Hitting both sides of Ibiza

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
7
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
7
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
9
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
8
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
9
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
9
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
82 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
31st/454
Top 10%
continent
Europe
country
Spain
Length of time
Around a week
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$720 (typically $130 - $1300)
Time of year visited
July
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Islands Live music Partying / Lash
All Tags
Beach promenade Beaches Bustling restaurants Castles / Fortresses Hiking Old town Restaurant recommendations Rooftop Bars Swimming
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary

 

Ibiza has two sides, which gives it the huge wow factor.

The first – some of the most famous clubs in the world, sensational food and world-beating beach clubs.  Glam dripping everywhere and everything you could want in the lash party animal in you.

The second is a calmer, far less crowded and an idyllic beautiful side.  A wonderful old town, picture-perfect beach coves and, critically, all less than 45mins from the doof doof craziness.

This combination of the two makes Ibiza one of the top island highlights of the Mediterranean (along with The Sorrento Peninsula, The Aeolian Islands, Santorini and Havar), if not the world.

The only downside is that it is daft expensive . . . especially if you want to do it well.  We did . . . three times . . . and hence the tips below.

 

Ibiza - Ushuaia at sunset

 

Quick Take:

Best for: Party weekends, beach club indulgence, and mixing nightlife with beautiful island exploring.

Time needed: 3–4 days.

Highlight experiences:
• A mega-club night (Ushuaïa / Hï / Pacha)
• Sunset at Café del Mar or Cala Conta
• Exploring Ibiza Old Town
• A beach cove day on the east coast
• Boat trip to Formentera

Downsides: daft expensive, especially clubs and beach clubs.

Best time to visit: Summer to blow the doors off.

Table of Contents

Firstly, where is everything?

 

 

The classic highlights are to the west of Ibiza in Ibiza Town and San Antonio, plus the boat trip to the south in Formentera.  But the more chilled highlights tend to be in the east of the island.

 

6 Things to prioritise for a first-time Ibiza trip

 

If you only have 2–3 days in Ibiza, prioritise these six experiences.

 

#1 Hit one of the mega clubs and blow the doors off

It’s Ibiza so you’ve got a list of some of the most famous clubs in the world.  How I took them:

  • Ushuaïa (Playa d’en Bossa): open-air hotel pool venue with sunset parties and wonderful vibe.  Our favourite and a must.  Slightly different vibe to the others as its about the early evening and sunsets, so closes at 11pm.
  • Hï Ibiza (Playa d’en Bossa): The newest, most modern and best bet for high-end big name DJs.  The location is perfect for experiencing some of the nearby bars and its giant rooftop digital screen makes it worth the visit alone.  Can get RAMMED though.
  • Pacha (Ibiza Town): Iconic – think of the Cherries logo.  If grew up anywhere near the 90s, this feels like a must.  Top tip – book in for the restaurant.  Incredible standard and has the benefit of discounts for entry.
  • Amnesia (Near San Rafael): One of the oldest and most historic of the venues with a great terrace and La Troya parties.  Had a “let’s take the handbrake off” feel.
  • Privilege (San Rafael): Go to tick off the “world’s largest nightclub” box.
  • Es Paradis (San Antonio): Aim for the “Fiesta del Agua” (water party).

 

Ibiza - #1 Hit one of the mega clubs and blow the doors off. Ushaia

The Lash in Ushuaia

 

#2 Lunch at one of the high-end beach bars

Along with Bali, I’d say Ibiza has the best beach bars in the world.  The standard is just so outrageously high both in terms of food and ambiance.

My suggestions – Blue Marlin and El Chiringuito.  Blue Marlin has more of the wow factor, music vibe and the place to be seen. El Chiringuito is slightly more chilled and better access to the sandy beach.

