Towns & Villages A-R |
Ca Na Negreta |
 The word Ca Na Negreta, to those who live on the island, means the scrapyard on the Ibiza - Santa Eulalia road, opposite the go-kart track. It is, however, the name of the ribbon development that runs from just over the next hill down to the wood yard on your left as you head towards Ibiza town, some four kilometers away. It is mainly industrial estate because of its easy access to Ibiza town, hence the main Syp supermarket warehouse and the Cafe Ibiza factory. Nonetheless,
the car parks of the cafes by the roadside are always busy, which
proves that many people have discovered the villages charms even though
very few live there? |
Cala de Bou |
 This town on the southern shore of the Bay of San Antonio is often mistaken for being part of San Antonio, because there is no obvious boundary between the two. However, it is actually part of the San Jose municipality and, in fact, is the largest town in it. It is currently undergoing drastic re-development under the title "The Plan of Excellence". When that is complete the town will once again become the perfect family holiday resort, boasting half a dozen beaches and endless entertainment options all within easy walking distance of the many hotels that line the long shoreline of the town.  |
Cala Llenya |
 A sea that shimmers with all possible shades of blue, a broad beach with soft sand that the children can play in to their hearts' content - Cala Llenya is the perfect place for a family day at the beach. The bay is sheltered and the sea is shallow. Showers, recliners and sun shades are provided and you can hire a pedalo. The small beach kiosk sells snacks and drinks. Vicente and Maria have been running this bar for almost 40 years. Back then, when they sold their first glass of wine, Cala Llenya was still completely untouched and there was no direct access road to the beach, no houses, villas or apartment complexes, and provisions were delivered in boxes and crates that had to be carried down to the bay on foot. The couple's main means of transport was a moped. Those times are long gone, but Cala Llenya has still managed to retain much of its natural charm. |
Cala Llonga |
 By the sea in between Ibiza town and Santa Eulalia, this pretty little bay is home to a relatively new family holiday resort. It used to be remote and difficult to get to, except by boat, which probably explains why it was a favoured haunt of smugglers for the 500 years prior to the arrival of the property developers. Nowadays it offers all of the facilities required by its many tourist visitors, including the ability the ability to be a sheltered spot on a windy Spring day and to offer a cool breeze on hot summer days, when the wind blows from the south and all you want to do is immerse yourself in that lovely blue sea.
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Cala San Vicente |
 Tucked away in the north eastern corner of the island, this little village sprung up around one of the biggest and most beautiful beaches on the island. Protected by a huge cliff to the north, the settlement consists mainly of large hotels, which explains why it remains almost deserted throughout the winter. It does, however, have history by virtue of an ancient cave a few kilometers away up in the hills. The ancient contents of the "Cova d'es Cuilleram" prove the existence of a local community back before the time when the Greeks first discovered the island, to find its tiny population worshipping the goddess Tanit - and many still do? The tiny villages other claim to fame is that it was the site of the first death of the Spanish Civil War on Ibiza. The victim was Raoul Villain, a political assassin who shot dead the leader of the French Socialist party in a crowded Paris cafe in 1914 - three days before the outbreak of World War 1. After the war he was tried and controversially acquitted before fleeing to Ibiza via South America. However, the socialists had long memories and in August 1936 a boatload of Republican soldiers arrived in the bay, marched Raoul down to the beach and shot him. |
Cala Tarida |
 The road to Cala Tarida brings you to a large roundabout, which has one exit that takes you down to Cala Corral. If you don't take that turning you find yourself back on the road out of town along which you just came. The village looks huge on the map, but apart from a couple of shops by the large roundabout that acts as the focal point for the village, there's not much else to it. All of the rest is holiday accommodation. The action all takes place on the long beach at the foot of the cliffs. There you'll find an array of bars and restaurants throughout the summer, but take a picnic if you venture there out of season. |
Cala Vadella |
 A picturesque little village arranged around a lovely beach, Cala Vadella seems quite incongruous in comparison to other local beach resorts. The style of the buildings and the way in which they are crammed between steep cliffs give it a unique character. Even the main road through the village finds itself forced to run along the sandy beach. |
Can Furnet |
 Can Furnet is not really a village - it's an urbanization. An urbanization is basically a bloated building project that became a housing estate, and this one finds itself halfway up a mountain opposite an illegal quarry. It's not far from the sea, because this is Ibiza, however, you won't find a shopping centre, community centre or school in an urbanization. They sometimes struggle to provide street lighting, decent rubbish collection facilities and the other sort of infrastructure that you might expect to find on a normal housing estate. |
Es Cana |
 There are still a few island residents who can recall the time when Es Canar consisted of a small shed on the beach dispensing drinks (a chiringuito). Nowadays it is a busy resort throughout the summer, alongside one of the longest beaches on the island. The bay itself is shallow and well protected, making it perfect for the predominantly English audience of young families. The main claim to fame of the village is its huge hippy market that takes place each Wednesday throughout the summer. This is so popular that locals go to great lengths to avoid going to Es Canar on a Wednesday for fear of being caught up in the congestion that the event causes, even 5 kilometers away in Santa Eulalia.
