Road-Tripping Spain and Southern France Plus Ibiza in 12 Days – DAY 10
What does come to your mind when you come across the word “Ibiza”? To me, it is the Vengaboys singing “Hey, we’re going to Ibiza…!” Ibiza is the most popular Balearic island of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Beaches, white-painted houses, music events, boat parties, discotheques, and more – Ibiza is all these. During summers, it becomes the ultimate destination for clubbers. Best of the DJs of the world, like David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, and more, would descend here at that time. It was during summers only when Richie and I visited Spain. We nailed a road-trip in Spain from Seville to Barcelona, and then took a flight to Ibiza to spend the last 2 nights there before we headed back to our homes. This 48-h itinerary would tell you what best you can do in your short Ibiza vacation during summers.
Highlights of the Day
- Fly to Ibiza
- AirBnb Stay
Flight from Barcelona to Ibiza
We spent two super-packed busy days exploring Barcelona. We woke up quite late after a long night in Barcelona. In case you want to know what we did in the last two days in Barcelona, you can click here. We requested Dani, the owner of the cute AirBnb campervan that we were staying in Barcelona, for a late check-out as our flight was supposed to depart at 5 PM. Luckily, Dani was not expecting any guests on that day, so we could check out late.
It was a super lazy morning. We went to a nearby supermarket and got us multigrain breads and plant-based dips. That was our brunch. I have noticed that on some days, we would be up for fancy brunch or dinner, and some days we would not not look forward to have a proper meal. This was one such day. We lazed in the van, got fresh, and at around 2 PM, we checked out and handed over the van-keys to Dani. He helped us book a taxi straight to the airport.
Sadly, as we reached the airport, we got to know that our particular flight has been delayed by 2 hours. We had plans to head to San Antonio as we reach Ibiza to catch excellent sunset views. However, that plan was never executed. We managed to kill some time in the airport before boarding the flight at around 7 PM.
We reached Ibiza airport at around 8 PM. The bus stop is outside the last gate of the airport. We had booked our stay for 2 nights with AirBnb in the heart of Ibiza Town – the capital of Ibiza – close to Ibiza port. The bus L10 directly connects Ibiza airport and Ibiza port. The bus dropped us very close to our accommodation from where Sandra, our host, escorted us to the stay.
AirBnb Accommodation in Ibiza
We have got a cozy and comfortable stay at Avenue Espana. The area is close to the Ibiza port and easily accessible to different parts of the white island by public transport. Our room had a comfortable bed and was spacious. However, the best feature of the room was that it had a balcony overlooking the city.
We basically did nothing much on that day except traveling from Barcelona to Ibiza. We saved all our energy for the next day as we had planned to visit the whole of Ibiza island – explore the old town, best beaches of the island, and experience the best sunset, before heading to a club of our choice in the night. Goodnight!
Road-Tripping Spain and Southern France Plus Ibiza in 12 Days – DAY 11
There are more to this beach-adorned, pine-rigged white island than boat parties and discotheques. However, if you are a first-timer, it is obvious that you would spend most of your time in Ibiza’s two most popular resorts – San Antonio and Playa d’en Bossa. San Antonio is an alluring open bay, with renowned sunset cafes and clubs, lively nightlife, and huge amount of water activities. Playa d’en Bossa is Ibiza’s longest beach dotted with cool beach bars and home to famous clubs like Ushuaia, Hi Ibiza, and more. We were also first-timers, so we had to visit these places. In addition to these, we also visited few more interesting places in the island. Moreover, we used only public transport to get around. I present you the best itinerary for exploring Ibiza in a day as a first-timer.
Highlights of the Day
- Falafel Wrap for Breakfast
- Explore UNESCO-listed Dalt Vila
- Beachtime at Playa d’en Bossa
- Lunch at Roni’s Deli and Burger
- Hippy Market at Las Dalias
- Sunset Ashram at Cala Conta
- Privilege Night Club
Powerful Day Starts with Good Breakfast
Our love for Lebanese food is very strong. We were more than happy when Sandra told us about few Lebanese food joints around our accommodation. It was going to be a long day – we certainly needed a great breakfast to jump start the day. It was around 9 AM we left the house, and around the corner, we discovered a falafel wrap joint. Blessed!
Soak in Dalt Vila
After breakfast, we headed to the UNESCO-listed Old Town, called Dalt Vila, which actually means “Upper Town”. Dalt Vila is rich in cultural and historic artefacts. It is all about old castle, strong ramparts, cathedral, museums, and more.