 

Ibiza #2. Lunch at one of the high end beach bars - Blue Marlin and El Chiringuito (slightly more chilled) won’t let you down

 

#3 Wandering early evening and having dinner in the Ibiza Old Town

The Old Town is seriously wow.  A real unexpected highlight for Ibiza.  Be sure to visit for sunset when it isn’t stinking hot.  Aim for La Oliva or any of the street-side restaurants on Carrer de la Santa Creu, and drinks afterwards on Placa del Sol

 

Ibiza 3. Dinner in the Ibiza Old Town - go for La Oliva

Ibiza Town Old Town outside La Oliva

 

#4 Boat trip to Formentera

Some of the clearest water I’ve seen anywhere in the world.  The boat trip over through the islands is worth the trip alone as its stunning.  Be sure to book lunch at Cala Duo and, ideally, if you’re with a group, book a private boat there.

 

Ibiza #4 -Crystal clear waters of Formentera 

Crystal clear waters of Formentera 

 

#5 Chill on one of the idyllic, and less crowded, beaches in the east

It really is like a different world when you make the 30mins or so drive east.  Our favourite for being super chilled was the beautiful cove of Casa Mastella with its nice little restaurant right on the beach.  But for a hike and extra wow factor aim for Cala d’en Serra – you can also walk there via a gorgeous 1.15hr coastal hike from Portinax.

 

Ibiza #5 - Cala d’en Serra and the hike to Portinax

Cala d’en Serra and the hike to Portinax

 

Ibiza #5 - The gorgeous secluded beach of Cala Mastella on Ibiza's east coast.

The gorgeous secluded beach of Cala Mastella on Ibiza’s east coast.

 

#6 Sunset evenings

Bit cliched, bit crowded at times, but the sunsets in Ibiza after a long day, or prep for a long night, can be magical.  Cafe del Mar in San Antonio is the iconic spot and famous for people watching.  But Hostal La Torre would be my recommendation for the more high end option and with better views.

 

Ibiza #6 - The famous sunset views from Cafe del Mar in Ibiza's San Antonio 

The famous sunset views from Cafe del Mar in Ibiza’s San Antonio 

 

4 Extra Tips

 

#1 Focus on the type of music when choosing clubs

It makes a giant difference to the evening.  For example, we went to Pasha one night and unfortunately the music wasn’t our vibe so ended up leaving early(ish).  Ushuaia with Calvin Harris on the other hand 🤩.  Can make or break your Ibiza trip.

 

#2 Adapt for the heat

You’re most likely visiting in summer for the general vibe and big club nights – definitely makes sense.  But with heat waves now hitting the Mediterranean more often and for longer, you’re going to have to adapt.  I would actually suggest avoiding lunches outside, even in the beach clubs, and instead focus on chilling by the pool / boat trips in the day and going out in the cooler evenings.  We had a few lunch visits where it was nice for sure, but ring with sweat.

 

The extreme Ibiza heat in summer means hikes like from Portinax to Cala d’en Serra should really avoid midday . . .  an error we made

The extreme Ibiza heat in summer means hikes like from Portinax to Cala d’en Serra should really avoid midday . . .  an error we made

 

#3 Where to stay

If you don’t have your own car, aim for Ibiza Town. It’s close to the airport, has many of the big clubs and best restaurants, the Old Town is beautiful and transport connections simple.

San Antonio is for the pikeys.

If you have a car, aim for the more central locations of the island and search for available villas – Casa Giotto was perfect, but spenny.

 

Casa Giotto was beautiful and only around 10-15mins from Ibiza Town

Casa Giotto was beautiful and only around 10-15mins from Ibiza Town

 

Casa Giotto Extra benefit of staying outside of the two main towns is some wonderfully quiet evenings, in sharp contrast to the mayhem just 20mins away

Extra benefit of staying outside of the two main towns is some wonderfully quiet evenings, in sharp contrast to the mayhem just 20mins away

 

#4 Get ready for spend

I’m sure Ibiza could be done for cheap, but not if to be done properly.  It might be one of the most expensive places I’ve been – right up there with the Amalfi Coast, Santorini, Vegas and Sydney.

 

Should have filmed this in Ibiza

 

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Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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