The off-season from November till April is the time of year when you will get a different perspective on the island's beauty. Lower temperatures mean you can explore Ibiza easily and with fewer tourists around, you have carte blanche to go where you want relatively unhindered. Winter sunsets are something of magic, with a rich tapestry of changing colours: swirls of oranges, reds, and purples make a scene of awe-inspiring images painted across the skies.
Organised walks and cycling tours
There are organised walks and cycling tours run by several groups on the island which will take you to hidden coves and special beaches. Or you could venture into the lesser-discovered interior, where you can see points of interest as diverse as ancient Arab waterways, terraced fields, wetlands teaming with wildlife and of course lots of pine forests.
Almond blossom
Seeing the white and light pink blanket of Ibiza's almond trees in bloom in January and February is hugely popular on the island. One to try is the full moon walk in Santa Inés, when the trees' blossom takes on an ethereal appearance of a silvery blanket below the expansive moon and glittering stars.
Island tours by car
A great way to discover the hidden winter season treasures of Ibiza is to hire a car and drive around the island, through scented pine forests and past red earth fields and orange and lemon groves. Go and walk around one of the pretty Ibizan villages like San Agustín or San Carlos, to see traditional white houses, covered in pink bougainvillea, and impressive old fortified churches.
Wandering along a near deserted beach is a cool off-season activity, allowing you to pause and reflect on the stunning coastal views away from the madding crowd. Take a look at our suggested island tours, which with routes that take you around different parts of Ibiza means you can choose to do one or all of them depending on where you are on the island.
Art & Culture
Ibiza is a centre of art and culture, with many fine public museums and private art galleries.
Ibiza also has many great places for live music and performance. There is live theatre and dance, symphony orchestras and much more that you can go and see, with plays often put on in English. Movie fans will be pleased to hear that all through winter, many new films are screened across the island in their original language version. You can learn more by going to our arts and culture page.
Markets and Car Boot Sales
Markets and car boot sales are a favourite pastime for Ibiza's residents, as several of the markets are happening all year round. You will find the same intriguing little gifts, souvenirs and leather ware with none of the summer crowds.
There are various Christmas markets across the island. The Las Dalias Christmas market is well worth a visit. There also is a small one on the Plaza del Parque in Ibiza Town and various ones are put on in the stunning grounds of the agrotourism hotel Atzaró.
Dining Out
What would a visit to this idyllic isle be without getting your fill of great food? There are many restaurants that open all year round, some of which offer a lunchtime menú del día, a fixed price menu for as little as €10 to €15 per head. To see which restaurants are open all year round, visit our informative restaurant guide to find an eatery close to you.
Several gastronomic programmes with promotional deals run through the off-season months giving you a quality three-course meal for very little, you'll find them all in our events' calendar.
Ibiza Sabor starts in October featuring restaurants across the island, closely followed by San Antonio's Restaurat festival the same month, which each year features a star local ingredient cleverly interpreted into delicious autumnal dishes. Then in January it's time for Ibiza Town's Patrimoni Gastronòmic, with restaurants offering local and world cuisines, promoting the diversity of cuisines that the town offers.
The winter season really is a gourmet's delight.
Fiestas and the carnival
Festivals on Ibiza are an ongoing affair and they run all through the year with each town and village getting their own fiesta celebrating their patron saint. Think live music drawn from the island's rich talent, traditional Ball Pages folk dancing, sporting events and more.
The colour and imagination of the annual carnivals in Ibiza Town, Santa Eulalia and San Antonio are a joy and a pleasure to behold. The heady atmosphere of the Rúa de Carnival parades see everyone cheering the vibrantly animated floats as they proceed through the streets. The biggest one is in Ibiza Town, where you will see classic films like the Lion King or icons of the 1920s brought to life by the many local dance schools.
See our calendar of fiesta days on Ibiza and check out our events calendar a few weeks before the dates for programmes of the fiestas and carnivals on the island.
Active Fun
Ibiza has a great mix of activities that you can get involved in also in the winter months, as you can see in our recommended items below.
You can try everything from riding horses through open countryside at Horse Valley or seeing the stunning coastline whilst kayaking or dive below the water to explore marine life - the off-season is perfect for this and Ibiza is a superb diving destination.
If outdoors fun is not your thing, test your wits at the Escape Rooms, where you'll experience a nail-biting 60-minute adventure looking for clues and breaking codes in a bid to literally escape the room you are in.
Read more...
Do look out for our guide Things to do this month on Ibiza which gives you our choice picks of what's going on plus our daily events' calendar has even more ideas to help you get the most from your holiday. Also, you can check out our magazine, which features what's going on the island in more depth.
