Ibiza is known as party central during the summer months, but a visit during the off-season offers a much more peaceful experience. Ibiza, a Spanish island off the Eastern coast of Spain is one of three Balearic islands, which also include Mallorca and Minorca. From the Madrid Airport you can find round-trip tickets as cheap as 30 euros through RyanAir, so when I saw this…I knew we were going.
I had been to Ibiza during peak party season a few years ago but with such cheap tickets, I decided to find out for myself whether Ibiza is worth it in the winter. My boyfriend had come to visit from the United States and we wanted a get-away from the ever-busy and always-crowded Madrid during the puente (long weekend) at the end of February and into March. We were looking for some peace and quiet and sweet, sweet space to ourselves. Palm trees set against mountainous coastlines and the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea were also calling our names.
A cute hippy couple smelling the flowers outside of the Hippy Market
Since most European cities don’t have off-seasons quite like a small tropical island, you don’t get the same opportunities in the winter months. Normally I opt to stay in hostels or a cheap Airbnb, but because of the time of year, we could afford to book a nice hotel room with a balcony, a gym with a beachfront view to work off all the food we ate, AND only a few minutes walk from the beach and Ibiza Town.
Being honest, I booked it because of the breakfast reviews (; but it ended up being so much more. One of the staff members named “Bus” really took us under her wing and quickly became a friend!! She even personally drove us back to the airport at the end of our stay. Our experience would not have been anywhere near the same during peak season.
While about half of the restaurants and hotels were closed for the season, the best and most authentically loved ones remained in business all year round. Zipping around in the tiny Fiat Panda we rented from the hotel, we were able to cruise from one side of the island to the other in 30 minutes tops! I was surprised at how small the island was, as vast as it felt with its endless tropical green landscape.
On our last day of the trip, hours before we had to be at the airport, the tiny .9 liter rental car of ours refused to start! Of course this would happen… in the middle of nowhere, on a mountain, in the middle of the dead season and our phones were low on battery to make things more stressful. Because my boyfriend is a Jet Engine Mechanic and works on his own cars, I was hopeful, but nothing seemed to be working.
The engine refused to show any sign of life and in true spanish style it looked like it was behind on maintenance under the hood. We started walking around the trail to find someone with jumper cables (which I had to google translate) and happened across one man peeing into the woods by his car. Awkwardly waiting at a distance for him to finish peeing, I used my best Spanish to ask if he happened to have a jumper cable. He grinned and pulled a phone charging cable out of his pocket… not exactly what I was hoping for (though might help the dead phone situation!! You feel so prepared until you’re not!).
The breath taking view (Pirate Tower) just before our car broke down on the mountain!
Just as I was feeling discouraged (considering my boyfriend and I had missed our flights on our last trip) a little old truck sped up the dirt incline. I ran after it, with my google translate app in hand, and a kind face smiled back at me as he stopped the car. The Brazilian local just so happened to have a jumper cable and was more than happy to help!
As we were waiting for the battery in our car to charge a bit, he explained to us that his job is to deliver fresh Ibizan spring water to local hotels and restaurants. He even offered us a sip of his fresh water from a plastic jug in the back of his truck! We waited and waited for the battery to respond, exchanging broken Spanish and English. After twenty to thirty minutes, the engine STILL would not turn over. I started to panic a bit. Would we have to call a tow truck up the mountain or take a taxi to the other side of the island?? ($$$$$$$$)
I’m sure the man could see my face drop on our final attempt to start the little car. He had one last idea and I just didn’t believe it would work. “Let’s try rolling it down the mountain to start it”. Maybe this worked in movies but I was skeptical. The car was so small I was actually a help in pushing it. He jumped in, and once it picked up speed, it actually turned on!! I truly could not believe it as I ran up and gave the man a hug, literally on the verge of happy tears. I really thought our perfect trip was about to be ruined last minute.
We headed back to our hotel to *walk* to the nearby beach for one last sunset before our flight to Madrid.
Ibiza treated us well during our three day stay. With many bars and restaurants shut down for the season, we found ourselves in a ghost town of the best kind. We had the whole island to ourselves! We were able to hike beautifully untouched trails, dangle our feet over the edge of seaside cliffs, entirely unbothered by other tourists. The island was quiet and peaceful. In the absence of party people tourists, the locals extended their most sincere hospitality and took the time to make us feel extra welcome. We visited restaurants, bars and hippy markets. The locals were full of off-season suggestions. “This is the real Ibiza” we heard over and over.
I would absolutely recommend visiting the island for the hiking trails, natural sites, seaside sunsets, tropical and vegetarian/vegan inspired food scene, and peace and quiet. If you are living or working in Spain or anywhere in Europe, consider taking a cheap winter vacay to Ibiza! During the winter, Ibiza is your own personal island!
BroadsAbroad 