Where to Stay in Ibiza & Formentera: Best Areas for Families

Ibiza and Formentera ask two questions before you book. First, which coast of Ibiza: the west for sunsets and coves, the south for the old town and the Formentera ferry, the east and north for quiet. Second, whether Formentera gets a day or a proper stay. Our answer to that one is simple: sleep there.

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We went in April 2023 with our two children, then 14 and 10: five nights in an apartment hotel on San Antonio Bay with a rental car, then three nights in an eco-house on the plateau of La Mola, at the far end of Formentera.

The Short Answer

Where we stayed: Can Salia on San Antonio Bay, Ibiza (5 nights), and an eco-house Airbnb in El Pilar de la Mola, Formentera (3 nights), April 2023.

How Ibiza and Formentera Are Laid Out

Ibiza is about 40 kilometres long. The airport, on the south coast, is 15 minutes from Ibiza Town (Eivissa), 20 from Sant Antoni (San Antonio) on the west coast, 25 from Santa Eulària on the east coast and about 40 from Portinatx in the north. The west faces the sunset and Es Vedrà; the east is calmer and more residential.

A car makes Ibiza: the best calas are poorly served by bus outside high summer, and taxis add up fast. Without one, sleep in Ibiza Town or Sant Antoni, which have the most buses, including a frequent line between the two.

Formentera has no airport. Ferries from Ibiza Town's port reach La Savina in about 30 minutes on the fast boats, 45–60 on the budget ones; in 2026 a fast return costs roughly €45–55 per adult, a budget one €20–28. Formentera is small and flat apart from the La Mola plateau, 25 minutes' drive from La Savina, where bikes, scooters and cars are rented at the port.

The constraint most people miss: from 1 June to 30 September both islands limit visiting vehicles. Bringing your own car to Ibiza needs an authorisation, and Formentera charges visiting vehicles a daily fee, so rent on each island. For a week, five nights on Ibiza and three on Formentera, as we did, works well.

San Antonio Bay — Sunsets Without the Strip

Sant Antoni has two faces. The town's West End is the clubbing strip behind its reputation. The south side of the bay, which hotels call San Antonio Bay, is a long run of resort hotels and apartments between the town and Port des Torrent, facing west. That is where we stayed.

The location is the point. Cala Bassa and Cala Conta are about 15 minutes' drive, Cala d'Hort and Es Vedrà around 30. Evenings on the waterfront come with the sunset, and families have it largely to themselves until the crowd turns towards the bars at about 10pm. Sant Antoni's harbour is also a hub for boat trips along the coast.

What it is not: pretty. The bay is built-up, summer nightlife leaks into the hotels nearest town, and a good share of them are adults-only.

Best for: families and couples with a car who want sunsets and the west-coast calas.

Pros

• West-facing: sunset from the promenade, every evening
• Close to Cala Bassa, Cala Conta and Cala d'Hort
• Plenty of apartments with kitchens
• Boat trips from Sant Antoni harbour

Cons

• Built-up resort strip, little character
• Summer nightlife spills over near the town
• Many hotels are adults-only

Getting around: airport 20 minutes, Ibiza Town 25 by car or bus, Cala Conta 15.

Where to stay in San Antonio Bay

• Budget — Hotel Tropical — central hotel with pool, 300 metres from the beach, from about €50 a night in May (€140 in August).
• Mid-range — Can Salia — apartment hotel on the seafront, from about €290 a night in June (four-night minimum on our test dates). We stayed here.
• Mid-range — Casual Bahía Ibiza — hotel with pool on the Cala de Bou side, five minutes from the beach, from about €125 a night in May.
• Splurge — Bonito Ibiza by NCalma — hotel by the town beach with family rooms, rare on this coast, from about €275 a night in May.

Our stay: We paid around €155 a night in April 2023 for five nights in a sea-view apartment with a balcony, a full kitchen, air conditioning and soundproofing. The complex now lists two pools, a restaurant and a gym; Port des Torrent beach is about 900 metres away. If you book now, note that the listing says the rooftop pool is for over-16s only, and that its street, Es Caló, has nothing to do with Formentera's Es Caló.