We lost ourselves in the labyrinth of narrow, winding, steep cobbled streets of the old town. We realized that we had walked further away from the tourist areas and got into the residential areas when we spotted plenty of bougainvillea plant decorating the walls of the whites houses and local children playing football in front of those houses. This gave us a feel of real Ibiza.
If you have some time in hand, then it is worth to see early 3000 years of Ibizan history in the Archaeological Museum. It is situated in the same square as the Cathedral. You can also visit the Puget Museum, which hosts a collection of 130 paintings including oil paintings, watercolors and drawings. There is also the Museum of Contemporary Art to visit, depending on your area of interest.
We took our own sweet time walking down the streets enjoying each and every fascinating detail of the Old Town – antique shops, ancient jewelry shops, stone courtyards, private chapels, gift shops, art galleries, and more. Then we headed to Playa d’en Bossa.
Beachtime at Playa d’en Bossa
The bus line L14 seamlessly connects Ibiza Town and Playa d’en Bossa. It takes around 20 min. From Dalt Vila, we walked a kilometer to the Eivissa Bus Terminal to board the bus. The bus took only 15 min to drop us in front of the Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel. The beach was just a minute walk down there. The beach is dotted along its length with the infamous beach party spot Bora Bora, delicious restaurants like Beachhouse, Sir Rocco, and more, and also 4-star and 5-star hotels like Ushuaia Beach Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, Santos Ibiza Suites, Bora Bora Apartments, and more.
Lunch at Roni’s Deli and Burger
After beachplay, we headed to Roni’s Deli and Burger – the no. 1 ranked restaurant in TripAdvisor. They had vegan-friendly menu. They are known to serving you healthy and delicious food. We had ordered a Mix Plate and a Veggie Burger. The mix plate had jacket potatoes, tofu, and a big portion of steamed organic veggies. The veggie burger had a veggie patty, onions, tomatoes, greens, and Roni’s burger sauce. That was a fulfilling lunch for us. I also had a portion of Nice Cream – it is all natural, non-dairy, non-sugary, lean, and healthy ice cream made from frozen fruits, almond milk and a hint of stevia. Richie preferred fresh homemade Lemonade made of Ibizan lemons. All these cost us €45.Yes, the food was pricey, but it was sinfully tasty for the soul.
Hippy Market at Las Dalias
No visit to Ibiza is complete without a visit to the world’s original hippie epicenter at Las Dalias. So we headed there with three bus changes in total – L14 from Playa d’en Bossa to Eivissa Terminal, L13 to Santa Eularia station, and then L16 to Las Dalias. The whole journey took 1.5 h. It was around 4 PM when we reached there. The market is open on Saturdays from 10 AM to 8 PM. If it is a Wednesday, then head to Punta Arabi Hippy Market at Es Canar,
Las Dalias village located in San Carlos area was once swamped with hippies in the 50s-70s, and eventually it has turned out to be a cultural hub. The place is best known for its Saturday Hippy Market, mostly because of its appealing and charming vibes. This market is one of the oldest ones on the island as it had started out in the early 50-s with a few market stalls and roadside bars. In today’s scenes, it hosts 200 stalls and 20,000 visitors wandering around the market.
In the market, we discovered many brands from the island showing off their embroidered bags, boho boots, handmade soaps, crochet dresses, and much more. There are many fusion restaurants in the market where you can enjoy a tasty meal, but we were very full, so we skipped that thought of eating out anything there. Instead, we pampered ourselves with a body massage. It is a great place to catch the Ibiza vibes.
Sunset Ashram at Cala Conta
At around 5.30 PM, we left Las Dalias market and took the bus L16 to Santa Eularia station. This took around 20 min. From there, we took another bus L19 to Sant Antimony de Portmany station, or simply San Antonio Port. This took around 30 min. Of course, it came to our mind once whether we should head to San Antonio Sunset Strip as it is known to be the world’s most famous sunset destination. It was just a few minutes walk from the bus station. We had plans to come here the day before, but due to flight delay, we could not. We were feeling dicey.
However, I remembered reading in few blogs that the sunset experience from Sunset Ashram at Cala Conta beach is unmatchable, even better than San Antonio Sunset Strip. So I trusted those bloggers and took the bus L4 to Cala Conta. This took around another 30 min. So, finally, we reached there at around 7 PM. I guess we took the best decision – never in our lives, we had witnessed such magical beach sunset.
