Hotels near Mercat Vell

Mercat Vell (Old Market) is a 19th-century iron-and-brick market hall in the lower town that hosts a mix of fresh produce stalls, craft vendors, and street food from Wednesday through Saturday mornings (roughly 8 AM to 3 PM). Entry is free and it's a reliable place to put together a cheap lunch from local products - fresh bread, Ibicenco cheese (formatge pages), cured meats, and fruit at supermarket prices. The hall itself is an attractive piece of industrial architecture that the tourist buses mostly skip.

On Saturdays, an arts and crafts extension spills onto the surrounding streets, with local artists and ceramicists selling work at prices far below the Old Town boutiques. You don't need to buy anything - browsing the market, picking up a pastry, and sitting at one of the outdoor tables with a coffee (from about 1.50 EUR) makes for an easy and genuinely local morning.

Pro Tip: The stalls at the back of the hall near the fishmongers are where locals shop. Prices there run 20-30% cheaper than the tourist-facing stalls at the entrance. A complete picnic for two - bread, cheese, fruit, olives - costs around 8-10 EUR and is significantly better than anything at a beach bar.