For the coves within reach, see our guide to Ibiza's calas and sunsets.

Ibiza Town, Dalt Vila & Talamanca — The Car-Free Choice

Ibiza Town is the island's capital. Dalt Vila, the walled upper town, is UNESCO-listed: steep lanes, the cathedral at the top, ramparts looking to Formentera. Below sit the old port, the marina and the Formentera ferry terminal. Talamanca, a sheltered sandy bay just north-east of the marina, is the calmer beach base.

This is the base without a car. It is not quiet in summer, with Playa d'en Bossa and the big clubs next door, and Dalt Vila means stairs and almost no cars.

Best for: travellers without a car, history lovers, ferry hoppers.

Pros

• Walk to Dalt Vila, restaurants and the Formentera ferry
• Best bus links on the island, year-round airport bus
• Talamanca beach for a calmer base

Cons

• Noisy and expensive in July and August
• Parking is hard
• Far from the west-coast sunsets

Getting around: airport 15 minutes by car; Sant Antoni 25; Talamanca beach about 5 minutes by taxi from the marina.

Where to stay in Ibiza Town & Talamanca

• Mid-range — Eurostars Puerto de Ibiza — central hotel with pool, from about €130 a night in May.
• Mid-range — Lux Isla — small hotel 100 metres from Talamanca beach, from about €90 a night in October, rated 9.3.
• Splurge — La Torre del Canonigo — on the Dalt Vila hill, family rooms and pool, from about €360 a night in May.

Santa Eulària — The Easy Family Base

Santa Eulària des Riu is the east coast's main town: a long flat promenade, a marina, town beaches and the whitewashed church of Puig de Missa above. Es Canar, Cala Llonga and Cala Nova are a short drive away.

It suits families with younger children and anyone who finds the west too busy. It faces east, so no sea sunsets.

Best for: families with younger children, older couples, a calm week.

Pros

• Flat, walkable, with beaches in town
• Hippy markets at Es Canar and Sant Carles nearby
• 20 minutes to Ibiza Town

Cons

• No sunsets over the sea
• Many hotels are adults-only
• Quiet in the evenings; teenagers may disagree with this choice

Getting around: airport 25 minutes; west-coast calas 30–40.

Where to stay in Santa Eulària

• Mid-range — Hotel Tres Torres — hotel facing the marina, family rooms and pool, from about €150 a night in May (€320 in August).
• Apartment — Boutique Apartments Marsol — kitchen apartments near the beach, open all year, from about €190 a night in October.
• Splurge — Hotel Riomar Ibiza — Tribute Portfolio hotel on Els Pins beach, walkable to town, from about €360 a night in May.

The North: Portinatx & Sant Joan — Green, Quiet, Far

The north is Ibiza's greenest, least developed corner: pine hills, the village of Sant Joan de Labritja inland, and a handful of coves. Portinatx, the main resort, is built around two small sandy beaches; Cala Sant Vicent and Cala Xarraca are nearby, Cala Benirràs about 25 minutes away.

Right for a quiet holiday, wrong for a short first visit: Ibiza Town, the airport and the west coast are all 35–40 minutes away.

Best for: nature, quiet, repeat visitors.

Pros

• Greenest, least built-up part of the island
• Small, sheltered beaches
• Calmer than the south and west

Cons

• 40 minutes to the airport and Ibiza Town
• A car is essential
• Little to do in the evenings

Getting around: Sant Joan 15 minutes by car, Ibiza Town and the airport 35–40 minutes.

Where to stay in the north

• Mid-range — Grupotel Imperio Playa — beachfront at Cala Sant Vicent, family rooms and pool, from about €90 a night in May (€210 in August).
• Mid-range — Hostal La Cigüeña — small hotel on S'Arenal Petit beach, family rooms, from about €135 a night in October.
• Splurge — Six Senses Ibiza — resort on the Xarraca bay, family rooms, from about €740 a night in October.

