Ibiza Town (Eivissa)

Ibiza Town (Eivissa in Catalan, pop. 49,000) is the capital of Ibiza Island and the largest city on the island. The core of the city is sandwiched between Figueretes and Platja d`en Bossa to the south and the Botafoc and Eivissa Nova marinas to the northeast. The Old Town, built on a mountain overlooking the sea, is called Dalt Vila and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Zone for over 20 years.

Ibiza Town was founded by the Phoenicians in the year 654 BCE, and the initial settlers called the settlement Iboshim. The Carthaginians expanded the city away from the port and began to settle more of the mountain above the port, beginning in the fourth century BCE. After the fall of Carthage in the second century BCE, it flourished even more, first as an autonomous settlement, and then a Roman city (named Ebusus). The walls around Dalt Vila were built by King Philip II in the second half of the sixteenth century CE. In the twentieth century, tourism exploded in the 1960s as it became well-known in the hippie movement. By the 1990s, it became a worldwide epicenter of `club culture`, and today some of the most exclusive nightclubs in the world are located on Ibiza Island (including a handful in Ibiza Town).

Dalt Vila (literally `the upper town`) still boasts its old fortified `city wall` system, and inside the walls you can see such sights as Ibiza Cathedral (the Cathedral of Santa Maria d`Eivissa), and the Carthaginian necropolis Puig des Molins. The area to the north of Dalt Vila and the Via Romana is called Eixample (the `extension` of the city of Ibiza, which was once just Dalt Vila). While other areas of the island might be better-known for its nightlife, one of the most popular clubs on the island, Pacha, is located in Ibiza Town, just north of the Casino de Ibiza in the Talamanca neighborhood.

Figueretes

Figueretes is located a mile southwest of Ibiza Town`s Dalt Vila (Old Town), and is the closest beach to Ibiza Town. Figueretes Beach`s northern portion consists of shallow, mostly-clear waters with a palm-tree-lined promenade, the Passeig ses Pitiuses, separating the beach from resorts, apartments, restaurants, and bars. The promenade`s extensive renovation project was completed in June 2019. The beach`s rock jetties are popular recreational fishing spots. Past the southernmost of the three rock jetties on Figueretes Beach, there are a number of all-inclusive resorts offering private beach access to their guests. There are many resorts sandwiched between the beach and waterfront area and the Avinguda de Sant Jordi which runs parallel to the beach approximately 700 feet away.

Platja d`en Bossa

South of Figueretes by about two miles, the Platja d`en Bossa stretches for two more miles (the largest uninterrupted stretch of beach on Ibiza Island). Platja d`en Bossa is well-known for being one of the nightlife hubs in Ibiza. It has long been a favorite for young tourists traveling on their own, and there are accommodations for every price point. At one end of the beach you will find a little fishing cove called the Punta d`Abaix, and on the southern end of the beach you will see the 16th-century Torre de sa Sal Rossa, a defensive tower meant to protect the island from invaders.

The main street, one block off the beach, is the Carretera de Platja d`en Bossa, and on this street as well as the beach, you will find some of Ibiza`s hottest bars and nightclubs, including resorts which revolve around some of these clubs. Just off to the north of the Carretera is a water park, Aguamar.

Platja de Talamanca

To the north of Ibiza Town`s passenger port, cruise port, and yachting clubs, sits the neighborhood of Talamanca. Taking the Avinguda de Santa Eulària des Riu to the Avinguda 8 d`Agost will take you to Talamanca. Drive past the marina and Ibiza Casino and you will reach Platja de Talamanca. The long beach in Talamanca is one of the most spacious on the island and even during high season you will find a spot on the sand. There are accommodations on the western side of the beach, closer to the marina, and to the eastern side, in an area called Cap Martinet. This is a resort area that can be very opulent if you have the budget for it, and it is more popular with single travelers than with families.