Ibiza Town City Break from the UK — Weekend Guide & Itinerary

Overview

Why Ibiza Town for a city break?

Ibiza Town (Eivissa) is two entirely different cities inhabiting the same space — the Dalt Vila (the fortified upper town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Phoenician, Moorish and Renaissance layered history) and the contemporary resort city below it. Most British visitors know only the second. The Dalt Vila — the walled hilltop old city above the harbour — is a 16th-century military fortification enclosing medieval lanes, the Cathedral of Eivissa, the Puig des Molins necropolis (the largest Phoenician necropolis outside North Africa) and a rampart with the most spectacular sunset view in the western Mediterranean. The combination of extraordinary history and extraordinary nightlife in a single city is genuinely unusual.

From London and several UK airports it's just over two hours — easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, TUI and Vueling fly from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and others. Ibiza Airport is 7km from the city (bus L9, 30 minutes, €4 or taxi €15). Go from May to October: the clubs open from late May and close in October; the beaches are at their finest in June, September and early October when the summer crowds have thinned. July and August are extraordinary but crowded and expensive — book everything months ahead. The Dalt Vila is rewarding year-round.

Where to stay & explore

Ibiza Town's best neighbourhoods

Dalt Vila (Upper Town)

The UNESCO-listed fortified upper town — 16th-century walls, the Cathedral, Phoenician and Moorish history and the most atmospheric streets in Ibiza.

Sa Penya & the Port

The marina and nightlife district below the Dalt Vila — the ferry terminal, the best restaurants and the entrance to the club scene.

Es Viver & Figueretes

The residential beach suburbs east of the city — good-value accommodation, more local restaurants and the Figueretes town beach.

Things to do

What to see in Ibiza Town

1

Dalt Vila

The UNESCO-listed fortified upper town of Ibiza — the most complete Renaissance military fortification in Spain, built between 1555 and 1585 to resist Ottoman naval raids. Seven bastions, walls 25 metres high and 3 metres thick, and inside them a labyrinth of medieval lanes of Phoenician, Moorish and Christian layering. The Cathedral of Eivissa (13th-century Gothic, standing on the site of a Roman temple and a mosque) gives the finest view of the harbour and the Formentera horizon from its terrace. The MACE museum of contemporary art is also inside the walls. Enter through the Portal de las Tablas for the full arrival sequence.

2

Sunset from the Dalt Vila ramparts

The most famous sunset in the Mediterranean — the Dalt Vila ramparts, particularly the Baluard de Santa Llúcia, face due west over the sea and provide one of the most spectacular sunset viewpoints in Europe. The ritual of gathering for the sunset is one of the most genuinely social experiences Ibiza offers. Free at all hours; at sunset in summer expect a crowd but the view is worth it. The hippie market of Las Dalias (Santa Eulália, 15km north, bus connection) is a Saturday tradition of crafts, food and music.

3

Puig des Molins Necropolis

The largest Phoenician necropolis outside North Africa — over 3,000 Phoenician hypogea (rock-cut chamber tombs) carved into the hill south of the Dalt Vila, used from the 7th century BC to the Roman period. The museum above the site has extraordinary Phoenician and Ebusitan (the local Punic culture) objects including terracotta figurines, amulets and jewellery of exceptional quality. One of the most significant archaeological sites in the western Mediterranean, almost completely unknown to the tourists in the clubs below it.

4

Es Vedrà and the western coast

Es Vedrà — a 382-metre limestone rock rising vertically from the sea 2km off the western coast — is the most dramatic natural feature of Ibiza and the subject of extraordinary local legend (magnetic anomalies, UFO sightings, the home of the sirens of the Odyssey). The Cap des Falcó viewpoint above Cala Comte gives the finest view at sunset. The Cala Conte beach (bus or taxi, 20km from the city) is the most beautiful in Ibiza — two coves of clear water with Es Vedrà as the backdrop, at sunset orange.

Food & drink

Where to eat in Ibiza Town

La Brasa

Mediterranean / historic centre

The most beloved restaurant in Ibiza Town — a garden patio restaurant in the historic centre, below the Dalt Vila walls, with outstanding grilled fish (the local catch, daily specials), excellent Ibizan herbs and a menu that respects the ingredients without overcomplicating them. Book well ahead in season.

Can Alfredo

Traditional Ibizan / harbour

The finest traditional Ibizan restaurant in the city — a family restaurant in operation since 1934 serving the classics of Ibizan cuisine: sofrit pagès (the Ibizan meat and potato stew with saffron and aromatic herbs), bullit de peix (the Ibizan boiled fish and potato dish), grelos (wild greens). The most authentic version of Ibizan food in the city. Book ahead.

Mercado de La Tierra

Organic market / Saturday morning

The finest artisan food market in Ibiza — every Saturday morning in Santa Gertrudis (15km north, taxi or bus), local producers bring organic vegetables, Ibizan artisan cheese, honey, bread and the best hierbas ibicencas (the local herb liqueur). The most local and most authentic food experience on the island; the café-restaurant at the market serves excellent breakfast.

Itinerary

3 days in Ibiza Town — a suggested itinerary

Day 1

Dalt Vila, Phoenician necropolis, harbour sunset

Bus from the airport to the city (30 minutes). Walk up to the Dalt Vila through the Portal de las Tablas — the Cathedral terrace view, the MACE museum, the medieval lanes. The Puig des Molins necropolis and museum for the Phoenician history. Walk the ramparts at sunset — the Baluard de Santa Llúcia facing west. The harbour restaurants for dinner: La Brasa in the historic centre (booked ahead).

Day 2

Cala Conte beach, Es Vedrà sunset, nightlife

Bus or taxi to Cala Conte (20km, 40 minutes): the two coves, the clear water, the Es Vedrà rock as backdrop. Swim, rent a kayak to the smaller cove, have lunch at the beach restaurant. The Cap des Falcó viewpoint for the Es Vedrà sunset. Return to Ibiza Town for the aperitivo hour on the harbour. The nightlife: Ibiza's clubs (Pacha, Amnesia, DC10) open from midnight; for a more manageable evening, the cocktail bars of Sa Penya below the Dalt Vila are excellent.

Day 3

Santa Gertrudis market, island exploration, farewell

If it's Saturday: taxi to Santa Gertrudis for the Mercado de La Tierra (10am–2pm) — the artisan cheese, the herbs, the hierbas ibicencas. The village itself — the Bar Costa with its walls covered in art, the best coffee on the island. Drive or bus the northern coast: the hippie market at Las Dalias (Saturdays), the Cala de Sant Vicent, the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse in the south. Return to Ibiza Town for a final sofrit pagès at Can Alfredo before the airport bus.

Also worth considering

Cities similar to Ibiza Town