Baleares – Ibiza and Formentera

The Balearic Islands are an archipelago formed by 4 islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) in the Mediterranean just next to mainland Spain.

I have been to Mallorca before and I simply love the fact that the weather is always good and the water temperature is always warm.

This Summer we have decided to explore the 4 islands. We spent one week in Ibiza and two in Mallorca, with day-trips to Formentera and Menorca.

Ibiza

Ibiza is a very crowded living dream, especially during Summer time. But don’t worry, there are ways to avoid the crowds and all the parties!

There were 5 of us, so we stayed at Bloem Apartments in Cala Llonga. It was very spacious and had everything we needed, including A/C and a small but nice swimming pool. Cala Llonga is a family-friendly place, not very crowded and with good accesses. We chose this place so my 90 year-old grandma could independently stroll around. There are supermarkets, restaurants and bars within a small walking distance.

The best way of travelling around in Ibiza is with a 125cc scooter. You can park it anywhere, anytime and you can take it on the ferry to Formentera for free. This is if there is just two of you, if not a car would be cheaper!

Ibiza is full of unbelievable beaches. Here are my favourites:

🏝 Cala Salada and Cala Saladeta – very busy in the summer so be sure you get there before 10am to get a parking spot or you can park next to the piscina municipal and get the public bus, which costs around 6.5€ return.

🏝 Cala Comte – clear waters and amazing for snorkeling. Can get very crowded, so visit it in the early morning or in the late afternoon.

🏝 Cala D’Hort – with spectacular views to the island of Es Vedrà. While you are there, why not checking out the best sunset of Ibiza at Mirador de l’illa des Vedrà? The Mirador gets really crowded so be sure you get there with plenty of time before sunset.

🏝 Cala Xarraca – if you don’t like crowds, this is the place to go. Be sure you search for the swing that is hanging in one of the rocks at the beach.

🏝 Portinatx S’Arenal Petit – turquoise waters with lots of fishes, a paradise for snorkeling.

🏝 Cala Llonga – who said Ibiza is crowded in the summer? This sandy beach is perfect for families and for those who love to relax at the beach.

🏝 Cala Bassa – before you reach the sand, this cala has rock cliffs which makes it perfect for those who love diving into the sea.

🏝 Playa d’en Bossa – the longest beach in Ibiza, known for its beautiful white sand. Although situated in the party area, you can get the calm in the early morning while in the afternoon the Party usually starts.

This are my favourite of many we have visited. Here is an extensive list of all the beaches in Ibiza.

The island is also a destination of culture. Ibiza Old Town is really beautiful. We visited it at sunset and it was amazing!

Start the walk from the town market and continue onto Portal de Ses Taules, the main entrance to Dalt Vila and enjoy the view from the Catedral. Stroll through the Ramparts (walls) and walk around the streets of the Old Town, with a lot of shops and nice restaurants to eat tapas. It’s always very busy and difficult to get a table anywhere. We tried Can Terra and La Taberna del Parque. You can find locals eating at Plaça des Parc.

From there, you can walk to the Port and admire the huge yachts. I have never seen such big and beautiful boats in my life!

Santa Eulària des Riu is a small town on the east coast of Ibiza. It’s far away from the crowds and we really enjoyed walking the promenade in the evening and having a very nice ice-cream at Antarctica Heladeria.

Ibiza is known for its crazy parties and for some of the best clubs in the world. We decided to try Pacha and it was great, besides the prices of the drinks. Yes, we paid 20€ for a caipirinha! We saw Anitta and Diplo live and it was so much fun! If you know you are going to Ibiza and going out you should definitely buy your tickets in advance online as on the day they can cost you something like 50€ per person.

As my friend Cristina Parente once said ‘one must not go to Ibiza in August and don’t spend money at a party!’. And so we did… She has recommended a lot of places to go out, but unfortunately we couldn’t try them all, so I hope you can. Here is her list of the best parties in Ibiza:

Ants, Saturday afternoon at Ushuaïa
Elrow, Saturday night at Amnesia
Pure Pacha, Saturday night at Pacha
Glitterbox, Sunday night at Hï
Flower Power, Wednesday night at Pacha
Chill out sunset at Café del Mar

Formentera

From Ibiza you can take a 1h ferry to Formentera, the hippie island. We took the Formentera Express with Baleària. It costs around 25€ per person for a round trip (prices vary with season and bookings). We took the 9am ferry which took 30min.

One of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Platja d’Illetes, is in Formentera. It gets really busy and the car park gets full very early, so try to come before 10am, unless you don’t mind walking 2km to get to the beach.

We spent the morning in this paradise. A note to self: everything in Formentera is really expensive, especially food. There is a restaurant which was recommended by my friend Cristina (she is amazing, isn’t she?) called Sa Platgeta, just next to Platja de Migjorn. We had a great lunch there. We recommend arroces or fresh fish.

We then chose to explore the beautiful Caló des Mort. It is very special because is a very typical and undeveloped beach. It’s a bit of a walk to get there, but totally worth it!