and admire the sunset. It’s undoubtedly a good address for lunch or dinner depending on your budget, the decor and location are hot.

Sol Shack Chiringuito, the restaurant at the Sol Beach House Ibiza hotel

If you’re staying at this hotel, don’t hesitate to go for lunch on site and choose from the more “snacky” offering of fresh wraps, club sandwiches and smoothies. We found it delicious, a good compromise for a relaxing day around the pool. ✨

What to do in Ibiza? Spend a day in Formentera

If you have time on your Ibiza road trip, take a ferry and spend a day on Formentera. This little island next to Ibiza is definitely worth a visit. We loved spending a day there, between beaches and coves and scooter rides.

We recommend booking your return boat trip with Ferry Méditerranéa Pituita in advance. The crossing takes between 30 and 40 minutes.

We chose the offer that allows you to rent a scooter directly in addition to the ferry crossing, count between 70 and 80€ for both. It’s well worth having a scooter for the day, if you want to see as much of the island and its most beautiful beaches as possible. You’ll find all our tips and must-see addresses in Formentera in our dedicated article available below! 💙

Article Formentera

Visiting Ibiza, how to organize your trip well?

How to get to Ibiza

To find the best mode of transport to your destination, we recommend you always look on the OMIO comparator. This will give you an overview of all available modes of transport. You’ll be able to compare prices very easily.

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How to rent a rental car at the best price in Ibiza

If you’re looking to rent a car during your trip, we recommend you take a look at the RentalCars website. This will enable you to find the best prices and conditions for your rental.

We rented our car for the whole stay from Centauro. We were really pleased with the service and rates offered, it’s a good alternative to the better-known but often more expensive car rental companies. The rental company is located about 15 minutes’ walk from the airport, but provides a free shuttle bus that makes the round trip in 5 minutes. We recommend it! Don’t hesitate to check out their Instagram account or their website, they often put on promotions (between 10 and 25%), it might be worth it to reduce your vacation budget a little!

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How to find the best hotels to visit Ibiza

In order to find the best hotels and benefit from the best conditions (security, cancellation…) we go almost exclusively through Booking.com for our trips. We recommend that you take a look at the available hotels before you leave. You can filter them according to their ratings. The customer reviews are very numerous and recent, which means you can avoid unpleasant surprises when traveling!

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How to find ideas for vacation activities

If you want to get ideas for activities to do on your vacation and want to book in advance, we also recommend taking a look at the GetYourGuide site. This will give you an overview of the activities on offer in your destination, so you don’t have to wait until you get there to book your places.

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Visit Ibiza in the Balearic Islands, our island review

As you’ve probably gathered from this account on our travel blog, we loved the island of Ibiza. It made us want to visit other Balearic islands, like Minorca, which we also loved. The climate is incredible, even having been there in October we were able to swim and enjoy ideal temperatures. The island has wild aspects that we hadn’t imagined and which seduced us.

We really liked the fact that we could find designer and authentic restaurant addresses, which we had missed on our trips to the Canaries, as in Tenerife for example. The island is undoubtedly much more pleasant to visit out of season, summer Ibiza is known to be very touristy. But if you’re looking for a spring or autumn vacation destination, go for Ibiza! 💙