Ibiza Town

Introduction

Ibiza Town - Dalt Vila

© Herr Bert

Ibiza Town, actually a city, is the capital and largest town of the island of Ibiza, one of Spain's Balearic Islands. During summer it is home to thousands of tourists, that come to party in the discotheques at night, and relax at the beaches during the day. During the rest of the year it is still the most vibrant town on the island, but the visitors are of a different kind.

Sights and Activities

Dalt Vila

Cathedral - Ibiza Town

© Herr Bert

Dalt Vila is the old town of Ibiza Town, that lies within the old city walls and includes the citadel that towers high above the harbour. You can walk around on the many bastions, enjoying the view on the city, and towards the sea, and towards Formentera. Within the walls also lies the Cathedral of the city. Together with the hill on which the old windmills are located, this sight is labeled an Unesco World Heritage Site.

Beaches

Along the coast you will find a couple of beaches. South of the old town, the first one is Ses Figueretes, further south Playa d'en Bossa is popular as well.

Discotheques

Only opened during the summer season, which last roughly from June until September, although some closing parties can be given in the first weekend of October in some years. Ibiza is know for having the best DJ's in the world performing on the island, and is home to some world famous discotheques. Names you will come across over and over again in the city, include Amnesia, Pacha, DC10 and Space. Most discotheques also have exclusive shops in town selling their merchandise.

Weather

Ibiza Town has a typical Mediterranean climate with warm and dry summers and mild but relatively wet winters. Summers last from June to September when temperatures during the day average between 24 °C and 28 °C with nights generally still above 20 °C. Occasionally, temperatures can hit almost 40 °C. Winters last from December to February with temperatures around 13 °C or 14 °C and nights around 10 °C. This is also the time when most rain falls, although autumn and spring have a good deal of showers as well and even summers can have some heavy showers now and then.

Getting There

Balearic

© Herr Bert

By Plane

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) serves the island of Ibiza and is especially busy in summer. Many charter airlines and budget airlines like Ryanair use the airport. It is located about 7 kilometres from Ibiza Town. Busline 10 takes you to Ibiza town, with one way tickets costing €3.35.

By Car

Cars can be taken on board of the ferries heading to Ibiza, leaving from several places at the Spanish mainland (see below).

By Boat

Acciona Trasmediterránea, Balearia and Iscomar have connections to the mainland (Barcelona and Valencia and other Balearic Islands.

Getting Around

By Car

Renting a car is one of the best ways to cover a lot of the island and offers the possibility to visit some more remote places. Roads are generally in a good conditions and prices of rental cars are not too high. Book ahead during the peak months of July and August. There is also transportation by taxi, which in turn offer the possibility of guided tours of the island at low prices.

By Public Transport

At the Avinguda d'Isador Macabich, you will find the bus station. To be more precise it is a couple of stops on the northern side of the street in a row. Most busses leave at the top of the hour, and many as well at the bottom of the hour. In summer season the frequency is higher, and several buslines are added.

Taxis are readily available.

By Foot

Ibiza Town is not a very big place, so walking is the best way to see the Town.

By Bike

Apart from the Dalt Vila, Ibiza Town is pretty flat. Bike lanes are not in place all over town, but getting around by bike is easier than in other Spanish cities.

Eat

• El Pirata - the best pizza on the island bar none! Located in the port of Ibiza Town.
• La Brasa - the best place for grilled meats, seafood, and other local specialities.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet is widely available within Spain. Most airports have wifi-zones and in most towns there are internet cafés or shops where you can use internet for a fixed price. Wi-Fi points in bars and cafeterias are available after ordering, and most hotels offer Wi-Fi connection in common areas for their guests.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The international access code for Spain is +34. The emergency number for police, ambulance and the fire brigade is 112.

In cities you can find plenty of public phones, and 'locutorios'. The latter are small shops where you can use the phone and use internet. Most of them also sell prepaid cards for mobile telephones. These shops are used a lot by foreigners to call to their mother country.

The main mobile network operators in Spain are Yoigo, Vodafone, Movistar and Orange, as in most of Europe voice and data coverage is generally good in urban areas however it can be patchy in rural locations. Cheap mobile phones (less than €50) with some pre-paid minutes are sold at FNAC or any phone operator's shop (Vodafone, Movistar, Orange). Topping-up is then done by buying scratch cards from the small stores, supermarkets, vending points (often found in tobacco shops) or kiosks.

Post

If you want to post a card, you can head to the post office (Correos). The Spanish post is not yet as efficient as colleagues in other countries so receiving a card can take a bit longer than the number of days that it should take. On the website of Correos, you can find the locations of nearby post offices.
Post offices are generally open from 8:30am to 2:00pm, although times will vary according to the size of the city/town and the main post offices might be open until the early evening. Most will also open again on Saturday mornings, but in the smaller towns will close as early as 12 noon. When posting a letter, look for a yellow box and, if possible, post at the post office itself where there will also be divisions for local, national and international mail. Be prepared for long queues at the post office. This is why tobacco shops sell stamps and many will also have the facility to weigh packages. Standard letters/postcards of up to 20 grams sent within Spain are €0.34. However, non-standard letters/postcards of up to 20g are €0.39. Letters/postcards of 20 to 50 grams are €0.45. In the case of international shipping, the price is €0.64 to most countries within Europe for standard envelopes (letters/postcards) up to 20g, for a few European countries and outside Europe it is €0.78. If you want to send a package you are probably better off with a private courier company like TNT, DHL or UPS, as they offer quick and reliable services against competitive prices.

External Links

• Official Website
• Ibiza Guide