The South-West Calas — Sunset Coves, Car Essential

Between Sant Antoni and Es Vedrà the coast breaks into the postcard coves: Cala Tarida, Cala Vadella, Cala Carbó, Cala d'Hort. Sleeping on one means swimming before the day crowds arrive. Expect resort hotels at Cala Tarida, apartments at Cala Vadella and expensive villas on the hills.

Best for: beach-first families and couples with a car.

Pros

• Swim at the best coves before the crowds
• Sunsets and Es Vedrà views
• Apartments suit families

Cons

• Very little beyond the beach
• Car essential, narrow roads, summer parking pressure
• High summer prices for modest rooms

Getting around: Sant Antoni 15–20 minutes by car, airport about 30, Ibiza Town 30–35.

Where to stay in the south-west

• Budget — Hotel Vibra Cala Tarida — resort hotel 100 metres from the beach, family rooms and three pools, from about €100 a night in May. Ratings are average (7.8): you pay for the cove.
• Mid-range — Aparthotel Puerto Cala Vadella — apartments with kitchens and a pool overlooking the Cala Vadella beach, from about €240 a night in June for a week's stay.
• Splurge — Petunia Ibiza — Beaumier hotel above Cala Carbó, from about €650 a night in May.

El Pilar de la Mola — Formentera's Quiet Top Floor

La Mola is the plateau at Formentera's eastern end, about 190 metres high, with El Pilar de la Mola as its village and a lighthouse on the cliff edge. Below it, the fishing cove of Es Caló has wooden boat huts and simple restaurants, and Migjorn beach starts at its foot.

It suits families who want a slow few days and will drive down for every swim; without transport, it does not work.

Best for: slow stays, views, families with older children.

Pros

• The quietest base on either island
• Views over Formentera, and to Ibiza on clear days
• Es Caló and eastern Migjorn a few minutes away

Cons

• 25 minutes from the ferry at La Savina
• Few hotels: mostly houses and apartments
• Car or scooter essential; the hill defeats casual cyclists

Getting around: Es Caló under 10 minutes downhill by car, Sant Francesc 20, La Savina 25, Ses Illetes 30.

Where to stay in La Mola and Es Caló

• House — Eco-house in El Pilar de la Mola — Airbnb house for four. We stayed here.
• Apartment — Apartamentos Es Caló — apartments with kitchens and pool at Es Caló, rated 9.0; next season's prices were not showing when we checked.
• Hotel — Hotel Riu Palace La Mola — beachfront hotel on Migjorn at the foot of the plateau, from about €170 a night in October.

Our stay: We paid around €220 a night in April 2023 for three nights in this eco-house for two adults and two children. Our host, Ignasi, is an architect who lives on Formentera. The listing describes it as two bedrooms and one bathroom, with a garden, hammocks and an outdoor shower. Its draw is the view from the top of the plateau, which the listing says reaches Ibiza and Es Vedrà. If you want it, or anything like it, for July or August, book early: La Mola has few houses to rent.

For La Mola, Es Caló and the beaches, see our Formentera guide.

Es Pujols, Sant Francesc, La Savina & Migjorn — Formentera Made Easy

Most of Formentera's beds sit in its flat western half, 10–15 minutes from the port. Es Pujols is the only resort with a real centre: beach, promenade, restaurants, bike hire. Sant Francesc, the small capital, is inland. La Savina is the port, handy for ferries and Ses Illetes. Migjorn is the long south-facing beach with a few low hotels.

Without a car, pick Es Pujols. None of it is cheap: Formentera costs more than Ibiza for the same standard, and much of it closes from late October to April.

Best for: first-time visitors, stays without a car (Es Pujols), beach-first families (Migjorn).

Pros

• Close to the port and to Ses Illetes
• Es Pujols is walkable, with restaurants and bike hire
• Migjorn hotels sit beside the sand

Cons

• Expensive, especially July and August
• Es Pujols is the island's busiest spot at night
• Many properties close in winter

Getting around: La Savina to Es Pujols or Sant Francesc 10 minutes by car; Migjorn 15; Ses Illetes about 20 minutes by bike from Es Pujols.

