You’ve probably heard that Ibiza is the party capital of the world; It’s a title that’s well deserved!
My trip to Ibiza came about because I drank way too many mimosas and booked a cheap flight. I’m not sure why my mimosa-brain chose Ibiza because to be honest, the all-day drunken techno parties with everyone trying to show off how tiny their swimsuits and how tanned their pecs are doesn’t really appeal to me.
This may surprise some of you who know me because yes, I like beer and wine and perhaps a bit of tequila (and quite obviously mimosas or I never would have been in this situation in the first place). But I like to chill? Can we just chill and play Uno or go to a pub or have a campfire?
Here is my guide on experiencing (and loving) Ibiza while avoiding the party crowds.
Where to stay
More importantly, let’s talk about where you should not stay.
You should not stay in San Antonio.
Don’t get me wrong. Nothing bad happened, nothing was hideous, smelly, or dangerous. If you want to avoid the young party crowd then San Antonio likely isn’t the place for you. If I were going back, I would be staying closer to Ibiza Town even though it can get busy there too. Ibiza Town was the direction we naturally went in almost every day. It’s also the easiest place to catch a bus to anywhere else on the island.
Beaches: The Good and The Bad
My friend Angela and I went to 5 different beaches in 5 days. Let’s take a closer look at which beaches you should seek out and which ones you should avoid.
Day One: San Antonio beach
It was late by the time we started exploring San Antonio on our first night in Ibiza and we got there just in time for the sunset. The view from San Antonio beach impressed us quite a bit until we saw some other beaches around the island and realized that San Antonio beach is just a location where sand happens to meet water.
Bonus: No one tried to sell us drugs!
Day Two: Figueretas Beach
That’s more like it!
We assumed that if we got a bus from San Antonio to Ibiza Town that we would easily stumble upon the nearby beach. We assumed wrong. The 36 degree heat made the walk seem long and treacherous but really, it’s doable. After arriving at the beach, we had a lovely day going back and forth from our towels to the water.
Bonus: No one tried to sell us drugs!
Day Three: Calla Gracia
We payed 21 euros to use two lounge chairs and an umbrella. It was worth it.
If I could go back to this beach every day for the rest of my life, I would. When I was looking for beaches online, the description for this one claimed that it was unspoiled by tourists, family friendly, and secluded. Now, if I found it after a quick Google search, you can bet that the description isn’t completely true.
Clearly people know about it.
There were groups of young tourists, locals, and families. It wasn’t over crowded or secluded but it was quiet and clean!
There’s a restaurant and bar on the beach where we had great food and wine but more importantly, a wonderful experience with our delightful waiter. Nothing filled me with such joy as when he poured Angela some wine while singing “it was hiding, it was hiding! You deserve it, you deserve it!” and kissed her on the forehead.
Bonus: No one tried to sell us drugs!
Day Four: Playa Den Bossa
I’m not a very confrontational person and I don’t often get mad but I have something to say to anyone who has participated in absolutely terrorizing the natural surroundings of this area.
Shame. On. You.
If you’ve partied on this beach and left ALL your cans, bottles, chip bags, sandwich bags, dime bags, or whatever behind…
Shame. On. You.
Playa den Bossa is likely the beach you see on Ibiza advertisements where a group of girls are happily walking along the water arm in arm. It’s the beach we were told we had to see and experience. It’s the place to be!
It was a mess.
It could and should be a beautiful area and when we first arrived, I thought it was. The sand stretches all the way to Dalt Vila where you can see the old town walls jutting out into the sea. The boats in the water lazily bob up and down with the soft waves and you can watch the activities playfully going on in the water.
When the sun started to go down and the crowd started to migrate towards the house music coming from the beach bars, the beach was appalling. I don’t care if this is your vacation or if everyone else is doing it or if you’re too drunk to walk aaalllll the way to the garbage can. Pick up your crap.
