Winter Weekend Trip in Ibiza: Scrapbooking My Travels

To travel as much as possible without breaking the bank, I look for cheap flights and try to be flexible with exactly when and where I want to go. That’s how I ended up spending a February weekend in Ibiza, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands.

In the summer, Ibiza is known as an international vacation destination famous for its nightlife. So travelers to Ibiza generally chose to visit the island during the warmer months to take advantage of the sunny weather during the day and party in the beachside nightclubs at night.

The island offers much, much more than clubbing and partying, though. Besides the gorgeous beaches on the Mediterranean Sea, Ibiza has a beautiful cliffside old town (Dalt Vila) with a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an excellent food scene, and natural areas with hiking paths. Outside of the town of Ibiza, the island also has several other villages and more quiet areas for those looking for a more relaxing environment for their vacation.

Besides, winters tend to be very mild in southern Spain, and Ibiza is no exception. During my visit to Ibiza in early February, the temperature stayed between about 45 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and in the sun it even felt a bit warmer. Luckily, Ibiza got lots of sun during our trip, so we were even able to enjoy some time on the beach.

With this post, I’ll share the virtual scrapbook of my winter weekend in Ibiza. For those looking for things to do in Ibiza in winter, I’ll discuss the activities I did during my travels. For those looking for delicious restaurants in Ibiza, I’ll describe the places where I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I’ll add a few miscellaneous travel recommendations for those planning a winter trip to Ibiza.

What I Did in Ibiza

1. I explored Dalt Vila, Ibiza’s Old Town.

Dalt Vila is a Catalan phrase that translates roughly to “above town.” Ibiza’s Old Town is called Dalt Vila, because it’s an elevated part of town that sits atop rocky seaside cliffs.

I find that a helpful way to explore a new city on a budget is to follow—or at least to get ideas from—a free self-guided walking tour. While exploring Dalt Vila, I used this self-guided walking tour by GPS My City to orient myself to the neighborhood.

Dalt Vila is a lovely area to stroll around, as it has great views, pretty buildings, and lots of history. The area even includes a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

If you’re exploring Dalt Vila, you should be sure to stop at the Portal de ses Taules, a walkway through the massive fort wall surrounding Ibiza’s Old Town. And you should also definitely make your way to the Castell d’Eivissa, a castle that overlooks the sea and Ibiza’s port.

2. I watched the sunset from Ibiza’s port.

As the sun set on the Balearic Islands one evening, I made my way to the Port d’Eivissa (Ibiza’s port) to gaze at the harbor and the surrounding mountains and cliffs. At Ibiza’s port, there’s a nice elevated pedestrian area that extends into the harbor, which makes for great 360 views. I thought it was a wonderful place to watch the sunset in Ibiza.

3. I relaxed on Playa de’n Bossa.

Playa de’n Bossa is a stretch of Ibiza’s coastline that’s famous for its beachside nightclubs during the summer. When I went to Ibiza in February, the clubs were closed for the season. Still, even in winter, the beach offered a fantastic place to relax, listen to the gentle waves, and take in views of the sea.

Where I Ate in Ibiza

1. Breakfast: Harinus Forn Artesá & Perdición

Harinus Forn Artesá is a chain that serves coffees, teas, pastries, and typical Spanish breakfast foods. For Ibiza, the prices are great. And the food and drinks were excellent, too. During our three days in Ibiza, my friend and I went to three different Harinus locations—that’s how much we enjoyed the cafés.

Perdición is a brunch spot that offers coffees, teas, smoothies, and pastries on top of a complete brunch menu. Everything I ate and drank at the restaurant was excellent.

2. Lunch: Locotaco & Lidl

Locotaco serves tasty Mexican food for lunch and dinner. With jackfruit as a meat substitute, the place has great vegan and vegetarian options. The restaurant is conveniently located near Ibiza’s port.

On our second full day in Ibiza, my friend and I picked up some fruit and items to make sandwiches from Lidl, a budget grocery store. I’ve grown to love shopping at Lidl in southern Spain, because it’s a great place to get groceries on a budget.

3. Tapas: Moraito Tapas & Es Cantonet

Moraito Tapas is a nice bar and restaurant with a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The restaurant serves both tapas and larger dinner meals. I really enjoyed the veggie burger.

Es Cantonet serves tapas and drinks, and has a more traditional Spanish vibe. The prices were great, and the food was even better! I ordered patatas bravas, calamar romana, and bacalao en salsa, and it was all delicious!

My Recommendations for Your Winter Trip to Ibiza

1. Consider renting a car.

If you’re planning a winter trip to Ibiza, or if you’re planning on traveling to Ibiza with the goal of exploring the island, it might be a good idea to consider renting a car. Now, I have to say, I have no information on the cost of renting a car or the logistics of finding a place to park in Ibiza. So you’ll definitely want to do your own research on that. But it seemed to me that renting a car would be a great way to get around the Island of Ibiza.

Ibiza has public busses, but during winter (I have no clue how it is in summer), they don’t run to all of the places you might want to see on the island. I also found that bus trips would take significantly longer than driving, since busses tend to stop many times along their routes. So if you’re thinking of adventuring around the island of Ibiza, renting a car might be a good option.

2. Hydrate before going to the Ibiza airport.

Apparently, the Ibiza airport doesn’t have any drinking water fountains to refill your water bottle. And to my dismay, bottled water was pretty expensive. I know airports tend to hike up prices on food and drinks, but I didn’t expect the water to be quite so expensive at the airport.

So, be sure to hydrate before you head through security at the Ibiza airport!

3. For budget-travelers: buy cheap food at Lidl.

If you want to save some money on food while traveling in Ibiza, you might consider buying something to eat for breakfast or lunch at Lidl, a budget supermarket. My friend and I made a lovely picnic lunch from items we bought at Lidl, and we only spent a few euros each. Grabbing something to eat at Lidl might help you travel on a budget in Ibiza.

I really enjoyed my winter weekend trip to Ibiza. It felt really unique to get to visit the island during the off-season when it was much quieter than during the busy, touristy summers.

All in all, I think Ibiza is a great place for a winter vacation.