Inspiring Adventure

If you are looking to extend the summer a little longer and fancy some autumn sun, we highly recommend visiting Ibiza. While the Canary Islands are approaching their high season due to the certainty of autumn/winter sun, the Balearics are often overlooked as a destination for October Half Term.

We were concerned that the weather may be on the cool side and the chance of rain greater, but our concerns were completely unfounded. What we discovered was a perfect time of year to visit the ‘party island’ with children. The heady party nights of the summer were over, closing parties had finished and what was let was a completely relaxed vibe on the island. The weather was a perfect 21-24 degrees which meant we could get out exploring without wilting from the heat or burning to a crisp. The sea temperature was about 20 degrees, so a bit chilly when you first wade in but you quickly became accustomed.

Flights

Using our favourite flight search engine, Skyscanner.net, we discovered that flights were fairly reasonable and paid £644 for our family of four, including baggage. This was with Ryanair from Stansted.

Accommodation

We stayed in Santa Eularia, on the East side of the island. The reasons we fell in love with this town are the :

• Pedestrianized streets
• Long promenade lined with restaurants and cafes
• Sheltered crescent of sandy beach
• Marina with boats to dream of owning
• Transport network, which means that there is no need for a car
• Relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

We have visited Santa Eularia twice for October Half Term. The first holiday in 2017 we stayed in Orquida Apartments. They have since closed down and are being converted into a five star Marriott hotel.

In 2018, we stayed at Ebusus Apartments (€609 for seven nights in a one bedroom apartment). Our apartment was on the sixth floor and had one bedroom with a French double bed (two singles attached) and another two single beds in the lounge area. A large balcony wrapped round two sides of the apartment with table and chairs for eating and two sun loungers. Our sleeping arrangements were that the boys took the bedroom and we slept in the lounge. This meant that when we put them to bed we could use the rest of the apartment, and sit on the balcony with a bottle of wine without disturbing them.

The location of the apartment was perfect. We were on the pedestrianized street of St Vincente which is lined with restaurants. A minute stroll is the main pedestrianized route from the bus stop down to the promenade. This has water fountains which are lit up at night and the boys both loved. If there are any events going on then they seem to take place at the top of the pedestrianized road. The weekend we arrived Santa Eularia was hosting the European Multisport Championships so we enjoyed the medal ceremony and entertainment.

Airport Transfers

Taxi

Both times we have visited Santa Eularia we have arrived late in the evening and taken a taxi from the airport. This costs approximately €35 each way. The official taxi rank is just outside the airport’s arrival hall, to the right. Licensed taxis are white with a sign on the roof and will charge using a meter. Most do not have car seats for smaller children and only provide booster seats. This alarmed us on our first visit as the road rules for child seats do not seem to be as strict as in the UK.

Bus

If you are travelling within summer months (May-Oct) you can catch the L24 bus from the airport to Santa Eularia. It departs hourly and the journey takes about 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic. The cost is €4 per person.

If you are travelling during winter months you will have to take the L24 to the bus station in Eivissa Ciutat (€3.50) and then change onto the L13 to Santa Eularia (€2.50).

Click here for full details of bus routes and timetables.

What to do in Santa Eularia

Walk up to Puig De Missa Church

We walked up via the road and back along the river. There are sign posts from the bus station showing the route, or from the far end of the beach next to the bridge over the river – depending on which way round you want to walk the route. The church at the top has spectacular views down to the coast and over to the hills. The church itself is very peaceful and there often aren’t many people up there. There are toilets at the church but no other facilities.

Spend time on the beach

Santa Eularia beach is ideal for families. The sand shelves gently into the water, it is clean and is also the first non-smoking beach on the Balearic Islands. Ramps and a wooden boardwalk enable pushchair and wheelchair users onto the sand. Freshwater showers are at the back of the beach, perfect for avoiding sand related dramas at the end of your visit (or maybe that is just our kids!)

Visit the playgrounds

There is a playground behind the marina which has swings, a pirate ship, climbing tower and two small kiosk shops serving drinks and ice cream. A portaloo is also available but you need to get the key from the kiosk. This playground is popular with local kids and the boys often found other children to play with. The shop on the left sells coffee and beer which means that parents can also relax and remind themselves that they are on holiday too.

A second playground is at the opposite end of the promenade over the bridge crossing the river. This is shaded by trees so better if you are visiting in the midday sun. There are no facilities or shops nearby though.

