Ibiza Through My Eyes
We flew to Ibiza from Barcelona, and it was quite an eventful flight. A man sitting next to us didn’t turn off his mobile data and was online for most of the flight. The flight was short, lasting about an hour, and he lost his internet connection for around half an hour. I believe this didn’t affect the pilot, but if more passengers did this, there could likely be issues. I was really annoyed because of this. The flight attendant warned him several times, but he ignored the warnings each time and got to his phone right after the attendant distanced. After we landed, the pilot greeted us with the warmest welcome we had ever heard. He announced our arrival on a beautiful island, wished us a wonderful time, and encouraged us to enjoy the sea and sun.
After landing, which was already in the evening, we quickly exited the airport and, along with many young people, waited for the bus that would take us near our accommodation. The bus ticket cost 3.60 euros, which we purchased directly on the bus.
We got off at the stop where we had to walk another 15 minutes to the hotel. This wouldn’t have been a problem if our suitcase wasn’t slightly damaged. Despite this, we reached the hotel and settled in without any major issues. We didn’t do much that evening as we wanted to rest for diving the next day.
Our main goal in Ibiza was to explore the sea, and I think we fully achieved that. We spent three full days in Ibiza; we arrived late the night before and left very early in the morning on the last day. We spent two days scuba diving and resting afterwards, and on the third day, we went on a day trip by boat, sailing around part of Ibiza. That’s why I can’t really review the restaurants and clubs. We mostly ate at the hotel, on the boat, and what we bought from the store.
The island amazed us with what little we experienced. Had we gone out more, our experience might have been even better. I definitely recommend a visit because the town of Ibiza is small and charming, with a fortress on top. You can take a lovely walk, have a drink, enjoy ice cream, or have a decent meal anywhere in town. Oh, and the sea is truly beautiful.
Besides scuba diving and sailing, we did a lot of walking. One evening, from our hotel, we headed south, away from the center of Ibiza, and walking there was really pleasant. A beautiful seaside promenade along the beach offers many nice spots to sit and enjoy a cocktail. Almost every café had a Happy Hour when cocktail prices were lower or they offered two cocktails for the price of one.
I suggest taking walks through the towns and along the beaches, as there are many hotels and restaurants that are worth seeing. We enjoyed exploring, observing, and discussing everything we encountered.
Diving into Ibiza’s Waters with Centro de Buceo SCUBA IBIZA Diving
Our plan in Ibiza wasn’t to party but to rest, enjoy the sea and go scuba diving for two days straight. I must say, it was definitely worth it as the dive sites were absolutely stunning. I hope we get the chance to return to Ibiza or visit one of the other Balearic Islands because the sea there is beautiful—warm, turquoise, clear, and teeming with life.
Since we were staying southeast of the town center, in Apartaments Vibra Panoramic, it took us about 45 minutes to walk to the Diving Center. We woke up, had breakfast, and set out shortly after 8 a.m. We were scheduled to be at the center by 9 a.m. Breakfast starting at 8 a.m. made it a bit tricky, so we ate quickly and had our coffee in 10 minutes before heading out. We walked fastly and managed to arrive in 40 minutes. In the end, everything went smoothly; we weren’t late and got ready in time.
The staff at the center were very friendly and welcoming, providing us with all the necessary instructions and equipment. They even gave me a thicker wetsuit to keep me warm.
As we’re from Croatia, we had some expectations about the marine life we might see, but the Mediterranean Sea surpassed them. It’s much richer in biodiversity than the Adriatic Sea. We were particularly surprised by the schools of barracudas swimming calmly around us, especially below us.
Additionally, if someone is an Open Water PADI diver without the NITROX specialization, the center offers a day of diving with NITROX for free. Open Water divers generally don’t go deep enough for the increased oxygen percentage in the mix to pose any risk, and NITROX allows them to stay longer at a certain depth because nitrogen absorption in the body is reduced.
We paid 468 euros for two days of diving with all the equipment rental, except for the computer. This averages to about 58.5 euros per dive per person, which is reasonable. It might be pricier compared to other places, but in tourist areas, prices typically start around 50 euros per dive, and it’s less if you bring your own gear.
Boat Adventures on the Ibiza Beach Hopping Cruise
We quickly booked this activity while we were already in Ibiza. We had one full day without plans and couldn’t dive anymore since we were flying from Ibiza to Madrid the next day. We looked for things to do in Ibiza that wouldn’t require much effort, like long walks in the sun.
We found a six-hour cruise that departed from the port in Sant Antoni de Portmany. There weren’t any excursions available that left from Ibiza town.
Getting to Sant Antoni wasn’t difficult. We checked the bus schedule on Google and, for a very cheap fare (2.10 euros per person each way), we took the bus from Ibiza town to Sant Antoni. The bus station, where many buses, including the airport bus, stop, was about a 10-minute walk away. It was easy to find the station because there are stickers or signs indicating the direction and route at each stop. We left from Estacio d’autobusos Cetis, and the L3 bus ride took about 40 minutes. The cruise started at 11 a.m., so we didn’t need to rush.
Getting from the station to the shore was easy, and since we arrived early, we had an hour to enjoy a coffee.
It’s recommended to line up for boarding early because the boat gets full, and it’s great if you can grab a good spot, either in the sun or under cover.
We boarded just in time to secure the seats we wanted, partly in the sun, and saved a spot for our backpacks.
The whole trip was fantastic; the sea and the views were beautiful, and the beaches and spots where we stopped were excellent. Right after we set off, the crew gave us all the instructions and informed us that drinks and snacks were unlimited throughout the day. Tin and I immediately toasted with a glass of sparkling wine and grabbed a cup of dried fruit to snack on.
The first stop was a sandy beach where we had about an hour. We enjoyed a nice swim, even though the water was a bit cold. After that, we sailed to a cove where the boat anchored. They provided masks, fins, and SUP boards for us to use. We first used the masks and fins to explore underwater. We even saw a stingray, swam down to it (about 8 meters deep), and followed it as it swam away. After that, we tried the SUP boards, but we weren’t very successful at standing on them. Between swimming sessions, we also jumped off the diving board and went down the slide on the boat. It was really fun.
During this break, staff also prepared lunch for us. After swimming, we went to get some food, which was quite good. There was a wide variety, and the food was tasty. We ate well, had more drinks, and continued on.
Our last stop was another sandy beach with a small hill above it. Tin and I decided to just walk around there instead of swimming. It was nice to do that.
Around 5:15 p.m., we returned to the shore, and by 5:45 p.m., we were on the bus back to Ibiza town. We bought the tickets on the bus, sat down, and rode back for about 35 minutes.
We didn’t have much energy left to do anything else, so we returned to the hotel to pack and quickly fell asleep from exhaustion.