Excellent excursions
Excursions are a carefree way to enjoy the island and all its delights; you can discover Ibiza by boat, jeep, scooter, quad, tourist train and lots of other ways of transport - and of course as well by foot or bike!
See our selection of great excursions and boat trips on Ibiza and to Formentera and book online here.
Car hire
Here you can find recommended car hire companies with no hidden costs. Please note that most car hire companies have a minimum age limit and only rent to people over 21 or even 23 years old. Furthermore, you have to have held your driving licence for at least two years. Always check that your hired car has Comprehensive Insurance.
We drive on the right-hand side of the road on Ibiza. Traffic on a roundabout has priority. Most crossroads and junctions are regulated by signs to indicate whether you have priority or not. If there is no sign, always give way to traffic from the right. If you are in any doubt, just stop and give way to be safe.
Driving licences issued in any member state of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are valid for driving in Spain as long as they are current and have not been withdrawn for any reason. British visitors also don't need an international driving permit (IDP), please check the current law here. If you are visiting from any other country, please check beforehand if you need an international driving licence. Whilst driving on Ibiza or Formentera, you must make sure to have your driving licence, along with your car rental documents, with you at all times.
Seatbelts are compulsory. Children from 12 years of age or larger than 135 cm are allowed to sit on the passenger seat. Children under 12 or smaller than 135 cm must travel in the back of the car on a pushchair or in a children's seat, according to the age. The car hire companies supply child seats, please request with your reservation.
Headsets are not permitted, you are only allowed to use a hands-free device for telephoning whilst driving.
It is important to observe the parking restrictions, or you run the risk of being clamped. Clamps are released upon payment of a substantial fine to the nearest Municipal Police office. To find out where you can park, please read our detailed parking info further below.
The legal limit for driving after drinking is 0.25 mg/l alcohol in your breath or 0.5 g/l in your blood (0.15 in your breath or 0.3 g/l in your blood if you have had your driving licence less than two years). This is equivalent to a small beer or glass of wine, depending on the person, so our advice is not to drink any alcohol at all if driving. Please be careful!
Petrol stations are marked on each map, and many provide a 24-hour service in high season. You have to pay before refuelling. If you want to fill up your car, you have to let the employee at the cash desk know and they will free your petrol pump.
You might be fined for driving topless or in flip-flops, barefoot or high heels - it is up to police discretion whether they consider your clothing adequate for driving. They might also fine you if they think that you aren't in full control of the car because of eating or drinking at the wheel or for putting your elbow out of the window. It is also forbidden to throw things out of the window; this is especially important for cigarette butts which can cause fires in the dry summer months.
Please comply with all traffic regulations, the fines in Spain are very high!
Mopeds, motorcycles and scooters
Safety helmets are compulsory at all times on mopeds, motorcycles and scooters. On-the-spot fines are in effect, and the police are hyper-vigilant.
A reliable company will supply helmets free of charge and will make sure you hire only what you are legally entitled to ride. Most hire companies have an age limit and only rent mopeds, scooters etc. to over 21 or even 23 years old.
You will also need to make sure you have adequate insurance cover and a secure locking system.
Our main advice to holidaymakers, whether choosing a hire car, mopeds, motorcycles or scooters is to please take good care whilst driving on the roads of Ibiza. This is especially true when it rains as the asphalt on Ibiza is very slippery, much more for example than in Northern European countries.
Book with our recommended scooter hire companies.
Accidents
Should you have an accident, phone your hire company and ask for support. In most rental vehicles there should be an accident report form: check at the pickup that you have it. Fill this out accordingly or at least take the full name and address of the other driver, the registration number and type of vehicle, plus a note of the insurance company and policy number, if possible.
Ask the police for an English translator before making any statement. DO NOT admit to any liability whilst in a possible state of shock. Always co-operate fully with the police.
Parking
Pay-park areas
According to the colour of the kerbs, you can identify if you are allowed to park at the side of a road or not. If there are no signs restricting parking at the kerb, the guidelines are:
Yellow kerb - parking is not allowed
Blue kerb and blue lines on the road - pay park area
Yellow kerb with blue lines on the road - loading area (carga/descarga), parking is not allowed during the indicated times; at other times it is a blue kerb pay park area
Yellow kerb with yellow lines on the road - loading area (carga/descarga), parking is not allowed during the indicated times, at other times parking is allowed for free
No colour - parking is allowed for free at any time
Extra parking for motorbikes - There are usually narrow parking spaces for motorbikes, demarcated with white lines. Parking there is free. However, if you park your motorcycle in an area with a blue kerb designed for cars, you have to pay.