Walk to Mirador de sa Punta de s’Esglesia Vella

At the far end of the promenade turn left onto Carrer Salvador Camacho, follow it round to the right and pass Restaurant Ses Savine, to your right. You will follow a path up to the top of the headland. From there you will have great views back onto Santa Eularia and toward Es Canar.

Where to visit in the surrounding area

Take the bus to Cala Llonga

This small beach resort is only 15 minutes by bus L41 from Santa Eularia and costs €1.65 each way. Under 5s travel for free. It is a sheltered bay with a nice sandy beach. Two large hotel complexes sit either side of the bay with some beach restaurants surrounding it. There are a couple of bars on the beach and two supermarkets just off the beach. We ate lunch at Café Del Mar which serves mostly British fayre. The toasties and burgers that we ordered were very good and the cold beer much appreciated after a morning building sandcastles.

Take a boat to Es Canar and visit the hippy market

The hippy market is open in Es Canar every Wednesday from 10am to 6pm. We caught a ferry from Santa Eularia terminal to Es Canar. This cost €13 per adult and €7 for 4-11 year olds. Children up to four years old travel for free. The trip takes about 20 minutes and is a good way to see the coastline from the water. The hippy market is about 15 minutes walk from the ferry terminal in Es Canar. When you disembark the boat turn left and walk along Av.D’es Canar past the Jacaranda Lounge. Continue straight on that road and you will arrive at the market. Everyone getting off the ferry will probably be heading in the same direction so follow the crowds.

The market is free entry. It consists of a maze of stalls selling a variety of unique creations from crafts, fashion, jewellery, natural cosmetics and original items from around the world. ‘Hippy Kids’ is an area within the market where little ones can do craft activities, have their face painted or buy snacks.

Eating at the market

In the middle of the market there is the Grill Restaurant serving grilled meats, burgers, chips, Spanish omelette and spaghetti bolognaise etc. Fresh juices are also available. At 1.30pm a huge paella is produced from the kitchen which is absolutely delicious and worth timing lunch for. This is available until 3.30pm and is also possible to buy as takeaway (perfect for those self catering).

Just beyond the Grill Restaurant there is the La Carpa tent which serves locally produced beer, crepes, sandwiches and snacks. Live performances are shown here between 2-4pm. Last year we saw Azibi who were fantastic and have now become my eldest son’s favourite band since buying their demo CD.

Es Canar Beach

Once you have finished at the Hippy Market it is worth spending a couple of hours relaxing on Es Canar beach. It is very shallow shelving, close to the ferry terminal and surrounded by restaurants for drinks, snacks and ice creams (although you won’t be hungry for a while if you had the paella for lunch!)

We returned to Santa Eularia at the end of the day by bus No. L18A. The bus stop is just up the road from the beach, in the opposite direction to the ferry terminal. The bus trip took about 15 minutes and cost €1.55.

Take the bus to Ibiza Town and climb to the top of the fort

We took bus L13 from Santa Eularia to Ibiza Town. This costs €2 per person and is about a 25 minute ride.

Ibiza Town is well worth a visit. It has lots of narrow, steep, winding cobbled streets with views from the upper part of town ‘Dalt Vila’ overlooking the town and Mediterranean. Our eldest was four at the time and managed most of the climb to ‘Dalt Vila’. Our youngest, at two, undertook most of the climb from his pushchair. We were able to get the pushchair almost all the way up to the top but abandoned it to the side of the path in order to make our way into the final section which was narrow and busy.

Places to eat and drink

All the restaurants we ate at served great food and were very family friendly. Below are a couple of our recommendations.

Kallisol

Our favourite restaurant is Kallisol. We have eaten here about four times over the two weeks we have visited Santa Eularia and each time was great. They have a good kids menu and an extensive main menu. The restaurant is situated behind the fountain on the promenade so has lovely views out to sea. The area is pedestrianized so the kids can run about while you take your time with you meal.

Mirage

Try this place on the marina for an English fry up or great Thai curries. The menu caters for all tastes and the food has always been good. There is space in front of the restaurant for children to play safely.

Ses Savines

We didn’t eat here but stopped for a drink after walking up to Mirador de sa Punta de s’Esglesia Vella. This bar is very relaxed and feels lovely and secluded, surrounded by pine trees.

Do you have any recommendations for Santa Eularia, or the surrounding area? We would love to hear them.