Budget vacations in Ibiza: (un)obvious ways to save money on hotels, clubs and sunsets
Budget vacation in Ibiza: a week for 20,000 rubles

Budget vacations in Ibiza: (un)obvious ways to save money on hotels, clubs and sunsets

Ibiza is a flashy resort for the golden youth with exorbitant prices. Wouldn’t you agree?

I thought so too, until I got the idea to have a budget-friendly birthday party on Party Island. It turned out to be quite realistic. I will tell you what you can save money on in Ibiza without sacrificing the quality of your vacation.

The main trick is to come at the very beginning or end of the season, when prices are much lower and the parties are still going on. The club season starts in early May and lasts until mid-October.

Ibiza is comfortable all year round. The temperature in winter rises to +18°C. The climate is mild, with no harsh winds or sudden temperature changes, so there are many tourists on the island outside the beach season. In the summer months Ibiza belongs to the young, and the rest of the time it is a quiet retirement resort. Most of the restaurants and cafes are closed in the off-season, but the island still doesn’t seem extinct. Some clubs organize live music evenings even in winter.

Ibiza is a year-round holiday destination
Ibiza is a year-round holiday destination
Part of the café closes with the end of the club season
Part of the café closes with the end of the club season

Where to stay in Ibiza

The maximum choice of budget accommodation and clubs is in the towns of Eivissa and Sant Antoni de Portmani. These are the most popular resorts among young people.

Santa Eularia des Riu is more suitable for a vacation with children, away from the nightlife. This town is the most family-oriented, and it’s quiet even in the peak club season.

There are no problems with good beaches in Ibiza — all the resort towns are located on the coast. There are small villages hidden in the center of the island, but these places are not very touristy, there is almost nothing to see there.

Map of Ibiza with main towns and attractions

Hotel, hostel or couch?

In Ibiza you can find a hotel for every budget. For example, in San Antonio for 50 € you can rent a nice apartment with pool and kitchen, and for 80 € — a double room with breakfast in the hotel 3 * Playasol Marco Polo I. There are also all-inclusive hotels in Ibiza: for example, a room in Alua Hawaii 4* on the first line, with its own beaches and premium service costs from 190 € for a room with breakfast to 256 € for «all inclusive».

Towards the end of the club season, room rates drop by at least 10—15 €. The same happens at the beginning of May, while the parties are not yet going on in all clubs.

An option for solo travelers is a hostel. In San Antonio (Sant Antoni de Portmani) I stayed at the Amistat Hostel, in the city center about the same distance from both the beaches and the train station. Accommodation costs from 30 € for a place in a shared room, with prices dropping to 19 € in the fall. The hostel is comfortable: there is a laundry room, a storage room, a computer corner with high-speed wi-fi. In the kitchen you can cook dinner, and in the common area — to play a console, chill on the sun beds and swim in the pool in the courtyard. There’s even a bar, and there are DJ parties a couple times a week. There are plenty of supermarkets nearby.

You can stay with locals for a couple of days through kuchsurfing, which is a completely free option. As a thank you, you can bring something delicious from your country or cook dinner. This option is more suitable for solo travelers for a couple of days. Staying for a week through couchsurfing is not very common.

Amistat Hostel is comfortable and budget-friendly
Amistat Hostel is comfortable and budget-friendly

What to do in Ibiza

Although the main points of attraction in Ibiza are the clubs and club hotels, there are also attractions.

You can have a photo shoot on the Portinatx promontory with stunning sea views. On Wednesday it is worth checking out the hippie market in Santa Eularia des Riu. Entrance to the market is free, but souvenirs cost from €20.

I’ll talk about Ibiza’s main treasure — beaches and parties — below.

Parties

The mecca of club parties is noticeably expensive. Tickets for mid-level DJs start at €25, and a bottle of plain water in the club itself costs €20. Therefore, going to the clubs every day is quite a costly idea. During one night, 3—4 DJs change in a club, and the most famous one — the headliner — starts playing around 3:00 am.

My advice is to research event lineups in advance and choose a night when several musicians you know are performing at once.

David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris perform at the Hi Ibiza Club
David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris perform at the Hi Ibiza Club
For some clubs, it
For some clubs, it’s not even immediately obvious that there are parties going on here
Clubs in Ibiza to suit all tastes and budgets
Clubs in Ibiza to suit all tastes and budgets

Sunset at Cafe del Mar

A must-do on a trip to Ibiza is to watch the sunset at the iconic Cafe del Mar in Sant Antoni de Portmani. Every evening, tourists gather on the terrace of the cafe to applaud the setting sun and listen to DJ mixes. The music each day is specially selected for the sunset.

Cocktails at the cafe start at 13 €. But you don’t have to reserve a table to enjoy the sunset. There is a wide strip of beach in front of the cafe, where there are almost more people sitting than on the terrace. This is no longer the territory of the cafe, and no one kicks you out. Everyone brings their own food and snacks. You’ll have to sit on the rocks, but that doesn’t bother anyone — you’ll have the best view of the sea and the setting sun, and everyone can hear the music.

This is what the front row seats outside Café del Mar look like
This is what the front row seats outside Café del Mar look like
Every day, hundreds of tourists gather near the cafe to watch the sunset on the island of dreams
Every day, hundreds of tourists gather near the cafe to watch the sunset on the island of dreams

Beaches of Ibiza

The public beaches in Ibiza are free and organized: they are sandy, clean and regularly cleaned of seaweed. Each beach has a lifeguard, sun lounger and umbrella rentals, and beach mini-bars. There are several nudist beaches, such as Las Salinas, which are also comfortable and accessible to everyone.