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Es Cubells |
 Es Cubells is a little village with an extraordinary story. It was built out of religious demand as a result of the exiling of a Carmelite friar by the name of Pere (Father) Palau. If not a founder of the dissident movement, he was certainly a member and was banished to Ibiza for his sins against the ruling ideologies of his day. He chose Es Cubells as a place offering solitude to reflect upon his predicament - there were two houses and a few sheds for storage, because the local town, San Jose, was six kilometers away over the mountains. As an ordained priest, however, he was obliged to give Mass every Sunday to the few local peasants. Word of his preaching spread, in much the same way that the work of a good pop group publicises itself. People
flocked to his services despite the arduous journey over the mountain,
then got sick of such a pilgrimage every Sunday ? it was a day off
after all? They all moved in. And thus a village was born? |
Es Figueral |
 Es Figueral is a small development alongside a fine beach on the east coast, next door to Agua Blancas. One of the oldest establishments is the single star hotel/restaurant right on the beach. The beauty of the location has unfortunately inspired a couple of other developers to throw up huge hotels nearby, but who wants to be on the beach all by themselves? |
Es Vedra |
 There are probably very few people by now who have never heard of the magical island of Es Vedrà. Back in hippy times, the little island off the Cala d'Hort coast was the stuff that legends are made of. People spoke of UFO sightings and magnetic fields that made compass dials spin as soon as they came close. Es Vedrà really does have something mysteriously majestic about it. Esoteric groups believe it gives off an energy field, but even the rest of us are inspired to dream by the sheer beauty of the location. We have often written about the Cala d' Hort bay and the islands of Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, but this time, we have a new recommendation to offer: take advantage of a cooler afternoon to go for a walk up to the platform under the Torre des Savinar watchtower, sit down and enjoy the impressive view out over the craggy coast, with Atlantis down below and the island's landmark straight ahead. However, make sure you take a bottle of water with you on your hike.  How to get there: drive out of Sant Jose towards Cala d'Hort. At the junction where the road starts its descent down towards the bay, take a left and then follow one of the dirt tracks to the right that lead towards the watchtower (although none will take you right up to it). Leave your car at the end of the track and walk along the coastal cliffs or over the hills - depending which track you chose to follow... and enjoy a typically Ibizan adventure. The path to the watchtower crosses private property, so please be considerate. Make sure that you take all of your rubbish away with you when you leave. |
Figueretas |
 Figueretas used to be a village between Ibiza Town and Playa d'en Bossa a long time ago, but has been consumed by the ever expanding city. It retains its name largely due to the only beach which more or less falls within the city limits. Nowadays it has established a reputation as the 'pink' beating heart of Ibiza. Gay bars and accommodation predominate, but then there's nothing wrong with the pink euro and this village has an important part to play in the global village microcosm that is Ibiza. |
Forada/Buscatell |
 This tiny village is dominated by the Bar Can Tixedo, which used to be a supermarket and has now converted itself into one of the coolest bars on the islands. Behind the bar is the new supermarket, next door is the neighbourhood school and over the road another house – and that's all there is... However, the bar more than makes up for this with a perfect front terrace for watching the world slowly trundle by... There's an art gallery inside and internet access with wi-fi for those enjoying the sunshine on the terrace with their laptop. The perfect spot to break your journey to San Antonio... |
Ibiza Town |
