Ibiza has a deserved reputation as the most famous party island in Spain and probably the entire world. A surprise to many people looking for things to do in Ibiza is that an equal number of visitors flock to this gorgeous island to partake of its laidback lifestyle, best in class beaches, natural landscapes, and general fun activities as do for its notorious super clubs and beach party bars.
There is something to do in Ibiza for everyone. You can seclude yourself on beaches and in the sea, experience delicious fresh seafood, take in sunsets with wonderful drinks, relive times gone by, or dance all night long until you drop.
After wild nights out, there is also plenty to see in Ibiza. Visitors have postcard perfect beaches to enjoy, a UNESCO world heritage site in the Ibiza Old Town Dalt Vila, and whitewashed traditional villages to explore in the peaceful interior of the island.
Wherever you go, you will be a hop away from one of the renowned island’s 15 Blue Flag beaches. We look at the 30 best activities to do in Ibiza and sites to see in Ibiza here (in no particular order).
What to do in ibiza? The 30 Best Things to See and Do in Ibiza
1. Visit Ibiza Cathedral
Ibiza’s Old Town contains many interesting sites and a maze of alleys that would keep anyone entertained exploring. Among the many boutiques, galleries, and local shops such as bakeries are tucked some charm-oozing historic squares such as Plaza de la Vila and Plaza de Sa Carrosa.
One of the great attractions to see in Ibiza here is the Ibiza Cathedral located at the highest part of the old city. The cathedral occupies a breathtaking outlook that lets you see the beautiful water.
You can spend at least a few minutes taking in the ancient gothic silver and gold interiors and monstrance. These pieces date back to 1399, while the gothic-styled panels painting are from the 1300’s and 1400’s.
2. Appreciate the UNESCO World Heritage Ibiza Old Town Dalt Vila
Going to see the historic cathedral gives you an excuse to make a half day or more of the surrounding Old Town. Ibiza’s historic quarter is called the Dalt Vila. This enchanting section of town is justifiably a UNESCO World Heritage site and something you must see in Ibiza.
Spanish Emperor Charles V constructed the impressive renaissance era fortifications back in the 1500’s. He built the walls of the island’s principal town to ward off Berber pirates and attacks from the neighboring French forces.
Among the many things to do in Ibiza, you can enjoy a short tour of the fortifications themselves to see the seven individual bastions. Each of them has their own different story. For example, the Santa Lucia bastion contains the 1700’s era powder magazine.
You can enjoy fantastic views of the harbor and old fishing quarters from here too. As you go up through the gate of the fortifications you enter the Dalt Vila proper.
Here you will take in not only the shimmering whitewashed structures but enormous cacti and beautiful flowers. It all looks out over the remainder of Ibiza town and the coastline to give a picture perfect view.
Definitely take your camera along for this trip when you are looking for the best things to see in Ibiza.
3. Experience Playa d’en Bossa
One of the primary resorts of Ibiza not to be missed is Playa d’en Bossa. It lies astride the island’s longest beach. Hot summer days reveal it as a paradise for the younger partying bunch.
It is frequented by the previous night’s partiers sleeping to catch up on their rest for the next night, all to the beat of slower music pumped by the deejays along the beachfront.
You have many choices for places to eat or take away food on this beach resort. For the more energetic there are also paddleboats and skis to rent alongside the beach. After dark the resort comes alive with energy all the way until the dawn.
This is where you will find two of the largest nightclubs in Ibiza in Space and Ushuaia within the resort. They are not to be missed attractions to see in Ibiza.
Read also: Where to stay in Ibiza
4. Spend the Day at Talamanca Beach
One of the biggest beaches on the island is Talamanca. This is convenient for anyone making Ibiza town their base as it only lies several minutes away from the marina. On this beach you will encounter snow white colored sand that has some development as a backdrop.
The scenery is still pretty with hills covered in pines and a little holiday complex at Cap Martinet. This beach is a good place to see in Ibiza as it is family friendly and safe for children because of its location in between two headlands providing gentle waters.
