Discover Ibiza – Eivissa : Neighborhoods

The city of Ibiza is made up of several districts with their own particularities. You will easily recognize the limits of one or another by the architecture of the houses or buildings and by the size of the streets as you walk through the city. In this guide, the "Marina and Dalt Vila" section includes the Marina district, located between the docks and the upper town, the Sa Penya district (a gypsy neighborhood with narrow streets and numerous stairways and passageways) and Dalt Vila, the walled city. "Eixample and Figueretes" includes the Eixample neighborhood - at the foot of the city walls, close to the streets of the port, with the Passeig de Vara del Rey, the true core of the city, as its main axis - and the more recent Figueretes. The "Paseo Maritimo and Talamanca" section includes the old port promenade, the Botafoch marina area and Talamanca beach, on the other side of the bay. On foot or by bike, Eivissa is a great place to discover!

La Marina

The Marina district, together with the Dalt Vila (walled city), forms the heart of the old town of Eivissa. It refers to everything that lies between the walls of the walled city and the docks from which the ferries leave for Formentera or other parts of Ibiza. The houses are mainly white and irregular, with one or two floors, usually with nice balconies, distributed along narrow and winding streets, going up and down. It is undoubtedly the most frequented district of the city: one can stroll there at any time, day or night, going from terraces to stores... There is always something to see! The Marina is home to an impressive number of stores of all kinds, bars and restaurants. Very lively in winter, the district literally explodes in the summer. If you want to enjoy the charm of its alleys as quietly as possible, take a walk there before 11am, the stores don't open before! On the other hand, if you want to mingle with the urban frenzy of the Marina, aim for the early evening: the terraces fill up and the stores stay open until late. The party then gradually takes over the old center... This is where you can find the gay-friendly Sa Penya district, brightened up with multicolored flags and a rather unbridled atmosphere! Let's also note that since 2016, a nice promenade has been built along the carrer Andenes, along the marina of Botafoc.

Dalt Vila

This is the upper part of the city of Eivissa. It is surrounded by 16th century walls that form a sort of heptagon and can be reached on foot from Plaça de la Constitució, the emblematic square of the Marina district. A gentle slope leads to the Portal de Ses Taules, a splendid portal surmounted by an imperial coat of arms and framed by two reproductions of Roman statues. A true memory of the city, world heritage by UNESCO since 1999, the district of Dalt Vila is worth the climb! It is here that we find the greatest concentration of remarkable historical elements of the whole island. The district can be discovered during a walk through small labyrinthine streets. Restaurants, stores and small charming addresses are numerous here (the beginning of the evening is a good time to take advantage of it), but it is also to discover the heritage that we go there. You can find here the cathedral and the castle of Eivissa, but also some museums like the MACE (contemporary art) and the Puget museum, the latter housing impressionist paintings testifying to the rural past of the island. Beware, if you are not used to high temperatures, avoid climbing Dalt Vila in the afternoon in summer. Go there to admire the sunset around 9 pm and stop in one of the very good establishments. The atmosphere is very different from the lower town.

Eixample and Ses Figueretes

Almost at the foot of the city walls, near the streets of the port and the old market, the Paseo de Vara de Rey, which was completely pedestrianized a few years ago, connects the old tourist areas with the commercial and administrative city. The Paseo de Vara de Rey, a charming rectangular square with a neoclassical monument dedicated to General Vara de Rey dating back to 1904, is the real heart of the city. This square is always lively: throughout the summer it is the scene of numerous ceremonies, commemorations and popular performances. Not far away is the Plaça del Parque, a small square, also pedestrianized. Quiet and sunny during the day, it tends to be overheated at cocktail and dinner time, and even more so in summer. El Parque de Doña Sofia, at the foot of the walls, has become the setting for popular concerts, parties and celebrations.
Ses Figueretes is located just one kilometer south of downtown Ibiza and is bounded by Calle Ramón Muntaner on the one hand, the Avenida de España (to McDonald's) on the other, and the sea. Recently built and constantly growing, it is very lively all year round. It is a very lively and popular area. Numerous bars, terraces, hotels and apartments ensure an even more intense activity in summer. A pedestrian avenue winds along the sea and the beach of Ses Figueretes, offering a pleasant walk in the evening. The avenue is lined with bars and restaurants, which are very popular with tourists in the summer, but having dinner facing the sea is a real treat! In summer, stalls are set up along this seafront promenade, allowing you to pick up some good quality local products.

Paseo Marítimo and Talamanca

Following the Avenida de Santa Eulària, you will arrive at the Paseo Marítimo neighborhood. This northern part of the city is home to the famous Botafoch marina, which faces Dalt Vila and extends to Cape Botafoch. In addition to the beautiful marina where you can admire some flamboyant boats, there are some large upscale hotels and other recent constructions, some of which are quite original. It is also here that one can go to bet some chips to the casino of Ibiza and to dance all the night on the famous dancefloor of the Pacha Club. It is the most chic district of Eivissa: luxury stores installed at the edge of private boats and terraces with prohibitive prices to sip a cocktail while enjoying the panorama of Dalt Vila. Smart tip: if you want to experience a great view - without being particularly quiet - learn here that a shuttle boat (to the left of the Estación Marítima) leads to the Botafoch marina with a stop at the Sa Calma café.
Just behind the Paseo Marítimo stretches the beach of Talamanca, which has become THE beach of Ibiza! This beach, not very wide but very calm and whose waters are lined with a string of small fishing boats, also gave its name to the neighborhood. There are some good restaurants, big hotels and other more modest addresses. The Talamanca district is certainly the quietest and least touristy of the city.