Not only Sunset Ashram is the best sunset viewing destination in Ibiza, it also serves delicious vegan foods. Richie and I had a vegan feast of hummus, baba ghanoush, Azuki beans, homemade vegan cheese, and basil oil – a perfect dinner for us for €23. After a whole day of using public transport, finally we took a taxi for a change to head back to our accommodation.
Sleep or Not?
It was 10 PM in the night and we both were pretty tired, and were walking up the stairs of our building. We both were a bit sleepy. However, Richie was telling we should go party, as it was the last night. Moreover, it was summers, so Ibiza would have the best DJs playing across the clubs. There are too many good clubs, like Ushuaia, Pacha, Amnesia, Privilege, Hi Ibiza, and more. We were not very sure where to head to.
Suddenly, we bumped into a guy walking down the stairs in the same apartment. We got to know from him that he was a resident DJ at Privilege, and there was going to be Hip Hop and RnB music in the club that night. There it clicked! We changed our mind to sleep and changed our dresses to head to the club. It was the last night not only in Ibiza but it was the last night of our Spain vacation – we had to go crazy! The club entry fee was €55 per person – expensive but worth it!
Privilege Night Club
Disco buses run all the night connecting Ibiza Town, Playa d’en Bossa, San Antonio, and Es Canar to all the major clubs of the city. But as I had mentioned earlier, we were a little tired, so we just flagged down a taxi and headed to Privilege, which cost us around €15 one way.
Privilege is the “World’s Biggest Club” – the mainroom has a huge floorspace similar to an aircraft hangar. It is known that Privilege could fit the whole of most of the other clubs in Ibiza inside it. Privilege has become famous for providing the glory and magnificence, like no other can. Privilege has a different kind of grandeur – with so many different rooms and a swimming pool as well. It is hard to comprehend unless you witness it by yourself.
We had drained off all the energy we had left in us by around 4 AM and headed back to our accommodation by a taxi. We managed to get around 5 hours sleep before we got up to check out from our accommodation.
Road-Tripping Spain and Southern France Plus Ibiza in 12 Days – DAY 12
It was the last day in Ibiza and also in Spain. Luckily our flight was at 8 PM from Ibiza Airport, so we had plenty of time in hand. We had explored must-see places of Ibiza island on the previous day. Hence on the last day, we wanted to escape the party island for a day-trip to Formentera, smallest of Spain’s Balearic islands in the Mediterranean Sea. However, in case you do not want to head anywhere else on the last day, you can totally spend more time in the main island. There are more beautiful places to get around. But Richie and I have a serious problem in our feet, they always itch. So we made this sudden plan to visit Formentera before we fly out from Ibiza.
Highlights of the Day
- Check-out from accommodation
- Formentera – Playa de Ses Illetes
- Flight back to home
Check-Out from AirBnb Accommodation
We had booked our accommodation for 2 nights, which means we had to check out by 11 AM. Sandra was expecting guests, else she had no problem to give us some extra time. But we did not need much time as we had our ferry to Formentera leaving Ibiza port at around 12.15 PM. Sandra agreed to allow us to keep our luggage in the drawing room, at our own risk. It was a safe place, so there was nothing to worry about. We had the same falafel wrap we had on the previous day from the same falafel wrap joint at the corner of the street. We also had hummus and pita bread as it was almost lunch time, and we wanted to keep ourselves full.
Aquabus Ferry Boats
The most economical yet excellent ferry service provider among all the ferry companies connecting Ibiza and Formentera is Aquabus. We got a round-trip ticket from them online for €40 per person. The ferry from Ibiza to Formentera was at 12.15 PM, while the return was at 3.30 PM from Formentera.
On board during the 40-50 min trip to Formentera, each of us in the boat received a map of Formentera with recommendations from the Aquabus ferry staff about how best to enjoy the island according to our budget. We arrived Formentera at around 1 PM.
How to Get Around Formentera?
The best and economical way to get around the island is to take the tourist bus. Formentera has a tourist bus service called L3 that takes visitors around to the best spots – 2 beaches including the most beautiful Ses Illetes beach and photo stops at 2 viewpoints – for €15 per person. There are 2 other shorter routes to choose from costing 8€ and 12€ as well. Select the one that is best for you as per your interest and time. Tickets can be bought inside the Formentera ferry terminal. But, keep in mind that the last departure of the tourist bus tour is at 1.15 PM. Unfortunately, we were not aware of that information and missed the last bus even though we arrived the port by 1 PM. We were carried away by the souvenir shops at the ferry terminal, and later realized that there is no other tourist bus.
