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Ibiza with Kids: The Family Day That Genuinely Works

Ibiza, SpainOctober 5, 20242 min read
By MASA Editors
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A cobbled lane climbing through Ibiza's Dalt Vila in strong midday sun, whitewashed houses with wooden shutters and geraniums, a tall palm at the top and the hand-painted sign of the La Oliva restaurant on the right.01
A cobbled lane climbing through Ibiza's Dalt Vila in strong midday sun, whitewashed houses with wooden shutters and geraniums, a tall palm at the top and the hand-painted sign of the La Oliva restaurant on the right.Photo: Nick Fewings / Unsplash

Ibiza has shallow coves, a walled hilltop town and dinner at ten. A realistic family day on an island most people assume is off-limits with children.

The Ibiza in the headlines is a small part of a small island. The rest is calm coves, pine forest, a UNESCO-listed hilltop town and Spanish family restaurants where children are welcome at ten at night. Choose your beaches and your timing and it is an easy family destination.

The quick facts

  • Ibiza is compact, so a hire car and forty minutes gets you almost anywhere on the island
  • Calmer, shallower family beaches include Cala Bassa, Cala Llenya and Talamanca
  • Spanish mealtimes run late; lunch around two and dinner from nine is normal
  • Shade is scarce on the smaller coves, so an umbrella earns its space in the boot

8:30 am, a slow Spanish breakfast

Tostada with tomato and olive oil, a pastry, orange juice and coffee. Eat early and you will be on the beach before the parking fills, which on an Ibizan cove is the whole game.

Ibiza Town and Dalt Vila, Ibiza
Ibiza Town and Dalt Vila, IbizaPhoto: Karol Chomka / Unsplash

9:30 am, the shallow cove

Head straight to a family beach. Cala Bassa on the west coast has fine sand, gentle shelving water and pines for shade. Cala Llenya on the east is quieter still. Talamanca, just around the bay from Ibiza Town, is broad, shallow and walkable from the centre. Water clarity around Ibiza is exceptional, so pack goggles and let them look.

1:30 pm, lunch and the flat part of the day

Beach restaurants here are generally good and unbothered by children. Grilled fish, tortilla, croquetas and pan con tomate suit everyone. After lunch, follow the Spanish lead and do nothing at all until five: the light between two and five is fierce and nobody enjoys it.

A flower-covered balcony spills geraniums over the 'Can Gourmet' shopfront on a whitewashed Ibiza Town street.
A flower-covered balcony spills geraniums over the 'Can Gourmet' shopfront on a whitewashed Ibiza Town street.Photo: Bjorn Agerbeek / Unsplash

5:30 pm, up into Dalt Vila

The walled old town above Ibiza Town is the afternoon outing. Enter through the drawbridge gate, climb the ramps rather than the stairs if you have a pushchair, and follow the walls up to the cathedral for the view over the harbour and out towards Formentera. Cannons, cats, ramparts and a very satisfying downhill afterwards.

7:00 pm, the port and an ice cream

Come down into the harbour streets as the shops reopen for the evening. This is the hour when Ibiza Town is at its most pleasant, and an ice cream by the water buys you enough goodwill for a late dinner.

A cobbled lane in Ibiza's old town lined with potted plants, an easel and chairs outside a shaded doorway.
A cobbled lane in Ibiza's old town lined with potted plants, an easel and chairs outside a shaded doorway.Photo: Belinda Fewings / Unsplash

8:30 pm, dinner without a clock

Eat in town or back in your village. Spanish restaurants are relaxed about children, portions are generous, and sharing plates suits fussy eaters better than a set menu. Nobody will hurry you out.

Add a market morning

If your days line up, swap one beach morning for the hippy markets: Las Dalias near Sant Carles or the long-running market at Es Canar. Days and opening hours change with the season, so check before setting out.

Tip: Book accommodation in the north or centre of the island, or around Santa Eulalia, rather than beside the club strips at Playa d en Bossa and Sant Antoni. Same island, entirely different night.

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