Balearic Islands · two islands to get to know
A swim, lunch in the shade and an evening in the old town. Several days in one place leave time for town life on Ibiza or cycle rides on Formentera.
Seven to ten days between the islands can make a whole holiday.
The mainland is a separate option to add.
The islands and the mainland
Ibiza and Formentera lie east of Dénia and the mainland coastal towns. A stay can focus on the islands or combine them with the coastal towns and the long crossing.
From a place to a berth
Marinas by the towns and islands on the map, with berth details, locations and links to the harbour offices.
Ibiza · town life and coast
In Eivissa, Dalt Vila’s streets and walls climb the hill from the harbour. A slightly cooler part of the day suits the walk well.
The streets within the city walls overlook the harbour. Below them are restaurants and small shops in the La Marina quarter. Marina Ibiza lies on the north side of the harbour basin, with Dalt Vila opposite.
Marinas on Ibiza ↓
Santa Eulària has a seafront promenade and a walking path along the river, past the old mill. Puig de Missa stands on the hill, with white church walls and views over the town.
Sant Antoni is an alternative on the west coast, also as an arrival point from the mainland. Platges de Comte, with sandy beaches and views towards the small islands, can be visited on an outing from there.
Santa Eulària: places along the walks (PDF, 2025) ↗Formentera · stay a few days
La Savina is the starting point for a stay on Formentera. From here, outings lead to Sant Francesc, through the salt landscapes and out to the beaches at Ses Illetes. The island can also be visited by passenger ferry from Ibiza.
Low boathouses and reddish cliffs frame Cala Saona. The beach on the west side of the island is a pleasant destination for a cycle ride and a swim.
The two marinas in La Savina ↓Badia de s’Alga by s’Espalmador and Caló de s’Oli by La Savina have regulated mooring fields. In PortsIB’s fields, someone must remain on board; advance bookings are limited to three consecutive nights. The fields are intended for short stays in favourable sea conditions.
Posidonia is protected seagrass, and Ses Salines Natural Park has its own anchoring rules. The channel between Trucadors and s’Espalmador has strong currents, and crossing it on foot is prohibited.
PortsIB · mooring fields and reservations ↗PortsIB · conditions of use ↗Ses Salines and Posidonia · rules and areas ↗Trucadors and s’Espalmador ↗The mainland · an additional option
Dénia, Xàbia and Altea can be combined with one or two harbour stays. The other towns can be visited overland from the same base.
A day can begin in the streets around the castle and Les Roques, then continue down to the fishing quarter of Baix la Mar. Around Els Magazinos are places to eat and terraces.
Marina de Dénia is beside the southern breakwater, with restaurants along the quay. The harbour list has berth information and a reservation link.
Dénia: the harbour and Baix la Mar ↗
In Xàbia/Jávea, Duanes de la Mar is by the sea, with Casa del Cable and the Loreto church. It is a separate area from the old town inland and Arenal beach.
In Altea, the walk heads uphill through streets with workshops and on towards the church’s blue dome. That means slopes and steps from the sea. Club Náutico de Altea is in the town harbour south of the centre.
Xàbia: Duanes de la Mar ↗Anchoring is prohibited within the fisheries reserve at Cabo de San Antonio, between Dénia and Xàbia. The reserve’s boundaries and rules are available from the authorities of the Valencia region.
Cabo de San Antonio · the reserve ↗Dénia–Sant Antoni
55–60 nmAbout 8–9 hours at sea at 7 knots
The direct crossing from Dénia to Sant Antoni is a long day’s passage. An islands-only stay can begin with a flight to Ibiza; a ferry from the mainland is another option.
A trip combining the mainland and the islands needs to allow for the crossing in both directions, with a weather window for each leg.
Flights, ferries and servicing
Ibiza has its own airport. Formentera is reached by ferry from Ibiza or Dénia. Alicante is a possible airport for a mainland stay.
AERO buses connect Ibiza Airport with several places on the island. Passenger ferries run between Ibiza and Formentera; Baleària also has a connection from Dénia.
Varadero Ibiza in Eivissa has a 160-tonne boat hoist for boats up to 10 metres wide. In Santa Eulària, the boat hoist has a capacity of 70 tonnes.
Es Nàutic in Sant Antoni has a smaller boatyard: up to 20 tonnes, 18 metres in length and 4.40 metres in beam.
Port Dénia has a 150-tonne boat hoist for boats up to 35 metres, as well as a larger facility with a 620-tonne hoist. Club Náutico de Jávea lists a 50-tonne boat hoist.
A small glimpse
Two travel films with different focuses: beaches and the sea on the islands, and everyday life during a stay in Altea.
The suggestions draw on local tourism authorities, operators’ own websites, harbour authorities and published rules. Links to practical information are provided beside the relevant place. The durations are suggestions for holidays with time to stay and wait for suitable weather.
The images are real photographs, with the date taken beside each one.
21 April 2023.
Free Art License ↗8 September 2024.
CC0 1.0 ↗11 March 2007.
Photographer’s website · required attribution ↗CC BY 2.0 ↗The overview map uses Natural Earth 5.1.1. The island map’s coastlines and the maps’ place markers come from OpenStreetMap. North is up; the scales show straight-line distances.