10 €
Umbrella and sunbed rental per day (per set)

You don’t have to pay a penny to visit the most beautiful beaches in the bays and coves. For example, the beach in the pine-covered bay of Cala Salada or the salt lakes of Ses Salinas.

The hotels of the first strip have their own beach and swimming pool, their visit is included in the price of accommodation.

Kala Salada Bay without a drop of photoshop
Kala Salada Bay without a drop of photoshop
Most beaches in Ibiza are sandy
Most beaches in Ibiza are sandy
There is a lifeguard on duty at all beaches
There is a lifeguard on duty at all beaches
Toward evening, it gets a little crowded here
Toward evening, it gets a little crowded here
Ses Salinas has beautiful beaches and sunsets
Ses Salinas has beautiful beaches and sunsets

Old Town of Eivissa

In between partying and sleeping on the beach, you can visit some museums and attractions, especially since it won’t cost anything to visit them.

Ivis has preserved a white-washed old town — Dalt vila. Its territory is like a huge open-air museum. There are ruins of the Moorish wall, ancient Roman statues, picturesque houses painted in white. From almost any point in the old town there is a picturesque view of the city, the bay and the neighboring island of Formentera.

There are a lot of observation decks in the old town
There are a lot of observation decks in the old town
Most of the buildings in the old part of town are painted white - to keep the house cooler
Most of the buildings in the old part of town are painted white — to keep the house cooler
The walls of the fortress overlook the bay
The walls of the fortress overlook the bay
The Old Town is located on a hill, so the walk will be combined with physical activity
The Old Town is located on a hill, so the walk will be combined with physical activity

Museu Puget (Museu Puget)

The museum is housed in a 15th century manor house built in the Moorish style. It displays paintings by two local artists, father and son Puiget. Their works depict views of the town and its people in the early 20th century. Compare the views in the paintings with how the streets look now.

Open from 10:00. Closed on Monday.

The streets of the old town
The streets of the old town

Museum of Archaeology (Museo Arqueológico de Ibiza y Formentera)

There are exhibits from the founding of the city 2000 years ago, as well as artifacts from the necropolis of Puig des Molins. The museum’s exposition covers the history and after the Catalan conquest of the area in the early 13th century.

Monday is a day off. Free admission on Sundays.

The museum is closed for restoration in early 2020, so check the schedule on the website before traveling.

Contemporary Art Museum

The 18th century building features art and engravings from the 1960s by natives of the Balearic Islands.

Open from 10:00 a.m. Monday is a day off.

The Museum of Modern Art is located in a historic mansion
The Museum of Modern Art is located in a historic mansion

How things work in Ibiza

Transportation

Within any town on the island, public transportation is unnecessary — everything is located fairly compactly and can be walked.

There are buses between towns and to the natural attractions of the island. The traffic is not very heavy and you have to stick to the timetable.

1,5 €
A ticket for one bus ride. Schedule

At night, discobus (discobus) run between the cities, especially for those who can’t spend the whole night in one club. They stop at all the clubs and run from June to the end of September. Alcohol is allowed on the bus, but only in plastic containers.

3—4 €
Ticket for discobus. Schedule and route

There is a relatively inexpensive cab service on the island. A trip from the club to the hotel will cost an average of €10—15. You can catch a cab right on the street or call it through an iOS and Android app.

If you come in a group of 3—4 people, rent a car. This way you will see the beaches and bays that are difficult to reach by bus because the stops are far away. By car you will travel around the mountain villages for 1—2 days and see the non-touristy Ibiza and its locals. Rental costs from 13 € per day.

500 €
Penalty for drunk driving

On an island where alcohol pours in rivers, it takes a special kind of willpower not to drink and drive. According to stories, the police often stop rental cars and mercilessly fine tourists for drunk driving. Spaniards themselves are often not averse to a glass of wine or sangria at lunch, but I would not risk getting behind the wheel after a glass of beer.

You don
You don’t need a car to get around town

Where to eat?

The standard advice applies here: to save money, choose a café not on the seafront, where prices are inflated for the beautiful view. In a neighboring street, a bit in the back of the island, dishes will be cheaper by 2—5 €.

You can also buy groceries and cook your own food, if your hotel or apartment has such an option. On the beach you constantly want to drink beer, snack on chips or fruit, and cocktail vendors are on the beach all day long. A glass of beer in a beach café costs at least €5, while a can of beer in a store costs half as much.

It is convenient to buy groceries in SPAR supermarkets — they are on almost every street. Wine for a couple of euros, cheeses, jamon, baguette, fruit — a romantic picnic on the beach for two will cost about 10 €.

The most expensive beer in the store costs half as much as it does at the beach bar
The most expensive beer in the store costs half as much as it does at the beach bar
Such a picnic will cost 10 €
Such a picnic will cost 10 €
Spar supermarkets have a good selection.
Spar supermarkets have a good selection.

Wi-Fi

Open and unlimited wi-fi is available at the island’s airport. Hotels provide a password for internet connection upon check-in — no extra charges, fast and uninterrupted.

You can also connect to wi-fi in cafes and restaurants. In most establishments, access to the network is free, in some places you will need to make an order.

Ibiza is for everyone

During a week of vacation in Ibiza I spent about 20,000 rubles. — Hostels in Ivis and San Antoni, transportation around the island, meals, lots of alcohol, souvenirs. This does not include flights — S7 offers tickets from 4,000 roubles on sale; and a ticket to the Pacha club — I was given it as a present.

Ibiza is worth going to for 5—7 days. You will have time to hang out a couple of nights in the clubs, lay your sides on all the beaches, go to the eastern part of the island to the bays and rocks, compare sunsets in Cafe Del Mar and on the beaches. And decide to come back!