Where to stay in Formentera's centre and west

• Mid-range — Hotel Sa Volta — small hotel with pool in Es Pujols, from about €90 a night in October, rated 9.3.
• Mid-range — Hotel Bahía — family-run hotel on La Savina port, from about €125 a night in October.
• Apartment — Apartamentos Castaví — apartments with kitchenettes and pool, five minutes' walk from Es Pujols beach, from about €280 a night in May (€645 in August).
• Mid-range — Hotel Ca Marí — hotel with pool and direct access to Migjorn beach, family rooms, from about €110 a night in October.
• Mid-range — Hotel Es Marès — hotel with pool in Sant Francesc, rated 9.4, from about €155 a night in October.
• Splurge — Gecko Formentera — boutique hotel with pool on Migjorn beach, from about €470 a night in May.

What It Costs, and When to Book

Prices checked October 2026, for a double room or a small apartment:

• Budget: about €50–120 a night in May, €140–210 in August.
• Mid-range: about €120–200 in May, €200–320 in August.
• Splurge: from about €350 in May, far more in August.

On Formentera the same money buys one notch lower. May and October cost roughly half of August; our two stays came to around €155 and €220 a night in April 2023.

For July and August, book Ibiza three to five months ahead, and Formentera or anything with a family room earlier still. In April and October a few weeks is usually enough. Many Formentera hotels open only from late April or May to October, so a winter search shows "no availability" rather than full. Apartments often set minimum stays of four to seven nights in summer.

For families, apartments with kitchens are the best value, and easier to find than family rooms given how many hotels are adults-only. Ask about cots ahead, and check parking: in Ibiza Town it is rarely included.

The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is usually paid at the property, on top of the quoted rate: from May to October, €1 per person per night in hostals, €2 in apartments and simpler hotels, €3 in four-star and €4 in five-star hotels. It drops by 75% from November to April and halves from the ninth night; under-16s are exempt. A proposed 2026 increase did not go ahead.

Where This Fits in the Trip

Our trip ran west to east: San Antonio Bay for the calas and sunsets, then the ferry to Formentera for three slow days on La Mola. Our Ibiza & Formentera family guide has the itinerary and budget, the calas and sunsets guide covers Ibiza's coast, and the Formentera guide covers Ses Illetes, Es Caló and Espalmador.

Compare hotels in Ibiza & Formentera on Trip.com

FAQ

What is the best area to stay in Ibiza for families? Santa Eulària for an easy, walkable town with beaches; San Antonio Bay (not Sant Antoni's West End) for apartments, sunsets and the west-coast calas. Many hotels in both are adults-only, so filter first.

Should we stay on Formentera or visit as a day trip? Stay if you can. The fast ferry takes about 30 minutes, but a day trip only gives you the beaches near the port. Two or three nights let you see La Mola, Es Caló and Migjorn at the quiet ends of the day.

Do you need a car in Ibiza and Formentera? On Ibiza, yes, unless you stay in Ibiza Town or Sant Antoni. On Formentera, rent at La Savina rather than bring one: from June to September visiting vehicles need a permit and pay a daily fee.

Where is the quietest place to stay in Ibiza? The north, around Portinatx and Cala Sant Vicent. Expect 35–40 minutes to the airport and Ibiza Town. On Formentera, La Mola is quieter still.

How much is the tourist tax in Ibiza and Formentera? €1–4 per person per night from May to October depending on the accommodation, cut by 75% from November to April and halved from the ninth night. Under-16s are exempt; rates were unchanged for 2026.

How much does accommodation cost? In May, from about €50–120 a night for simple hotels, €120–200 mid-range and €350 for the best (checked October 2026). August roughly doubles that, and Formentera costs more than Ibiza.

Pierrick Jean stayed in Ibiza and Formentera in April 2023 with his family. Prices and availability checked October 2026. More about how we write our guides.