Ibiza invites us to experience its ample offering, so we can enjoy it with the whole family. We will get explore ancient civilizations, take walks along footpaths, take trips on trains or tourist boats, play at the beach and a lot of other surprises. Its cultural, historic and natural richness has brought international recognition, culminating in the declaration as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.
The privileged climate allows us to enjoy Ibiza during any season of the year. That’s one good reason, but certainly not the only one to visit the island with the family. There are many reasons: Clear and crystalline water, spectacular landscapes, the tranquility of the rural interior, the centennial traditions…The kids will make memories that will last a lifetime, not only from the captivating activities waiting for them, but also from the information they absorb on their holidays. Fun and learning, that’s what’s in store for them on Ibiza.
At the beach
The beaches of Ibiza are a perfect setting to begin discovering the island’s beauty. Spectacular, paradisiacal and desert-like coves will give us unforgettable family moments. You will find crystal clear water, golden sand and a quiet sea along the entire coast. The best beaches for families, such as the ones we mention here, offer a wide range of services to ensure that everyone enjoys their stay. There are pedal boats and parasols for rent and you can take part in many kinds of water sports.
Portinatx is a place with a lot of natural charm and is very peaceful, perfect for families. The beaches are distributed in a group of three coves, s’Arenal Gros is the main cove and s’Arenal Petit is the smallest. There is also a small fishing port at the end of the road Es Portixol. The views of the bay are extraordinary and there are shops of every sort in the vicinity. The small water park with its slides must also be mentioned.
Sant Antoni de Portmany offers us the cove Cala Salada, consisting of a larger cove and a smaller cove, named Cala Saladeta. You will love the serene and the familiar atmosphere, as much as the privileged environment. We are surrounded by a leafy Mediterranean forest with many places for a leisurely stroll or for admiring the landscape.In a natural environment of singular beauty, located in Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, a group of smaller coves forming an almost paradisiacal surrounding awaits us. We are talking about Platges de Comte. The magic of the turquoise water combines with the beauty of the fine, white sand. It’s a sight that culminates in a spectacular blaze of color at sunset. The kids will have a lot fun looking for shells in the sand.
In Santa Eulária lies Cala Llonga situated between majestic mountains and near the mouth of a river with lush vegetation. The cliffs give us the opportunity lose ourselves a little, because its structure forms small coves perfect for swimming or relaxing. But if we visit with smaller children, then it’s better to enjoy the services and the entertainment facilities offered at the beach.
The natural Ibiza
The beaches are perfect to enjoy with the whole family and the natural landscapes are perfect as well. Our kids will love visiting the caves of Can Marcà. These natural spaces are the result of the natural activity, with stalagmites, stalactites and small lakes. We can explore the caves taking this 40-minute route with special water, light and sound effects. They will be equally enchanted when we visit the Natural Park of Ses Salinas, consisting of top notch terrestrial and marine habitats with important ecological, landscape, historical and cultural value. The park is a resting and nesting place for a lot of migratory birds, such as like flamingos and herons. Our kids will have fun and, at the same time, learn to appreciate nature.
The landscapes of the interior of the island display their beauty throughout the entire year, including winter, when the countryside is still a splendorous green and in bloom. In these months we can contemplate the flowering almonds in the region of Pla de Corona.
The sea is also a source of fun together with nature. The posidonia is a phanerogam, an endemic plant of the Mediterranean, growing on the seabed and covering it with dense meadow. On Ibiza the state of conservation of the posidonia is surprisingly good, which is very important since the posidonia is important for the diversity of marine life and is responsible for the clean and transparent water. Thanks to activities like diving and excursions together with our kids we can get to know a very interesting ecosystem.
Cultural tours
Ibiza is also culture, and to learn about it is a stimulating exercise for us and fun for our kids. The declaration of UNESCO can be used as guide, because it includes cultural and natural attractions, which you must visit if you want to get to know the island. We are talking about the walled quarter of Dalt Vila; the Phoenician-Punic necropolis of Puig Molins, the most important of the Mediterranean; the Phoenician village of Sa Caleta (8th century B.C.); the Punic sanctuary of Culleram, a natural cave where remains from the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C. were found. The routes give us the opportunity to combine visits and make the best use of time, so you will have more time for the beach, sport or whatever you like to do.
Classic route
We recommend beginning the tour with a stroll through the walled quarter of Dalt Vila from the 16th century. We enter the quarter through the main door, Portal de les Taules, with its drawbridge, where you can still see the coat of arms from Philip II, indicating the year of construction, 1585. First we will reach the parade ground, a singular place with ten half point arches that, for a few years, hosted the island’s first hippy market.
Visit the bulwark museum
If we want our kids to have fun, as well as learn, the best we can do is to take them to places that recreate times past. The bulwark fulfils this mission. The Baluarte de Sant Pere is fascinating, because you can see audiovisuals showing how such impressive constructions as the walled quarter of Dalt Vila were built. The fortification was constructed by the Italian engineer Giovani Battista Calvi and to this day preserves the original 16th century layout.But that’s not all, the Baluarte de Sant Jaume also holds some surprises for us. Here we find the main pieces of artillery, which took both spaces under cross-fire. It’s a representation of military technology from the 16th to the 18th century and we can see cannonry, a mortar, musketry, spades, arquebuces, helmets and amours. Our kids will especially love that they are allowed to try on these items.
Ideas for families to enjoy
Dramatizations at the necrópolis of Puig des Molins
Thanks to these guided tours, we can understand how the people lived during the Phoenician era. It’s very entertaining, because they perform various funeral rituals from the different civilizations that lived on the islands. This takes place the last or second to last Sunday in February, March and April.
Dramatizations in Dalt Vila
The explanations given by the guides and the dramatization allow us to travel back in time to better understand how society was in that era, what kind of danger besieged the town and in general how life was in this place on the Mediterranean in the 16th century. Open throughout the year. Previous enrollment required.
Aquarium Cap Blanc
A natural cave converted into an aquarium of about 370m² in size, containing specimens of the main species of the Mediterranean around Ibiza. That’s what we’ll find in this fantastic aquarium that originated as a pool retaining the excess fish the fishermen couldn’t sell the same day. Nowadays it’s used for the recovery of animals, especially sea turtles.
Hippy markets
We can’t go without shopping during our holiday on Ibiza. The hippy markets are truly full of surprises where you can find the most unsuspected things, such as unique clothing for the kids, costume jewelry, handcrafted toys, bags… There are several markets on the island, but the most famous and biggest is in Las Dalias and at Punta Arabi. The first one takes place every Saturday of the year, although it has added new offerings like the already famous Night Market, several weeks of indoor Christmas Market and several days of Easter Market. The market of Punta Arabí opens every Wednesday from April to October and, in addition to the many items offered, we can also enjoy music and performances, artists and living statues.
Typical dance at the church yard of Sant Miguel
Every Thursday at 6 o’clock in the afternoon we can enjoy a performance of folk dance coinciding with the craft market at the square Sant Miguel. Our kids will certainly enjoy the traditional dance and the explanations, in different languages, of the different kinds of dance and the origin of the typical dress of the women, with more than ten skirts one on top of the other.
Ibiza from another point of view
Our kids always look for new experiences and excitement. To satisfy this need the best thing we can do is to take excursions by train or boat that will give us the opportunity to learn about remote areas of the island. For example the magical island of Es Vedrá, where a UFO base is supposed to be located, the area around the village Santa Agnés with all its almond trees. Or ride bikes through the pine forest until reaching the coast to take a dip in the sea. And what about a kayak ride to visit deserted beaches you can only reach from the sea.