The beach offers excellent locations for a meal. These range from cosmopolitan choices on to the local Balearic specialties such as bullit de peix (seafood stew). Talamanca beach can easily take up half a day or longer for families.
5. Trek the North of the Island at Punta d’es Moscarter
In the north of this little island there is an excellent place for trekking, a worthwhile thing to do in Ibiza. This northern tip boasts farms, forests of pine trees, and an endearing coastline sprinkled with deep coves that nestle holiday communities.
A change in the usual Ibiza experience is to put on your best walking shoes to traverse the trail running along the cliff top. This starts at Portinatx and extends all the way to the lighthouse.
At over 150 feet high (52 meters), the 1970s era lighthouse remains the highest structure built by man on Ibiza.
You will feel like you have accomplished something when you finish the trek through the juniper and pine forest, and your reward will be the incredible photographs you capture off of the headland.
6. Enjoy the Quieter Resort of Santa Eulalia
There are other choices for activities to do in Ibiza besides wild nightlife. Santa Eulalia is one of these with its beloved family resort found on the island’s east coast. It lies 10 miles (around 15 kilometers) to the northeast of Ibiza Town. Here you can experience more peace and quiet than in the capital and noisier party resorts.
Almost all of the seafront is covered by a glorious golden beach of sand. Thanks to the resort lying mostly astride the beach, you will have no lack of places to eat and shop to help pass the day in comfort.
One enjoyable diversion here is the scenic promenade that runs behind the beach. It is partially shaded by palm tree fronds and charmingly decorated by wrought from iron lamp posts.
The one golf course in Ibiza is also found here by the resort. There is also an interesting Saturday Las Dalias Hippie Market located only minutes from the resort in San Carlos. You can also climb up the hill of Puig de Missa and take in the charming old church sitting atop the hill.
7. Experience the Parties and Beaches of San Antonio
Hordes of people still come to the island for its parties that are among the most famous things to do in Ibiza. This second biggest town of San Antonio earned its international reputation as the party central back in the decades of the 1980s and 1990s.
It may have matured somewhat since then, but this remains the best bet for anyone who is seeking out the euphoric combination of internationally renowned party clubs and beautiful beaches.
By day, the bay provides the backdrop for little sandy beaches washed by the clear seas. You can stroll down the promenade for drinks ranging from coffee to beer en route and appreciate the egg monument to Columbus.
The world famous super clubs provide buses to help you get to all of the after-sunset action at Es Paradis and Eden party clubs. Partying is a huge thing to do in Ibiza still.
8. Experience the Magical Sunsets of Cala Comte
The best kept beach secret on Ibiza might be the Cala Comte. It is often regarded as the finest beach on Ibiza. Lying reasonably close to San Antonio, the beach is easily connected in summer time by ferries and buses.
This around 2,500 feet long (800 meters) stretch of sand tightly follows the rocky coast contours. The view will amaze you and erase any doubts you had about making the trip. A wedge shaped island lying offshore causes there to be turquoise colored water in pools that look like lagoons.
Behind the rocks are a number of bars that get full on summer evenings for the incredible sunset views the coastline here offers.
Read also: Best beaches in Ibiza
9. Relax at Ibiza’s World Class Spas
Ibiza today enjoys a reputation for its world class holistic spas and relaxation that equals its party club and dance music scene. You will encounter 15 individual spas throughout this island.
A large number of them are found within hotels or apartment complexes. The remainders are mostly in clubs that allow members and visitors alike to enter.
A great example is Atzaro Spa that is a part of a peaceful agritourism compound enclosed by olive and citrus groves within the countryside of Ibiza. You have an incredible range of activities and treatments here.
There are yoga classes, a cutting edged gym, and a 130 foot (43 meter) long pool. For treatments, you can partake of a range of experiences including facials, peels, mani-pedis, and a range of different massages.
10. Visit Es Vedra Island
A beautiful but uninhabited natural park just off the coast of Ibiza is Es Vedra island. Transportation is available from Ibiza Town and San Antonio via boat. Water sports companies throughout the island lead snorkeling and jet skiing tours to Es Vedra as well.
