San Antonio in Winter (Sant Antoni)

Winter is the season when the locals reclaim the town of San Antonio for themselves. Gone are the disco-antics of the summer months; Es Paradis, Eden, Café Mambo, Summum, Soul City and all the other bars are shut - a blissful peace and calm descends...

As the second largest town, San Antonio suddenly takes on a very typical Spanish ambience - there are many locals who live here all year round: there are shops, bars, restaurants (some excellent ones), a cinema and many of the 'trappings' of any normal town. We'd advise you to take a stroll around the town, particularly in the non-tourist back streets, and see what is open.

Take a look at our shopping guide, most of the shops featured are open during the winter months so there's plenty of choice for a morning shopping trip followed by a coffee (and cake?) at one of the many cafe bars.

Suggested places to visit:

Cas Mila Restaurant beautiful views and beautiful food - nothing more to say! Open at weekends.

Tijuana Tex Mex Restaurant a fun atmosphere and hot 'n' spicy food to warm you up in the chilly winter evenings!

Ca Na Sofia: You couldn't get any closer to the beach than this restaurant! Find it at Cala Vadella open from 4.12. Closed some evenings in winter (mon/tues) so do phone first to check.

Clubs

There is a very lively winter night scene with bars and pubs which attract many Ibicencos from all around the island. To find more of a club scene you'll have to venture further afield. See Off-season clubbing.

Sightseeing in and around San Antonio

Sunset city

And you thought the romantic sunsets of the summer months were unbeatable! Winter is the best time of year to fully appreciate this spectacular natural lightshow. The clarity of the air (one of the reasons for Ibiza's popularity amongst artists) and the windswept, straggly clouds of the upper atmosphere lend a supernatural beauty to the sunset in winter.

Take a trip to San Antonio on a bright and sunny winter afternoon, find yourself some 'first-row seats' and sit back and relax! No crowds to spoil the view, and no electronic beats to spoil the atmosphere.

For the more adventurous, the beaches along the West of the island make for some idyllic settings from which to admire the sunset. See our beaches section.

The underground Chapel of Santa Ines

Steeped in local history and legend, the underground chapel of Santa Ines is said to have been popular amongst religious cults of the 16th and 17th century, before the main church at San Antonio was constructed. Legends tell of a wooden statue of the Saint (Santa Ines), which wherever it was taken, would always reappear in the chapel...

The Chapel dates back to Roman times, and is open to the public on Monday mornings and Saturday evenings. (Please ask in the tourist office of San Antonio for the exact times). See our almond blossom special for more info about Santa Ines and the surrounding countryside.

Recommended Day Trips

For those who have hired a car, this time of the year is ideal to get out and about exploring the island. To help you on your way take a look at our 4 'self drive' island routes - do them all or choose the one for the area you're staying in - we're sure they'll introduce to another side of Ibiza. They're printer friendly too - so you can take them with you when you travel.

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