Ibiza

This is an island where there is always so much to do – and the Mediterranean climate can more or less guarantee that the weather will be perfect for it, whatever it is. It rarely rains between June and September and in July and August there will be more than 10 hours of sunshine a day and it will be hot, with maximum temperatures in the upper 30 degrees Centigrade and maybe higher. The evenings will still be warm enough for T-shirts and shorts.

But even in May, June and September the sun will be out for hours and the average temperatures will be in the mid-20s or higher, although a jumper may be needed in the evenings. The sea stays comfortably warm for swimming until October.

A medieval fair is held in the historic walled area of Ibiza Town during the second week of May. Jugglers, artists, puppeteers, craftsmen and musicians are joined by people dressed as dragons, witches, knights and princesses in a lively festival full of colourful and fun.

Ibiza Gay Pride in June attracts 50,000 people from all over the world for four days of drag shows, music, movies, parties and street fun in Ibiza Town. The last day always sees the spectacular LGBT “great march” pride parade. From June 10 to 13, 2020.

Saint John the Baptist celebrations are held all over the Balearics on June 23 to welcome the return of summer, but no one does it quite like the small village of San Juan in Ibiza. The village celebrates its saint with a church service followed by a parade to the village centre where the festival starts. There’s a day of dancing, games, music and feasting. There’s an evening craft market and live music followed by a bonfires and fireworks. Some of the young men do fire walking and bonfire jumping, a tradition that’s supposed to drive away bad spirits. June 21 to 24, 2020

BBC Radio 1 has been hosting a weekend of music and dancing in Ibiza for 20 years in 2020 and has promised that the anniversary event will be bigger and better than ever. Annie Mac, Danny Howard and Pete Tong will be hosting live shows and other events that will feature “new music and hottest DJ sets” from the world of dance. July 31 – August 2, 2020.

Several days of music, dancing, markets, church services and other activities celebrate Ibiza’s heritage, history and culture with the Festes de la Terra in August. There’s a spectacular firework finale at midnight on August 8, St Ciriac’s day, in the port of Ibiza Town.

On August 24 it’s the turn of San Antonio to have a firework finale to end a week of celebrations for the town’s patron saint, Saint Bartomen.

The 12th annual event of an interactive arts festival called Bloop is scheduled for August and September. The project, launched in Spain, promotes the message “art is for everybody”. The free festival includes murals, installations, music, workshops, street art, photographs and sculpture.  The event has so far been responsible for 60 murals and art installations on the island.

Car hire: A reasonable road network connects all towns and villages so hiring a car can be an economic way to explore the island. All resorts have car hire businesses and your UK driving licence will be sufficient.  (This could change after Brexit.) Most car hire companies have an age limit of 21 but it can be higher. Drive on the right and seatbelts are compulsory. Main towns colour code kerbs for parking. Yellow, no parking. Blue, pay to park or restrictions in place. White, free to park.  Cars parked illegally are clamped or fined. Most resorts have car parks too, some paid, some free.

Buses: Reliable, air-conditioned bus services are regular and frequent from 7am until 11.30pm in the summer.  Between June and September a “discobus” runs through the night providing links between the clubs, resorts and main hotels. Timetables and routes are displayed at bus stops, in the offices where you buy the tickets and on the Ibizabus company website and mobile app. There is an English translation. In the evenings, when ticket offices are shut, tickets can be bought on the buses. The Discobuses run until 6am.

Taxis: There are taxi ranks in all main resorts and at the airport. Cabs with green lights showing on their roofs can be flagged down anywhere, any time. A list of taxi firm phone numbers is available online but hotels will call or book taxis for guests.  Journeys are metered but drivers usually speak English and will be able to estimate the cost of the journey in advance.

Boats: Water taxis and Aquabuses journey between resorts and beaches. Ferries run to the neighbouring island of Formentera, boats go from resorts to more secluded beaches. Speedboats and small motorboats can be hired (without a licence). A more luxurious yacht can be hired along with a captain to do the steering.

Other vehicle hire:  Quad bikes, scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and bicycles can all be hired in the main resorts and provide opportunities to explore the island, including the bits that cars and buses can’t reach.  Quad bikes require a full driving or motorcycle licence. You must be 18 or over to hire a bike with an engine bigger than 75cc.  Helmets are compulsory. Ibiza has become a popular destination for cyclists and a wide range of road and mountain bikes is available for hire.

Excursions: If you want someone else to take the strain out of travelling then there is a huge range of excursions available. You may want to spend a day on a party boat, or a wild Safari or buggy off-road adventures, or a glorious tour around the whole, enchanting island.  Then there are guide-led walking tours around the towns or in the countryside or focused on culture or food. If you fancy pedalling, there are  cycling or E-bike (electric ones) tours with guides too. Or you could take the train.

Trains: No, Ibiza doesn’t have a railway - but it does have tourist land trains. They take passengers on road trips through towns and countryside and offer sights of “the real Ibiza”. They operate out of Sant Eulalia and San Antonio and there is a full commentary in the open-air carriages. Stops can be in villages, beaches, viewing points, markets and sometimes a vineyard for wine-tasting. 

Ibiza's clubs have won many awards over the years. Read our low down on the clubbing scene in Ibiza.