10+ Best things to do in Ibiza beside parties

Posted on by Wim Mostmans
Sunset at Benirras with live drums

Like most people, the first thing that you think of, when you hear the name, Ibiza is “party island.” Let me try to skew that one-sided perception a bit in the positive sense.

It was the overwhelming enthusiasm of my sister, who already visited Ibiza twice before, that convinced me to join her on a one week trip to Ibiza.

Below you’ll find some of the highlights of our trip. Also check out the Google Map at the bottom of this article for some more interesting places to visit.

Santa Gertrudis

I personally think this is one of the loveliest inland villages. We enjoyed a healthy lunch at Keto, which by no surprise serves dishes based on the Ketogenic diet.

Santa Gertrudis - Village

Also, visit Es Cucons La Tienda which has a vast collection of bohemian interior stuff. The ideal place if you want to give your home a touch of the Ibiza vibe.

Portinatx fire tower

Before heading your way to the fire tower when you are on the beach of Portinatx, first, take a walk away from the fire tower over the lava stones. You have some fantastic views over there of the sea bashing into the porous lave stones.

Portinatx - Lava stones

Head back to the beach and continue the path to walk to the fire tower. Always try to keep left if you run into an intersection. See my Strava track to know where we exactly walked.

Portinatx - Walk to fire tower

While you are in Portinatx, enjoy the sunset in the bay over there. At night the little beach bar places some chairs on the beach, and we were served by probably one of the most enthusiastic bartenders I’ve ever seen. Order a cold beer or one of your favorite cocktails and enjoy the beautiful sunset.

Portinatx - Cala sunset

Sunset at Benirras with live drums

This one you’ll come across probably in every Ibiza must-visit list and I can confirm that it’s a great place to view the sunset. Bring some cans of beer and enjoy a spectacular sunset with in the background some hippies drumming.

Cala Benirras - Drummers

Cala Benirras - Smoking

Ibiza Dalt Vila (old city center)

Already from outside the city of Ibiza you see Dalt Vila tower above the somber looking new city part. We parked the car outside the old city walls and continued to explore the ancient city on foot. Enjoy wandering through the old narrow alleys which are packed with small shops, bars, and restaurants.

If you want a refreshing ice cream, make sure to stop at Vivi’s creamery which many say is the best ice cream on the island.

Dalt Vila

Ses Salinas

One of the products that are sold almost in every souvenir shop on the island is Ibiza salt. This one is another place that you need to visit to watch the sunset. You’ll get a beautiful view of the salt ponds in front with on the back the mountains.

These salt lakes are also the reason Ibiza is sometimes called the white island. And no, it has nothing to do with other white substances you can score over there.

Ses Salinas

Hippy Market

We went to the “less busy” hippy market Punta Arabi. Las Dallias is probably the most famous but also a lot busier.

If you are into camping or visiting Ibiza with a van, this is also an excellent place to stay. Next to the hippy market is also a hippie camping.

Hippy Market

Sa Talaia

Sa Tallaia is the highest mountain on the island. A short, intense hike of around 3km will take you from Sant Josep center to the 475m high mountain. You will be rewarded with an excellent view, so it’s definitely worth the effort. Do make sure the put on some proper walking- or hiking shoes.

Sa Talaia

Once you’ve walked back to Sant Josep enjoy a lunch or dinner in the very cozy restaurant Raco Verd.

Secret diving bay of Portitxol

If you enjoy hiking like we do, be prepared to be dependent on your topographic maps or on Google maps. Let’s say that signed hiking routes aren’t high on the priority list in Ibiza. Trial and error are often one of your best friends for finding the beginning of a trail.

This one was a good example where we’ve read about this fantastic deserted snorkeling bay you could walk to. It took us a half hour to find the start of the correct walking route.

But persistence, most of the times, pays off, and it sure did. After another 45 minutes walking, we were rewarded with a beautiful looking bay.

Portitxol bay

To start the hike you can use this as a starting point. Don’t try to get there with your car because I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to get back up. Just park your car at the top of the mountain. Once you reached the point marked on the Google map just continue to follow the road which will go over in a single track trail. Just keep following and you’ll find the bay.

Es Vedra

This is another magical place on the island that you must visit. The first time we went here we did a hike to the small watchtower that is on the edge of the mountain which gives a stunning view over Es Vedra. Our second visit was to watch the sunset from the plateau.

Es Vedra sunset

Local bear ibusim

If you’re into beers, I highly recommend ordering one of the bears, brewed by the local brewery Ibosim. I tasted the one with rosemary and must admit that it was super refreshing. I also liked how the bear was based on some very local ingredients.

Rosemary seems to be one of the local weeds over there which give some of the hikes an extra dimension by the slight aroma of fresh rosemary in the air.

Our points of interest map

We created a Google map that included all the places that seemed to be interested and suggestions we received from family and friends.

Find some more of my photos on Instagram

Conclusion

Ibiza is a small island, but there is plenty of things to do to pack your stay with experiences and adventures. Don’t let the public perception of this place mislead you in thinking that it’s a party island only. It has a lot more to offer and if your into hippy stuff, chillin and adventure your in for a treat.

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Wim Mostmans

About Wim Mostmans

Freelance full stack developer and Co-founder of the Employee Advocacy platform Ambassify, with a general interest for web technologies and electronics.

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