The Best Places To Visit In Ibiza

When I woke up on Sunday morning to go to work, the sky was heavy and grey, sleet was lashing down on the roof and wind was blowing through the crack in my window frame. It's Britain in March. And when the spring weather disappoints me, which it often does, the only thing I can do is to look forwards (and backwards) to the best places to visit in my favourite holiday destination (so far): Ibiza! With two trips to Santa Eulalia under my belt an an upcoming holiday booked to Playa D'en Bossa, I've far from experienced all that the island has to offer. However, in my opinion, no trip to Ibiza would be complete without visiting these, some of the best places in Ibiza.

1. Dalt Vila, Eivissa

If you want to experience breathtaking views of the island's capital and the azure waters surrounding it, take a trip to the top of Dalt Vila where you can take all of this in. As well as stunning views, the 'old town' has a lot to offer in the way of architecture, with the beautiful buildings of the old town towering high over the rest of the city and visible as soon as you pull into the port. There's also a small art gallery and a number of bars, shops, cafés and gelateria (which I would highly recommend) in the area surrounding the old town. I have easily spent a good few hours wondering around the winding streets of Dalt Vila as it's the perfect place to get some really memorable holiday snaps and soak up some authentic Balearic culture.

2. Hippy Market, Es Canar

This photo is not my property. The source can be found here

This is a must-do for anyone who hasn't visited the island before. Full of unique clothes, jewellery, gifts and accessories, the Hippy Market is a patchouli-scented maze where it's easy to lose yourself in the vibes. The island is small enough that everywhere is accessible - either by bus or water taxi - and the Hippy Market is a very popular destination every Wednesday so be sure to catch an early one!

3. Eivissa

The closest thing you'll get to cosmopolitan whilst you're staying in Ibiza is its capital, Ibiza Town or Eivissa in Catalan, a dominant dialect in Ibiza. Whilst it's certainly smaller than its mainland equivalents of Barcelona and Madrid, Eivissa has everything you could want from a larger town without detracting from the island spirit of Ibiza. As well as homing the impressive and historic Dalt Vila, Eivissa is also host to a Hard Rock Café, a range of well known fashion brands such as Mango and Pull & Bear, Pacha and other world-famous nightclubs and many more independent bars, shops and restaurants (including Vivi's Creamery whose Chunky Monkey gelato is pictured above). Ibiza Town is easily accessible, again, either by bus or boat, but I personally love to catch a boat into the beautiful harbour and take in the grand yachts that dock there during the summer months. The port in Eivissa makes it the perfect place to sit back and celebrity-spot.


4. Riu de Santa Eulalia, Santa Eulalia del Río

The river in Santa Eulalia is the only river in the Balearics and is a walk I can't recommend enough. Beginning the walk from the ocean will take you along the river where there are benches and a bridge to get into Siesta, a neighbouring village. However, if you continue up the path you will be brought into the countryside where, if you're as fortunate as I was, you'll encounter all sorts of animals, from ducklings and geese to cats and farmyard chickens and goats. The walk takes you to a beautiful, typically Mediterranean church in the mountains where you're able to roam the grounds and take in the breathtaking views of Santa Eulalia. If you wish to break up your sunbathing or clubbing holiday with something relaxing and a bit more active, I would highly recommend catching a bus or boat to Santa Eulalia and spending a couple of hours walking the river.

5. Santa Eulalia del Río

Whilst you're in Santa Eulalia for the river walk, you should definitely check out the rest of the resort. I know I'm biased because this is the only resort I've stayed in on the island, but I love it here! It has the perfect balance between authentic Ibiza vibes whilst still having everything a tourist may need. Not only this, but it is well regarded as the culinary capital of the island, with restaurant street boasting a large variety of eateries with even more in the surrounding areas of the marina and seafront. With 2 small shopping centres, a mini art gallery, a large smoke-free beach, shops, bars, restaurants, gelataria and even a small nightclub, this is a resort that has it all without it feeling like too much. 

Two of my favourite restaurants that I have ever been to are in Santa Eulalia: Caos, a small and bohemian restaurant serving cocktails, wholesome and freshly prepared food with a twist with a typically Ibizan, laid-back atmosphere (nachos pictured above), and Project Social, a fairly new restaurant situated near the marina, serving fresh salads, burgers and breakfasts with craft ales, cocktails and homemade drinks in an edgy and urban setting (salads and burgers pictured above). As well as these two, I have to recommend Liquido for drinks, a perfect chill-out bar right in the middle of the marina. The drinks are a little pricier here than you may find in other bars, but you're paying for large choice of excellent cocktails and, of course, breathtaking views. This is my favourite place to be to soak up those famous, late-night Ibiza vibes.

Let me know if you've ever been to any of these places and what you thought! Is there anything different that you would put in your Top 5?