In Ibiza Town, San Antonio and Santa Eulalia many areas have designated pay-park areas with blue kerbs. Look for a payment machine; on this you'll find the times when you have to pay - please note that these are different for summer (verano) and winter (invierno). On the payment machine, you can choose the language for the instructions.
You usually have to type in your number plate, so remember it before you go to the payment machine - for many hired cars you'll find it on your key fob. Payment is possible with coins, credit card or via a parking app.
In summer, between 14:00 and 16:00, and after 22:00 parking is usually free, as it is on Sundays and bank holidays. However, these times vary from zone to zone and from summer to winter season, so check the details on the payment machines for the exact times.
In some areas, you might not have to pay, but parking time is restricted, for example to two hours. There are large signs where this is the case - you have to put the time when you park into your window, either with a parking disc or noting the time on a piece of paper.
In Ibiza Town you have to enter your car number plate (matrícula) into the payment machine, confirm by pressing the green button (the bottom one, this is used for the confirmation of each step). Then choose the payment method: coins or credit card.
Inserting a coin shows you the time up to when you can park; insert more coins until you have reached the required time, or insert a credit card and pull it out again, then you can choose the time via the + and - buttons.
The limit is mostly two hours for €2. Place the ticket visibly in your car windscreen.
You can also pay with the app El Parking, follow the instructions on a payment machine. The advantages are that you can extend your parking ticket while you are walking through town; and if returning to the vehicle earlier than the selected parking time, you can cancel your ticket and have the money refunded for the time not used.
Be aware that traffic wardens patrol continuously throughout the day, so make sure you return to your vehicle on time. If you missed your time and got a ticket, you have up to one hour to pay a fine of a few euros and then the ticket is cancelled (via the button anulación de denuncia).
It works the same way in Santa Eulalia. The displayed language is initially always Catalan, first select Castellano for Spanish in the bottom right corner of the touch screen and then you can choose English in the next step.
Here, too, you can either pay in cash, by credit card or with the El Parking payment app.
In San Antonio, there are also blue kerb parking zones with payment machines throughout the town. The payment machines come from a different company than the ones in Ibiza Town or Santa Eulalia.
Instructions are given on a screen on the machine and are easy to follow; you can choose between different languages. Here as well, you have to enter your number plate. You can pay with coins, Visa or Master Card or via the parking app flowbird.
At the port of San Antonio, there are different payment machines which work pretty much the same way, only that you can't pay via the app here.
Car parks
Ibiza Town
In Ibiza Town there is a large paid parking area in the town centre, stretching from the port into the shopping area, Parking Es Pratet (see Google maps). There are two entrances, one near the port and one near the Royal Plaza hotel. For the exits, follow the signs saying salida. The parking is open 24/7, but it is quite expensive, especially in summer. People living on Ibiza (official residents) can get a special card for discounted parking; get further information at the office, which is also open 24/7.
In Ibiza Town, there are several free parking areas on the outskirts of town, some of them offer a shuttle service to the town centre.
For example, there is a large free car park behind IKEA (Parking Es Gorg, see Google maps) near the Pacha roundabout. From here it is only a 15-minute walk along the harbour into town; in summer there is also a free shuttle bus running from the stop every 15 minutes into the centre (line 50, between 9.00 - 14.15 h and 17 - 21.15 h). Even in high season you almost always find a parking spot here.
There is another one next to the exhibition hall of Ibiza (Fecoef, see Google maps). From here it also is a 15-minute walk into the town centre.
San Antonio
At the entrance of the town, at the Lidl roundabout, you'll find the free public car park Ses Alameres (see Google maps); from here it is just a 10 minute walk into the centre of town. In the same area there is a paid parking zone on the main road lining the seafront, near to the club Es Paradis (see Google maps).
Around the bus station, you also can park for free at the kerbs which are not painted in any colour (see Google maps).
Near the Sunset Strip you'll find a large area with sandy ground, the unofficial Parking Ses Variades (see Google maps). Here you can park for free, though the town council plans to regulate the area soon. Though it is really big, in summer it might be difficult to find a space, as it is very busy during high season.
Santa Eulalia
In Santa Eulalia, there is an underground car park near the main bus station (see Google maps). It is open 24/7, the parking fee is not expensive (ca. €2 per hour, charged per minute). A few metres further along the road which leads to the car park, you'll find free public parking - it is often full in the summer months, but it is worth giving it a shot, especially in the evening (see Google maps).
A small car park, where you pay via payment machines as in the blue zones on the roads, is situated at the south end of the town; turn right at the petrol station when you come into town, then the car park is situated on the right-hand side after the supermarket Eroski (see Google maps). It is normally full, but as many people are coming and going, one can be lucky.