The island has a mystical quality about it that makes it feel like you are on another world. This rugged island is anchored by a monolithic limestone slab that reaches over 1,250 feet (413 meters) high.
You should not forget your camera when you arrive to document the incredible landscapes and wildlife. Visitors here will see interesting falcons, lizards, and goats on Es Vedra.
11. Taste Some of Ibiza’s Signature Cuisine
A specialty unique in the Balearic Islands that you should try while here is called Sobrasada. This pork delicacy is much like a cured sausage made of ground up soft pork and seasoned using paprika. While the dish is a favorite throughout Spain, it comes from Ibiza and Mallorca islands originally.
Bullit de peix is another authentic local main course. You can enjoy this wonderful fish stew in restaurants that feature local food throughout Ibiza. The stew is comprised of potatoes and grouper alongside shrimp and lobster. Aioli is served on the side.
Read also: Best restaurants in Ibiza
12. Make A Wish at Cala D’Hort
Cala D’Hort appears at first glance to be just another beautiful beach, this one fronting the magical Es Vedra. Local folklore holds that you can make a wish while standing here and looking off to Es Vedra, and your wish will come true.
For sure the views of mythical and legend enshrouded Es Vedra will take your breath away and inspire you. Following your wish making experience, prepare to take in a world-class sunset that is called among the most gorgeous in all of Ibiza. The sun here casts unique shadows on Es Vedra as it sets.
13. Try Out Some Water Sports
The sea is an incomparable backdrop to most of Ibiza, making it a perfect place to try out various water sports. Each of the principal resort beaches has its own center for water sports where you can take up parasailing, jet skis, and water skiing. Besides this, they also feature kayaking and stand-up paddling among their attractions.
Ibiza Town also allows you to charter your own yacht. If you have sailing experience you can go for a solo sail. Otherwise, captains will take you to any coastal place on Ibiza that you wish to go on their boats.
14. Learn to Scuba Dive in Ibiza
Ibiza also offers 17 individual diving schools throughout the island. Because of the incredible clear water and numerous drop offs and caves beneath the water this is an excellent place to learn the sport.
These classes are ideal for families and first time divers, and they feature personal attention from instructors who are qualified to teach. One of the centers here boasts more first time scuba divers than anywhere in all of Spain.
You will enjoy a guided tour of the reefs led by a dive master when you are ready. Expect to see beautiful schools of fish, octopus, and dolphins in this captivating experience.
15. Encounter the Unique Cap Blanc
When you are looking for something interesting to do in Ibiza, this may be the most unique aquarium that you have ever seen at Cap Blanc. Lying only a few minutes from San Antonio, it is within a sea cave in which the locally based fishermen once placed their lobster traps.
Today families and children are able to go below ground to take in an amazing variety of marine life. This includes conger, morays, rays, and grouper. Another feature of the center is that it allows injured sea turtles to recuperate.
The attraction is easy to enjoy as raised boardwalks pass over and along the lit up pools of the cave where the sea life is showcased.
16. Take in Some Nature-Oriented Family Attractions
Ibiza also offers some lower key attractions for families. These are heavily based around nature encounters and not so flashy as some of those that larger Mediterranean resorts boast.
Instead of carnivals and water parks, the island offers Horse Valley just outside of Ibiza Town. The stables here have gathered badly treated ponies and horses to set up a variety of excursions around the island’s rugged northern area.
Ibiza also boasts two locations of go-karts. You can find these in Santa Eulalia and San Antonio. Children of all ages are sure to enjoy the go-kart tracks in Ibiza.
17. Catch the Ferry Out to Formentera
Formentera is a world apart from Ibiza. This little island that lies off of the south coast of the island is worth a visit from anyone who wants to see something different. The beauty and ambience of Formentera is completely different from the vast majority of Mediterranean locales.
This starts with its beaches like Calo des Mort and Playa de Ses Illetes. They appear to be tropical as if they were lying in the Caribbean instead of the Mediterranean Sea. The sands are sugary white while the waters have a turquoise appearance.
The interior of the island is completely unspoiled too. Renting a bike is a perfect way to take in the little tracks that lead through tiny whitewashed hamlets.
