10 Top Things to Do in Ibiza, Spain

Cala Comte (Spanish: Cala Conta) consistently ranks among the most photographed beaches in the Balearics and is the headline cove on any list of Ibiza beaches. The beach stretches roughly 200 metres of pale sand and pebbles in three connected sections, with the view dominated by the islets of S'Illa des Bosc and S'Espartar to the southwest and Es Vedra in the distance.

The water grades from pale turquoise close to shore to a deep cobalt over the protected Posidonia sea-grass meadows offshore, making this one of the better snorkelling beaches on the island. Sunset Ashram, a beach restaurant on the cliff at the south end, is the best-known sunset venue here - drinks rather than dinner is the move. Two beach restaurants and a kiosk handle food in season.

Es Vedra is the 413-metre limestone islet that has decorated nearly every guidebook cover of Ibiza for half a century. It rises sheer from the sea about 2 km off the southwest coast and is part of the protected Cala d'Hort Nature Reserve, which forbids landing. The classic view is from Cala d'Hort beach, a small pebbly cove framed by pine cliffs - and one of the better swimming beaches in the area, with a couple of seafood restaurants on the sand.

For the postcard angle, drive 10 minutes north to the Mirador d'Es Savinar (also called Torre del Pirata), a clifftop watchtower 200 metres above the sea. Local folklore links Es Vedra to the sirens in Homer's Odyssey and to Roman cults of fertility, and modern hikers swear by the magnetic energy of the spot. The watchtower itself was built in 1763 as part of the Balearic coastal defence network.

The marina district at the foot of Dalt Vila is the social heart of Ibiza Town in the evenings. Around the harbour are Sa Marina and Sa Penya, the two old fishing barrios now lined with restaurants, cocktail bars, and the most concentrated nightlife outside Playa d'en Bossa. The promenade from Avinguda d'Espanya past the megayachts to Talamanca beach takes 45 minutes one way and is the best people-watching walk on the island.

For shopping, the small Hippy Market in Sa Penya runs Tuesday and Friday evenings in summer with leather goods, beachwear, and street food. Pacha, Ibiza's original superclub since 1973, sits 5 minutes' walk north of the marina near the Avinguda 8 d'Agost roundabout. Sa Brisa Gastrobar on Passeig de Vara de Rey is the locals' choice for early dinners; the bars on Carrer de la Verge fill up after 10 pm.

Formentera, the smallest of Spain's four main Balearic Islands, is the unmissable day trip from Ibiza and routinely makes top-10 lists of the world's best beaches for its white-sand coves at Ses Illetes and Platja de Migjorn. The ferry from Ibiza Town's port to La Savina takes 30 minutes - operators Trasmapi, Balearia, and Aquabus run sailings every 30-60 minutes from May through October, with round-trip tickets at EUR 35-55 depending on the operator and season.

At La Savina, rent a bicycle (EUR 8-10) or scooter (EUR 30-40) and follow the well-signposted Green Routes to Ses Illetes inside the Ses Salines Natural Park. Pack lunch from one of the chiringuitos at Ses Illetes, swim across the shallow channel to S'Espalmador for a wilder experience, and finish the day at Cap de Barbaria lighthouse for sunset before catching a return boat. The whole island is only 19 km long.

A short drive north of Sant Antoni, Cala Salada and the smaller adjoining Cala Saladeta form one of the most photographed beach pairs on the island. The two coves sit at the end of a single road through pine forest, with the larger Cala Salada featuring a small sand-and-pebble beach, a single restaurant, and a row of traditional whitewashed fishing boat sheds (the varaderos) at its north end.

Cala Saladeta - reached by a 5-minute clamber over rocks at the north end of Cala Salada - is the smaller, quieter cove and arguably the prettier of the two for swimming. The water clarity here ranks among the best on Ibiza thanks to the same Posidonia sea-grass meadows that protect the western beaches. Both coves sit within a designated protected area and parking is deliberately limited.

The west-coast resort of Sant Antoni de Portmany (Spanish: San Antonio) is a classic holiday-resort town with one defining draw at dusk - the sunset strip along Carrer del Cap Negret and the rocky beach platform at Caló des Moro, where Café del Mar, Café Mambo, and Mint Lounge sit shoulder to shoulder. The chillout-music tradition here was pioneered by DJ José Padilla at Café del Mar in the 1980s and remains the defining Ibiza sunset experience.

Each bar runs a free-entry deck (drinks-only minimum) facing west across the bay - arrive 90 minutes before sunset for a front-row spot in summer. Just south of the strip is the Egg roundabout (a sculpture of Christopher Columbus's egg, marking Sant Antoni's claim to his birthplace) and the cathedral, with the harbour 5 minutes' walk further along. The West End party district is two streets back from the seafront.

Ses Salines is the 18.4 km² UNESCO-listed nature reserve that covers the southern tip of Ibiza and the strait between Ibiza and Formentera. The salt flats themselves have been worked since Phoenician times - around 60,000 tonnes of sea salt are still harvested each year - and host flamingos, herons, and rare migratory birdlife. Boardwalks at the salt-pan edges allow easy walking without disturbing the wildlife.

The two main beaches inside the park are Platja de Ses Salines (a long sandy beach with the legendary beach clubs Sa Trinxa and Jockey Club) and Es Cavallet, Ibiza's official nudist and LGBTQ+ beach, fronted by pine dunes and a protected Posidonia sea-grass meadow. Birdwatching is best at the Torre de Ses Portes viewpoint at the far southern tip, where you can also see Formentera across the strait.

Las Dalias has run continuously in the village of Sant Carles de Peralta in northern Ibiza since 1985 and is the larger and more atmospheric of the island's two famous hippy markets (the other is Hippy Market Punta Arabí in Es Cana, which runs Wednesdays). Around 200 stalls fill the gardens, courtyards, and adjacent fields with handmade leather, Indian textiles, silver jewellery, ceramics, and incense.

The market is free to enter and runs 10 am to 8 pm every Saturday from May through October, with a smaller winter version on selected dates and a Sunday Night Market in midsummer. The on-site bar (originally a 1950s petrol station) has been a gathering point for Ibiza's bohemian community for decades and serves food and drinks all day. Live music kicks off mid-afternoon on weekends.

Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera is the most charming inland village on Ibiza and a deliberate counterpoint to the coastal resort towns. Whitewashed cube houses, the plaza-fronted 18th-century church, and pedestrianised lanes form a small rural centre that turns into one of the island's best food-and-drink hubs after dark. The village sits roughly in the geographic centre of Ibiza, equidistant from the eastern and western coasts.

The village hosts the famous Bar Costa - a tapas bar that pioneered the now-classic Ibicenco platter of jamón Ibérico, sobrasada cheese, and country bread. Around the plaza you find Macao (Italian), Wild Beets (vegan), and the long-running Casi Todo auction house. Antique galleries, eco fashion boutiques, and surf-coffee shops pepper the side lanes off Carrer Venda de Casetes. Dinner here pairs well with a stop at the Sant Mateu wine cellars 15 minutes north.