Between San Esteban and San Carlos, the island’s hippie heartland in the 60s, you’ll find this famous street market, a must-visit on a day’s shopping in Ibiza. It’s a garden full of colours, aromas, music, fusion cuisine, and a unique range of handicrafts. Undoubtedly, a corner of the island where you can dream and soak up the place’s philosophy.
- Las Dalias street market, get to know the most hippie part of Ibiza
- San Carlos, a town rooted in the 70s
- Las Dalias, a street market in which to find gems
Las Dalias street market, Ibiza’s most hippie corner
Las Dalias is perhaps the most popular of Ibiza’s street markets. It was founded in 1985 by Juan Fernando Marí, in the place where his father had opened a bar in the 50s. At that time, the north of the island was largely overlooked, but after the end of Franco’s dictatorship, people began to flock to it in search of inspiration and freedom. Many intellectuals, artists, and celebrities found refuge in Ibiza.
Soon, given the success of the bar La Dalias, the priest of San Carlos began to show films on nights during festivities in an attempt to keep his parishioners free from sin. However, in the 60s, a hippie wave shook the area. Musicians and craftsmen of all kinds gathered at Las Dalias bar to relax after a day’s work.
Sporadic rock, punk, and reggae concerts became more and more frequent. In 1978, Bob Marley even put on a legendary concert in Ibiza. In the 80s, the place was already known worldwide and Juan Fernando Marí, together with the gallery owner Helga Watson-Todd (of English origin), decided to open a small exhibition room next to the bar. Later, they opened a street market with five stalls selling clothes, ceramics, handicrafts, and items brought from the Far East, and after a while, this modest place became the famous Las Dalias hippie market.
With Las Dalias becoming a meeting point for impromptu concerts, where the rock stars of the era would play, the market soon began to flourish, hosting some 300 stalls and 20,000 visitors on Saturdays during the summer.
San Carlos, a town rooted in the 70s
Today, the market is located in a beautiful garden full of paths and stalls where dream catchers, leather bags, lacy white dresses, and colourful art pieces hang. A ten-minute walk from the centre of San Carlos brings you to this mythical place where the original hippies, who made the 60s and 70s their lifestyle, still remain. Time seems to have stood still in the village, with its old wooden mailboxes and telephone booths at Bar Anita, the only place in the whole village that had a telephone. White, two-storey houses with balconies, arches and red tiles are scattered across the old rural terrain, along with the church of San Carlos, from which the village sprang in 1785.
Las Dalias, a street market in which to find gems
This is where the island’s most creative craftsmen and artists meet every Saturday. As well as being able to enjoy the good vibes and relaxed atmosphere, this market is the ideal place to go shopping. Virtually everything is handmade: clothes, jewellery, ceramics, art, musical instruments, shoes, incense, etc. The products are of good quality and best of all, no two are alike, so there’s no chance you’ll be wearing the same thing as everyone else.
In addition to the spectacular setting and hippie-style products, this market offers live concerts, storytelling, and even has a traditional tent where you can have tea and Moroccan sweets. It also stands out for its fusion of world foods, its street food truck, a natural juice stall, homemade pizzas, a tapas bar, a drinks bar, slushies (highly recommended in summer) and the popular Soul Bar, where DJs play music at dusk until the market closes.
Day and night market
During the warm, gentle summer nights, the Las Dalias night market is a perfect meeting point to enjoy the area without the crowds and shop in peace and quiet. The dim and romantic lighting and decoration invites you to stroll among the stalls, surrounded by palm trees, while the craftsmen and locals chat in a friendly atmosphere.
As in the daytime market, although there are fewer craft stalls, you can also enjoy the wide range of gastronomic offerings and pulsating live music performances. There’s also a space with a monitor for children where puppet shows, juggling, and other activities take place.
During the Christmas holidays, Las Dalias is transformed with special designs and products to give as gifts during the festive period. Families and friends gather around the fireplace and drink mulled wine, in true European style. The number of stalls drops to around 40 and are located inside the gallery.
There’s also Las Dalias On The Road, a project that allows this hippie market to move around Spain and Europe. They move about with a multicultural caravan and conquer everything in their path, so don’t worry if you can’t fly to Ibiza, as maybe Ibiza will come to you.