Anywhere you travel here, you can not get farther way from the coast than a thousand feet (several hundred meters) and perfect sandy beaches. This is where everyone tired from the partying scene goes to relax and chill out.
18. Take in the Peaceful Beaches of the Northeast
The northeast of Ibiza boasts a string of peaceful paradise beaches that are far from the noisy crowds. Anyone who has rented a car and wants to go to the quietest beaches available can not go wrong with the sleepy beaches and clear waters that lie along the northeast coast.
You could easily make an afternoon going from one of these beaches to the next. The place to start is at Playa Cala Xarraca where you can sunbathe on the stone pier. From here move up to Playa de La Cueva (De Portinatx) with its rocky beach. You can finish up a perfect afternoon on the blissful sandy stretches of Cala D’En Serra.
19. Experience the Ibiza Institution of Cafe Del Mar
An institution that you should not miss on Ibiza is Cafe Del Mar. This is the famed sunset bar on the beach that has been providing smooth sundowners since the year 1980. It boasts the most perfect sunsets around.
Lying on San Antonio beyond the main strip this cool place provides relaxing beats, great drinks, and among the best views to be had in the area. You will have to arrive early in order to get a seat that comes with a view or to have any possibility of finding yourself close to the bar.
20. Partake of the Drumming Ritual at Berrinas Beach
Each Sunday night there is an unusual drumming ceremony held at Berrinas Beach as the sun sets. This has become the must-be place for Sunday evenings on Ibiza. The sandy bay is large on this northern part of the island, and it offers an incomparable golden light that visitors and locals alike come to take in well in advance of sunset.
You can dance, participate in, or just watch the upbeat hippie drumming ritual that occurs each end of the week just as the sun sets over the horizon. Visitors are encouraged to chant along.
21. Party at the World’s Craziest Club Elrow at Amnesia
Elrow at Amnesia has been called the party club of all night clubs. It offers theatrics that you can not afford to miss while on Ibiza. This world famous Sunday night event takes place in Amnesia, and it enjoys a reputation as the craziest party to be had anywhere on earth.
You will experience costumes, glitter, confetti, trapeze, and inflatables here. Couple this with their world renowned deejays pounding out the beats and you have what proves to be a sell-out every time they hold it. Do not miss it!
22. Try the Freshest Seafood on Ibiza
For the freshest seafood in Ibiza, you should head out to the extreme end of Talamanca Beach. The place may not look like a world-class restaurant with its gathering of umbrellas, plastic chairs, and tables, but the Fish Shack boasts the freshest seafood on the island.
Waiters will tell you the various fish that they caught from the sea for the day. All fish include a healthy portion of salad (complete with olive oil) and potatoes. The Fish Shack is both affordable and extremely delicious.
23. Try the Best Homemade Mediterranean Food on the Island
There is a once kept secret restaurant hidden in the interior of Ibiza that you should not miss. Paloma does not feature the fresh seafood along the beach or the Old Town’s tapas. Instead you will get a meal made up of hearty and homemade Mediterranean dishes that are cooked from beautiful local produce.
You can dine beneath the stars in the evenings. It is not unusual to find the neighboring table has a few celebrities on vacation. It is hard to beat the peaceful garden Mediterranean restaurant Paloma in the island’s middle.
24. Get Away From the Crowds at Cala Saladeta
One of the clearest water beaches you will find in Ibiza is Cala Salada. Located reasonably close to San Antonio, you will still require a car to reach it. It is only a drive of 10 minutes from the resort town. The rocky beach itself is found just beyond the forested parking area.
From your car you hike through steps that are steep down to the water. While Cala Salada is memorable, it is the more amazing, beautiful, and peaceful Cala Saladeta that you want to visit. This requires that you climb over the rocks so be sure to wear good walking shoes.
25. Experience the Ultimate Party Hotel At Pikes
Pikes Hotel has been called the home of hedonism for decades now. The compound is actually a luxurious hotel complete with a pool, a restaurant, and several bars that all contribute to its sultry reputation.
Visitors have been leaving Pikes with amazing stories to tell going back to the early 1980s. The 1400s era stone mansion once was the backdrop of the video “Club Tropicana” by party band Wham! Freddie Mercury also threw many notorious parties here back in the day.