The other options we were left with were public bus, taxi, and bike. The island is small and it is an ideal place to rent a bike. You can rent a pedal bike or a moped from many shops just outside the ferry terminal. But it was a very hot day, plus we do not have much time to spend in the island, so that was not a suitable option for us. There are 2 public bus services, L1 and L2, that can be used to reach the beaches but none of them head to Ses Illetes beach. Hence, we had only one option left with us. We got a taxi and headed straight to Ses Illetes beach. It took only 8-10 min to reach.
Playa de Ses Illetes
The main highlight for visiting Formentera was to spend some time in the UNESCO-listed Playa de Ses Illetes or Ses Illetes beach. The word “Ses Illetes” means “beach of small islands”. It is because of the presence of numerous small islands located off its waters. The beach is part of the natural reserve of Saline. It is known as the ‘fashion beach’ of Formentera. It is also the island’s official nudist beach, so do not get surprised if not everyone is splashing in designer labels. Ses Illetes beach was declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its unparalleled beauty.
I personally do not enjoy crowded beaches, so I would recommend visiting in the off season if you can. If you are hungry, then you can head to a line of few restaurants outside the beach. Of course, everything was very expensive. You may like to brink your own food and water. We were not hungry, so we skipped the eating part and headed back to Formentera port by flagging down a taxi. The taxi cost us around €20 one way.
What Else to See?
If you have time, it is worth visiting the amazing salt plains at UNESCO-listed Ses Salines. The wetland acts houses over 200 species of migrating birds, and boasts breathtaking scenery, especially when the water takes on a pink shade due to microorganisms in the water.
Also, visit the pictursque Faro de la Mola, the highest point on Formentera. You can soak into amazing views of the island from the top of this hill. We have only heard of these, as we did not have time to fit this in to our plan.
On the Way Back to Ibiza Town and Ibiza Airport
We picked up few souvenirs from the ferry terminal and also packed some snacks for us. Then we boarded the return ferry at 3.30 PM bidding adieus to Formentera!
We headed to the AirBnb accommodation where we were staying and had stored our luggage. After we carried our backpacks, we got the bus L10 straight from Ibiza Town to Ibiza Airport. We reached in about 30 min and we had 2 clean hours in hand before boarding the flight. We cleared immigration, security check-in, had food, and were ready to fly off.
It was so hard to believe that the 12-day long Spain vacation has finally come to an end. We made so many memories in Spain from places like Seville or Granada or those picturesque white villages, then cities like Madrid and Barcelona, plus beautiful hikes to Picos de Europa, and also the beach city of San Sebastian and Ibiza island. We did a roadtrip in the mainland and also visited magical Carcassonne in France, before flying to Ibiza. Now, as every vacation, we felt little gloomy – it was obvious! But we would surely come back to see Spain again, very soon!
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN EUR)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Days 10-12 in Spain – Ibiza.
- Flight from Barcelona to Ibiza: 120
- Stay at AirBnb (2 nights) for twin sharing: 100
- Food: 60
- Public Transport and Taxis: 100
- Entrance tickets of places we visited: 55
- Miscellaneous: 30
Total expense (roughly): 475 EUR
For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.
If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!
What a lovely adventure on Ibiza! That sunset…wow! Those kind of pictures take themselves, don’t they? And the island itself seems charming and lovely. Such a lovely destination.
Yes Kristie, Ibiza is love!
Ibiza looks very beautiful and the cultural attractions look very inviting. I also remember it because of the Vengaboys song. I’m not a party animal, but would love to go here some day.
Yes Priya, there is much more than parties there.
What a fun trip you had. I loved your suggestion to enjoy the sunset at Sunset Ashram
Oh yes, that’s a must-not-miss thing to do.
Ibiza looks like the perfect quick vacation spot! I don’t think I could ever leave those beaches! Except maybe for that market 😛
Yes Brianna, the beaches are spectacular there.
This is such a comprehensive itinerary and review of Ibiza! I’ve always wanted to go to Ibiza but never had the chance yet. If I ever do, I’ll definitely refer back to this post for more information. Great photos too!
Thanks Sara!
The color of the water in Playa de Ses Illetes is awesome! I would like to jump right into this blue sea and swim :). Ibiza also seems to be a very interesting island. I was only in Majorca, but I would like to visit Balearic and see some other places.
Oh I would love to visit Majorca! It’s pending.
Ibiza looks wonderful! And it’s one of my must places to visit definitely 😀
You are lucky, you’re in Spain. You can fly there any time you wish, hahaha!