Ibiza Town is the only city on the island and until recent years the only place large enough to be described as anything more than a village. Confusingly, it is signposted all over the island as "Eivissa", which is the Catalan name. However, fortunately the island is so small that all roads lead to Ibiza eventually, so it's almost impossible to get lost! The old walled town is so spectacular that it has been chosen as a World Heritage site and, as you approach the island by sea for the first time, it serves as an appropriately stunning introduction to the Pandora's Box that is Ibiza. Built on a high promontory jutting out into the sea, the old town with its massive walls crowned by the cathedral serves as a global icon the world over. |
Jesus |
 Separated from nearby Ibiza town by the, now threatened, marshland of "Ses Feixes", Jesus is actually part of the municipality of Santa Eulalia. This small but busy little village is home to one of the island's greatest art treasures a 16th Century altar screen of "The Virgin and Child". This is remarkable in that it has survived the invasions of the past 500 years intact! The village itself seems to attract more traffic than almost anywhere else on the island, for no obvious reason except that the surrounding hills groan under the weight of villas built to enjoy the iconic view of the nearby old town of Ibiza. In the summer, Bon Lloc tends to be the favourite morning haunt of the club crowd going home north... |
Playa den Bossa |
 Playa d'en Bossa, almost a suburb of Ibiza town, is one of the most well known resort names on Ibiza. This is partly because it is the home of the 'Space' nightclub, the best nightclub in the world according to the press in recent years, and the nearby Bora Bora beach bar with incoming aircraft skimming the roof to interrupt their attempt to serve up Ibiza nightlife all day long. However, the resort also boasts the longest beach on the island at 2.5 kilometres in length and therefore more beachfront bars and restaurants than anywhere else here. It is lively? For beach lovers this is paradise, with acres of tanned flesh belonging to the opposite sex, and endless water sports facilities to occupy those in search of a more sporty or wetter way to pass the time. It is, however, a popular family resort as the huge beach is safe and well supervised and there are a wide range of family entertainment options on offer at the many and varied beachside venues. Being a beach side development, Playa d'en Bossa offers plenty of accommodation options with apartments and hotels predominating. All are within a short walk of the beach and the community provides all of the amenities that you might expect to find in a Mediterranean seaside resort. Ibiza town and the airport are only ten minutes away from this popular spot by the sea? |
Port de San Miguel |
 This little holiday resort on the northern coast is only accessible down a steep hill from the village of San Miguel, or along a tortuous road from the next isolated beach of Benirras. It is a modern development dominated by large hotels, which many feel have spoilt this otherwise beautiful bay. However, the many happy tourists who fill the beach during the summer months would no doubt beg to differ. If you, on the other hand, tire of the crowd scene - a short walk along a coastal footpath to the left of the beach will bring you to another little beach by the name of Cala d'es Moultons. This is about as unspoilt as life can get with only a couple of boat houses and a small "chiringuito" (bar) to prove that anyone has been there before? |
Portinatx |
Portinatx sits alone at the top of the island, separated from the rest by a range of mountains. It is one of the most beautiful coves on the island and a natural harbour, being horse-shoe shaped with beaches of fine white sand encircled by pine woods - quite pretty then? Until the road over the mountains was completed it was almost impossible to reach in bad weather, except by sea. Similarly, when the weather was bad it was also the only safe haven for boats on the entire rugged northern coast. Nowadays this isolated little refuge from the occasional Mediterranean storm is a flourishing summer family tourist resort. |
Roca Llisa |
 There's not much here other than a gated urbanisation and of course, the only golf course on the island. However, as the photo shows, there are a lot of cranes to be found, which would suggest that very soon Roca Llisa will be somewhat larger... There are, however, a couple of little known beaches that can be accessed through the urbanisation. These are worth knowing about in the mid-summer when the better known beaches all fill up.
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