The decades have not dulled the place’s reputation. Ibiza Rocks operates it today and rents out the 29 individual rooms. It is by the pool where the infamous parties still occur.
26. Go To A Colorful Ibiza Festival
Ibiza hosts a number of colorful festivals throughout the year. If you can time your visit to catch one (or more) of them, then your trip will be even more memorable. Two that you should try to catch are Festa de Maig and Festa de Nostra Sanyora (de la Victoria).
Festa de Maig is an incomparable spring flower festival that occurs the first Sunday of May and is held in Santa Eulalia. The festival’s deserved reputation makes it among the most colorful festivals in all of the Balearics.
Meanwhile Festa de Nostra Sanyora (de la Victoria) occurs in May on the second Sunday, making it possible to combine the two festivals. This one occurs in Port de Soller and Soller on Ibiza’s sister island Mallorca. Here you will enjoy reenactments of impressive battles that recreate the attack of the Turkish pirates back in 1561.
27. Attend the Ibiza Medieval Fair
The Ibiza Medieval Fair is a tradition that now draws in over 100,000 visitors and locals every year. They come from around the globe to enjoy three days of the Old Town Dalt Vila being turned into a huge open street theater.
Visitors will be able to take in musical shows and singing, dance shows, and performances of street theater throughout the Old Town’s colorful alleys. There are also fantastic exhibitions of falcons, chocolate makers, silver jewelers, handcraft artists, and more.
This Medieval Fair celebrates both the island’s rich Medieval history and the anniversary of Dalt Vila being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Center. It occurs in the first half of May each year.
Visitors are guaranteed to love the animals, crafts, markets, musicians, jugglers, shows, drinks and food, falcon exhibitions, and excellent entertainment that hails back to the days when three religious groups (Christians, Muslims, and Jews) from a range of ethnic backgrounds all lived peacefully together in Ibiza.
The festival is a feast for the senses and offers something for everyone of all ages. Visitors repeatedly call this a wonderful experience on Ibiza.
28. Shop at the Figueretes Hippy Market
Ibiza also boasts some interesting markets that you should not miss while you are here. In the months of May through October, Figueretes seafront welcomes a sunset market that stretches for more than 300 feet (or 100 meters) in length.
Around thirty different craft stalls featuring hippy type exhibits provide excitement and bring life to this bustling area of bars, restaurants, and cafes within the center of Ibiza Town. The market overlooks the walled historic Old Town Dalt Vila and provides views of Playa D’en Bossa to the right.
In this interesting market, you will be able to pick up little treasures that are made by hand. A great number of them are authentically produced locally on Ibiza island. These range from ceramics to clothing to bags, costume jewelry, and decorative items.
29. Explore the Marina De Ibiza
The Marina de Ibiza is where the now-legendary reputation of the island began decades ago. This area is actually comprised of two neighborhoods in the Port and La Marina. This is where the island’s myth that transformed it into among the most incredible tourist brands in the world started.
The port and marina are beautiful and marked by narrows streets fronted by white washed houses with time-worn roofs. Here you will smell smoke and saltpeter drifting from the chimneys.
The neighborhoods lie at the base of the Renaissance-era walls encompassing the Old Town of Dalt Vila which became a UNESCO world heritage site more than 20 years ago. Here you can also enjoy the inspiring scene in summer of impressive huge yachts anchored in la marina.
Once you have allowed the sites and sounds to wash over you in this colorful district, you can then catch a boat that will take you to other parts of Ibiza Town or out to Formentera island.
30. Pick Up Souvenirs at the Sant Joan Craft Market
Another market not to miss is the Sant Joan Craft Market that takes place in Ibiza all year round, each day from 10am to 4pm. This craft market features items produced locally as well as around the globe.
You can pick up great souvenirs to remember your trip to Ibiza here, including leather, jewelry, wood carvings, and more.
Be sure to try out some of the organic items featured here including honey, vegetable, and fruit, all locally produced of course. The market is held at Sant Joan de Labritja.
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