On top of the garbage everywhere (have I said SHAME yet?) we were approached four times to buy tickets to the big clubs and you should have seen their faces when we said we had a big day planned and wanted to be in bed by midnight.
“But… the club doesn’t open until 2am…”
The guys selling tickets (there were girls too but they didn’t approach us which I assume is strategic) were, for the most part, respectful of our decision not to buy tickets from them but, without fail, every single one of them asked if we needed anything to “help the party”.
One moment of joy at Playa den Bossa was when, while people watching, I saw the most wonderfully awful beach strut from a stocky home-bro (totally a word). Beer in hand, shirt off, short shorts, and sneakers. If you ask me to, I will happily do an impression for you.
Bonus: There was sand. And water. Also sun.
Day Five: Port de San Miguel
Beach bum for life!
Heading to Ibiza with young children? Go to San Miguel. We went for a walk up to the Caves Can Marca and heard the hokey pokey blaring from three different resorts. The caves were closed by the time we got there but it looks pretty neat. If you happen to check it out, let me know how it was!
Bonus: No one tried to sell us drugs!
Extra Tips:
I was warned A LOT about safety before going to Ibiza. We did leave our bags when going in the water and even though we kept an eye on them from a distance, I don’t think it was our wisest decision. Out of the beaches listen above, I highly recommend keeping a close eye on your things at Playa den Bossa. NEVER take your passport, or any other important documents, to the beach with you. I don’t know why anyone would in the first place but… don’t.
We had absolutely no problems with feeling safe or with the safety of our belongings. I never felt threatened or cheated and no one tried to steal from me or swindle me out of my money. That being said, you have to be careful everywhere you go so use your common sense, as you would anywhere.
There are official nudist beaches as well, if that’s your thing, but I can’t help you with that since I didn’t go to any.
Different Types of Adventures
Dalt Vila
Don’t assume that Ibiza town is a drunken mess. There are booths where people are selling tickets to the big clubs and it’s a busy area but it’s no more “wild” than a touristy area anywhere else.
It’s also absolutely beautiful.
Some of the restaurants and bars will be crowded and overpriced but there are a few local gems to be found in the area as well. We never would have found some of these amazing places if it wasn’t for my new favorite travel obsession: walking tours.
Walking Ibiza Tours
I can’t say enough about the Walking Ibiza Food Tour that we went on. For the price you pay, you get more than what you would expect in food and drink. Our guide was brilliant and kind. Any man who stops to pick garbage off the street is A-OK in my books.
We were in a group of eight people, which was great. Small group tours are so much better for everyone involved. Our group consisted of the two of us and six lovely people from England. It was a great group and we had a lot of fun together.
Our tour group sampling some (a lot of) wine.
I can’t even look at this picture without getting emotional. BEST tapas bar in town.
Sadly, our kayaking tour was cancelled due to rough seas and I can’t blame them for that; it was pretty windy. One thing I’d keep in mind though is that if you plan on booking a kayaking tour do not book it on a Sunday unless you’re staying close to the area. We paid a total of 80 euros in cab fare just to get to the beach and back to our hotel in San Antonio because there are no buses that go out there on Sundays and the boats don’t run late enough to get back.
Although we didn’t get to experience the kayaking tour I still think you check it out. It’s s sunset tour that includes kayaking past, and listening to, a drum circle. Since the kayaking tour is run by the Walking Ibiza Food Tour, I’m confident in recommending it.
Ibiza is known for hosting famous DJs, deep house music, and busy party beaches but that shouldn’t deter you from planning your own vacation and enjoying it in whatever way you want to. There’s so much to do and see in Ibiza that has nothing to do with the major club scene. Don’t rule a place out because of it’s reputation. Ibiza has something for everyone to enjoy!
**Full Disclosure: I had one big party night at a big club (obviously). It was awesome and I’ll write about that too.
This is great advice! I’ve always been put off visiting Ibiza because I think of it as just being a party island. There are a few places I’ve been that have surprised me. It’s sad that sometimes one part of an island or country can taint it’s whole reputation.