Kinda surprising that on Ibiza you can see much more then parties! Heh, you have done a lot in the 48 hours… but I would still go there for parties though
Yes, I always rush!
Everythings is good in Ibiza
I agree.
So informative and it’s great to see another travel blogger than does burst travel. When you’re working full time, weeks away are sometimes difficult so it’s great to see weekend options.
Every time I start with I am gonna relax in this vacation, but then I pack everything in those days.
Wow! Ibiza looks like a great place to visit. Although, I do admit – the first thing that comes to mind when someone says Ibiza is definitely PARTY PLACE. Haha! It’s actually my first time reading a blog about it that includes other places to go and things to do. Hehe.
Yes Johna, I agree Ibiza hosts mad crazy parties but there are more, more to it than only parties!
I’ve never been to Ibiza, but after this post… I’m definitely making it my next trip! Thanks so much!
Yes, Ibiza should be in every traveler’s bucket list. It has something for everyone.
Whoa! That was a really detailed itinerary for Ibiza! 🙂 Your trip so reminds me of my days in Spain 7 years ago! Happy travels!
Oh you must have had a great time there Oindrila. Nice to know.
one aspect of your travels that i have noticed is that there is not a single substantial moments that is frittered away , you make the most of the day and nights that is at your disposal , great detailed article
Yes as long as the sun is there, let’s make most of it!
Wow that’s a lot different to the Ibiza I’ve always imagined – crowds of young party goers etc. looks like a great holiday!
I know, even I used to imagine the same before.
I loved all the photos taken at Ibiza but the one that made it to my favorite spot is the sunset. The view is spectacular! I want to spend at least a day or two if I should come. Thank you for taking us to Ibiza through this post.
Hey, always welcome Ann!
Wow it looks like you guys had an amazing time in Ibiza! It’s also good to read about something other than clubbing out there; there’s clearly more to see than that! Love the hippy market vibe too, it’s so relaxed, my kind of place!
Yes, there is a lot of peace in Ibiza than it seems.
Beautiful town with beautiful scenery! We would love enjoying a cup of hot coffee while watching people walk on that cobblestone pathway. The seascape is incredibly nice as well. How’s the weather there?
It was mad hot during the summers, but we still loved it.
Bookmarked! ? Thank you so much for this great detailed blogpost about Ibiza. This beautiful place is now added to my dream destinations. Your photos are amazinnnnng…
Hey that’s great to know.
You guys are such a cute couple! It’s great to see the different sides of Ibiza – I’ve never been, but I’d really like to explore all the little streets and pretty villages (I’d much prefer that than the clubs I think) x
Yes, Ibiza has everything to offer to everyone.
I must say you covered a lot of ground in your 12 days trip across Spain, Ibiza and France. Ibiza is one of my favorites, it has a vibe to it’s own. And now that you have shown there is so much more to do in and around, I am all the more tempted to take a trip here soon
Yes Neha, you would know if you have followed all the days. Thanks!
Ibiza looks much more enchanting through your eyes! I really like getting a cultural look and feel wherever I go, so I book homestays and visit the cultural museums and the markets. You have covered all that and more! I loved the Hippie market and of course the Privilege nightclub! Thanks for a wonderful read!
Yes Ibiza is more than parties!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Shreya. Ibiza looks like an amazing destination, and that Sunset Ashram, is definitely on my radar now. A lot of my friends visited Ibiza and were going Gaga, but seeing your pics I can relate to it now. Its a paradise in its own sense.
Couldn’t agree more, Arnav.
I just watched a tv show about moving to Ibiza so I wanted to get your perspective. I always think of Ibiza as a party town so it was great to see the there are also cultural sites to visit like the UNESCO Old Town. That blue water though would always drag me back to the seaside for a walk or a dip. We too would want to sit on the sand and watch the sun set to the last minute.
Sunsets are addictive!
I have always wanted to visit Ibiza, everyone I know who has been speaks very highly of the country. I LOVE the hippy market. Would also love to see Playa d’en Bossa and experience both the day & night life.
Ibiza calling you!
I love this post! It brought back so many amazing memories but I am surprised you only had 48 hours there! I had one week and it wasn;t enough, ok, two of them was in nightclubs, one of which I did was Privilege and managed to get to 7am, getting a taxi back to the hotel and strolling in for breakfast before sleeping on the beach! Party hard! But I also love the landscape of the island, it is so beautiful. Also Formentura is well worth a day trip to, I call it Ibiza’s baby sister (the quiet one). 😀 I hope to go back one day, but for the nightclubs, I am not sure if I can still party hard. 😀