Ibiza

Summer is hot and dry, and the sea is warm enough for swimming from June to October. May, June, September and October are the best months for most visitors. Winters are mild but wetter, and many beach clubs and some hotels close.

The club season runs roughly from May to October. Flights and hotel prices are highest in this period. Visit in the shoulder months if you prefer quiet beaches.

• Dalt Vila is the walled upper town of Ibiza Town. Its 16th-century fortifications give wide views over the harbour and the sea.
• At the top of the hill, Catedral d'Eivissa is the main church of the old town and a good end point for a walk through Dalt Vila.
• Museo Monograpjic / Necròpoli de Puig des Molins shows finds from the Phoenician and Punic cemetery on the hill next to the old town.
• Sa Caleta Phoenician Settlement is the remains of an eighth-century BC Phoenician settlement on a headland south-west of Ibiza Town. It is part of the same World Heritage Site.
• Es Vedrà is a steep rock island about 380 m high off the south-west coast. Visitors cannot land on it. See it from the shore at sunset.
• Cala d'Hort is a beach with one of the best views of Es Vedrà. Come in the evening.
• Cala Comte is a group of clear-water coves on the west coast and a popular sunset spot.
• ses Salines is a long beach in a natural park with salt pans, in the far south.

• Watch the sunset: the west coast faces the sun at the end of the day. Many people watch it from the west-coast beaches and bring a drink and a towel.
• Hear the drummers at Benirràs: in summer, drummers play at sunset on Cala Benirràs. Arrive early to find space.
• Visit a hippy market: the Punta Arabí market in Es Canar runs every Wednesday from April to October. It is one of the best-known hippy markets on the island.
• Join a boat trip: day boats sail along the coast and to Formentera in the warm months.
• Dance at a club: the big clubs open for the season from about May to October. Check each club's opening nights before you go.

Most visitors stay on Ibiza. The best day out leaves the island.

• Formentera: about 30 minutes by fast ferry from Ibiza Town. It is a flat island with white sand beaches, clear water and cycle paths. Boats run more often from May to October.

Other places to visit from here:

• The island's main town is Ibiza Town, also called Eivissa. It has the old town, the marina and the ferry port.
• Formentera is the small island to the south, reached by ferry.
• Mallorca and Menorca are the other large Balearic Islands, reached by plane or a longer ferry.

The island has four municipalities: Sant Antoni de Portmany in the west, Santa Eulària des Riu in the east, Sant Josep de sa Talaia in the south-west and Sant Joan de Labritja in the north.

• By air: Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is in Sant Jordi, about 7.5 km south of Ibiza Town. International flights are mostly seasonal, from May to October. Flights from Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid run all year. Ibiza Airport
• Airport transfer: bus line 10 connects the airport with Playa d'en Bossa, Ibiza Town and the ferry port. It runs more often in summer. Taxis are the other option.
• By ferry: Baleària and Trasmediterránea sail from Barcelona, Valencia, Dénia and Palma. Dénia is the shortest mainland crossing, about 2 hours 15 minutes by fast ferry. Barcelona takes about 8 hours by regular ferry.
• By train or bus: there is no rail on the island. Reach the mainland ports by train or coach first.

• Bus: the island has a public bus network between Ibiza Town and the main resorts. Some lines run only in summer. Services are thinner in winter and in the evening.
• Taxi: taxis are the easiest way to reach a beach without a car, and to return late at night. Book ahead at busy times.
• On foot or by bike: the old town and the harbour are easy to walk. Distances between resorts are long, and beach roads are narrow. Cycling suits keen riders in spring and autumn.
• Information: Ibiza tourism board

• Is a car worth it?: yes, if you stay outside Ibiza Town and want quiet beaches or inland villages. For a stay in the old town or a resort on a bus line, taxis and buses are enough.
• Parking: beach car parks fill early in summer. Park outside the old town and walk up to Dalt Vila.
• Roads: many beach roads are narrow and winding. Allow extra time in July and August.

Look for local dishes such as bullit de peix, a fish dish that is the island's best-known meal, and sofrit pagès, a rustic meat stew. Flaó is a sweet pastry, and hierbas ibicencas is the local herb liqueur served after dinner.

For places to eat, go to the streets around the harbour in Ibiza Town and the old town. Village centres inland, such as Santa Gertrudis, are a good choice for a quieter meal. Beachside restaurants are busy in summer, so book ahead for sunset tables.

Ibiza is safe for visitors. Petty theft is the main problem. Take care with bags on beaches, in crowded clubs and on busy streets at night.

• Keep valuables out of sight in parked cars and on the sand.
• Do not buy drugs. They are illegal.
• Watch your drink in clubs and bars, and plan a safe way home. Use licensed taxis, not unmarked cars.
• Shops stop selling alcohol at 9:30 pm in the main party areas, including the West End of Sant Antoni. Drinking in the street can bring a fine.
• Never jump or climb between balconies.
• Summer sun is strong. Use sun protection and carry water on beach walks.
• Cliffs and rocky coves can be slippery. Be careful when you swim from rocks.

Phoenician settlers arrived on Ibiza in the eighth century BC. You can see their first settlement at Sa Caleta Phoenician Settlement. The nearby cemetery of Museo Monograpjic / Necròpoli de Puig des Molins holds thousands of graves from the Punic, Roman and Islamic periods.

Later rulers fortified the harbour hill. Dalt Vila has walls built between 1554 and 1585 to defend the island. UNESCO listed the old town, the archaeological sites and the sea-grass meadows around the island in 1999.

From the 1960s, travellers and artists came to the island. They shaped its hippy markets and its nightlife.

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