Everyone knows that Ibiza is a flagship of partying and summer fun, and that it is a playground for a host of international celebrities. But this Pityusic island is also synonymous with tranquility, a peacefulness that can be found in some of the pretty towns and villages scattered across it. In this article, we bring you Ibiza’s prettiest towns, where you can experience the calm you yearn for during the summer.
Away from Ibiza Town, the island has many small towns and villages where you can get away from the bustle of tourism and explore this island that, decades ago, drew communities of hippies and the first foreign tourists.
- Sant Antoni de Portmany
- Santa Eulària des Riu
- Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera
- Sant Josep de Sa Talaia
- Es Cubells
- Sant Carles de Peralta
- Sant Jordi de Ses Salines
- Sant Rafael de Sa Creu
- Santa Agnès de Corona
- Sant Mateu d’Albarca
- San Miquel de Balansat
Sant Antoni de Portmany
With 25,000 inhabitants, San Antonio is Ibiza’s fourth most populous town and western Ibiza’s main tourist hub; it is also an interesting place to visit. It was one of the first towns to be established on the island, and is still the point of entry for boats arriving from mainland Spain. San Antonio lies in a beautiful, sheltered bay of clear waters edged with little coves where visitors can enjoy Ibiza’s finest sunsets.
Although San Antonio does not have any significant historic heritage, its peacefulness and its setting make this town one of the most beautiful and pleasant in Ibiza. The town also boasts the island’s most iconic discos, including Café del Mar, O Beach and Es Paradis.
Santa Eulària des Riu
Santa Eulalia is a quiet town in the east of Ibiza, far removed from the party vibe that dominates other parts of the island. It’s the perfect place for families looking to stay in a laid-back, convenient town setting. Santa Eulalia is Ibiza’s second most populous town (it has 36,000 inhabitants), and has the only river in the entire Balearic Islands.
In Santa Eulalia, you will find an attractive town centre and a pleasant marina. An interesting sight is the Puig de Missa hill, with its little white-walled hermitage of Sa Creu d’en Ribes, which commands lovely coastal views. Santa Eulalia is a delightful place, with a gentle coastline dotted with coves and peaceful nooks and crannies.
Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera
Santa Gertrudis is a small, inland town of white-walled houses. Far away from the hustle and bustle of Ibiza’s nightlife, the great attraction of Santa Gertrudis is the atmosphere that pervades its streets, where the bars and restaurants are the major draw for visitors.
Santa Gertrudis is a small, inland town of white-walled houses. Far away from the hustle and bustle of Ibiza’s nightlife, the great attraction of Santa Gertrudis is the atmosphere that pervades its streets, where the bars and restaurants are the major draw for visitors.
Sant Josep de Sa Talaia
Santa Gertrudis is a small, inland town of white-walled houses. Far away from the hustle and bustle of Ibiza’s nightlife, the great attraction of Santa Gertrudis is the atmosphere that pervades its streets, where the bars and restaurants are the major draw for visitors.
Despite its 84-kilometre coastline, the urban centre of San José lies inland. It is a traditional Ibizan town with white-walled houses, restaurants, and one or two interesting churches.
San José’s outstanding feature, however, is its coastline, with its dazzling beaches, and its coves with their turquoise waters, interspersed with low cliffs. Ibiza’s south coast is well worth visiting for its rugged landscape descending to the sea. Several of the area’s defensive towers have been preserved, including the famous Pirate Tower, or Torre des Savinar, which was voted the best spot in the Balearic Islands in 2013. From here, the sunset is an incomparable sight.
Es Cubells
Still within the municipality of San José, we can visit the parish of Es Cubells, which enjoys an exceptional location on top of a cliff. From here, we can enjoy views of some of the finest coves in Ibiza. The coastline here is truly spectacular.
There is not much to the town centre itself: no more than a few cottages and a church built in typical Ibizan style. But you will find the coastline of Es Cubells utterly spellbinding.
Sant Carles de Peralta
San Carlos, or Sant Carles de Peralta, is another little traditional village of whitewashed houses, located inland in the north-east of Ibiza. It is a tiny community, but its shops and bars are well worth a look.
This village rose to fame in the 60s and 70s with the arrival of the hippy communities that settled in a few of the houses here. Today, the hippy lifestyle survives in the area, in nearby Las Dalias where, each Saturday, a famous street market is held.
In San Carlos you can also visit some remarkable coves, such as Cala Llenya.
Sant Jordi de Ses Salines
Sant Jordi de Ses Salines is a small community near the Ibiza Town and the airport. Its attractions include a strange, white fortified church dating from the fifteenth century. The walls of the church have 29 battlements that originated from a stronghold built by the peasants, and which housed a chapel.
Sant Jordi also has a Saturday market where you can buy and sell items. The village is also near some of Ibiza’s best-known discos, such as Hi Ibiza, Ushuaia and Swag Ibiza Club.
Sant Rafael de Sa Creu
The town of San Rafael de la Cruz, or Sant Rafael de Sa Creu in Catalan, is the location of two of Ibiza’s great discos (Amnesia and Privilege), right in the centre of the island. However, San Rafael does offer other attractions too: several excellent restaurants and some famous ceramics workshops.
The town of San Rafael de la Cruz, or Sant Rafael de Sa Creu in Catalan, is the location of two of Ibiza’s great discos (Amnesia and Privilege), right in the centre of the island. However, San Rafael does offer other attractions too: several excellent restaurants and some famous ceramics workshops.
Santa Agnès de Corona
Santa Inés (Santa Agnès de Corona, in Catalan), though small, holds a surprise for visitors. Flowering almond trees herald the arrival of spring in the fields surrounding this little village, which also has a traditional white-walled church. The plain planted with almond trees is known as the Pla de Corona.
Santa Inés (Santa Agnès de Corona, in Catalan), though small, holds a surprise for visitors. Flowering almond trees herald the arrival of spring in the fields surrounding this little village, which also has a traditional white-walled church. The plain planted with almond trees is known as the Pla de Corona.
Sant Mateu d’Albarca
San Mateo (Sant Mateu d’Albarca) also lies in the north-west of Ibiza, very near Santa Inés. San Mateo is another small parish with a white church in its centre. This area, too, is clothed in almond plantations and vineyards. In fact, it has the greatest surface area of vineyards on the whole island. San Mateo is a good centre of hiking, with trails leading towards Cala d’Albarca and to the Ses Torres archaeological site. These areas have not yet begun to see the effects of tourism.
San Miquel de Balansat
Located in the north-east of the island, the small town of San Miquel de Balansat stands on a hilltop known as the Puig de Missa. At the highest point is the church of San Miguel, one of Ibiza’s oldest churches, built during the fourteenth century. Below lies the Port of San Miquel, on a narrow, but magnificent, bay overlooking the Mediterranean sea. Another of San Miquel de Balansat’s attractions is the Cueva de Can Marçà, a remarkable cave dating back over 100,000 years. Located inside a cliff, it was formerly a hiding place for smugglers. Visitors are allowed into the cave, and it’s worth making the effort to explore this dark, mysterious chamber.