Furthermore, there is a large paid car park in the marina of Santa Eulalia; get a ticket at the barrier and turn left, and pay later at the payment machine. And near the Hotel Tres Torres at the north end of town (see Google maps) you'll find another parking, where you pay via the blue zones machines.
Other resorts
In most resorts and villages parking is no problem, even in high season. In Playa d'en Bossa you can park for free along the roads and there are two large paid car parks in the centre of the resort. In Figueretas it can be difficult in summer, as well as in Cala Vadella during the high season.
Parking at some beaches can be difficult in summer; for each beach we have detailed information about getting there and parking possibilities in our beach guide.
On the buses
Ibiza boasts an extensive and regular bus service. There are half-hour connections between all major resorts, including many of the most popular beaches.
Buses run in the summer months from approximately 7:00 until 23:30, and in the high season, there are additional night buses from Ibiza (via Playa d'en Bossa), San Antonio (via San Antonio Bay) and Es Caná (via Santa Eulalia) to and from the airport. The disco bus connects all major resorts and clubs from midnight until 6 am.
Timetables and bus routes are displayed at bus stops and in ticket offices, there they also have timetables for you to keep. Timetables change according to high and low season, so get a current one. If there is a ticket office (e.g. at the main bus stations of San Antonio and Ibiza Town), then buy your ticket here before boarding the bus; if not, pay the driver when you get on the bus.
Bus stops are signposted 'P' (for parada = stop). Keep an eye out and ring the bell in advance of your stop. You'll find that local people love helping visitors. Make sure you know the last bus time before you set off, particularly to the beach as (except on the popular beaches) taxis are hard to find. You can, of course, take the taxi telephone numbers with you.
Here you can find the Google map locations of the main bus stations (estación de autobuses) in Ibiza Town (called CETIS), San Antonio and Santa Eulalia.
Most buses are air-conditioned and make an extremely economical form of transport. Ask in your accommodation for more details.
For residents of Ibiza and Formentera, buses on Ibiza are free of charge. This measure was taken during the pandemic and has been extended since, also for 2024. You must show proof that you are a resident. On Formentera, the regular buses are free of charge for residents, minors under 18 years, disabled persons, and residents of other islands who work regularly on Formentera.
For current timetables, see the websites of the island government Consell d'Ibiza (in English) or Ibiza Bus (in Spanish).
Here you will find current timetables of the disco bus.
Read also our Ibiza Virgins' guides for daytime buses and the disco bus.
Taxis
Read your Holiday Tips - Ibiza taxi fares - here you'll also find detailed information, telephone numbers and a link for downloading the Taxi Ibiza app. Since November 2023, ride-share company Uber also operates on Ibiza.
Airport transfers
The easiest and most comfortable way to get from the airport to your accommodation and back is to book an airport transfer in advance. Choose from a standard or luxury car just for you and your party (year round) or take a shared shuttle service (during the summer season from May to October).
Island ferries & boats
Taking one of the small ferries available is one of the most pleasant ways to circumnavigate Ibiza's picturesque coastline. These leave from the harbours or small landing stages, linking the surrounding hotels and beaches with the main resort. They generally leave about every 30 minutes or so; on many landing stages, you'll find timetables. Ask for more details at the reception of your holiday accommodation.
Very popular ferry trips include ones that go from Playa d'en Bossa or Figueretas to Ibiza Town; ones that start at Marina Botafoch (near Talamanca) and at the cruise ship terminal to Ibiza Town, and the ones from San Antonio's harbour to the beautiful beaches along the west coast like Cala Bassa, Cala Conta and Cala Gracio.
If you want to get to know the island from the water, there is also a great choice of boat excursions - or live the ultimate Ibiza dream and charter your own boat.
Ferry connections Ibiza - Formentera
The whole year round, the large ferry companies Balearia and Trasmapi connect several times per day from the harbour of Ibiza Town to Formentera. To get from the airport to the harbour you can take a taxi or the bus. On some of the ferries you can also take your car, scooter or bike. The ferry terminal for the Formentera ferries is in the centre of Ibiza Town (Google maps).
The low-cost ferry Aquabus runs all year round from Ibiza Town to Formentera and during the summer season also from Playa d'en Bossa and Figueretas. On the Aquabus ferries you can also take luggage, bikes and pets.
There are also many boat excursions to Formentera offered from many resorts on the island.
Ferry connections to and from Ibiza
There are connections from mainland Spain (Barcelona, Valencia, Gandia and Denia) to Ibiza Town with the ferry companies Balearia, GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci) and Trasmediterranea.
The above information is correct to the best of our knowledge but may be subject to change.