Ibiza Town: A Day in Eivissa

Summer is coming, and the first ever hostel on the island of Ibiza is now open! Last year I was lucky enough to join a film crew on the island – which is why you can now see me swinging and surfing on their homepage. And one of my favourite experiences during the week was a day in Eivissa…

Introducing Eivissa (Ibiza Town)

Before you get confused (like I did), let me explain the naming situation with Ibiza Town. The original name of Ibiza Town is Eivissa, and the city is still called this in the Catalan language.

In fact, the island restored the name of Eivissa to the city in 1986, but many still refer to it in the Spanish: Ibiza, or Ibiza Town to differentiate it from the island. So, essentially, the name ‘Eivissa’ and ‘Ibiza’ are interchangeable when it comes to the name of the city and the island itself.

A Brief History of Eivissa

Despite previous visitors to the island of Ibiza, including the Greeks, the town of Eivissa is believed to have been founded by the Phoenicians way back in the 7th Century BC.

Known to the Phoenicians as Ibossim, Eivissa was officially founded in the 7th Century BC. In part because of its setting as a natural port, with easy access to water and surrounded by fertile lands and salt plains, the city soon grew from a small port to a thriving city.

The city’s success undoubtedly attracted others. By the time the Catalans came to rule the island in the 13th Century, the island and the town of Eivissa had been ruled by the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Moors.

And this long stretch of ancient and combined history clearly shows in the old part of the city of Eivissa.

Known as the Dalt Vila, much of the winding streets and cobbled walls of the ‘Old Town’ are remnants of the fortifications built by the Catalans in the 16h Century.

A Day in Eivissa: Exploring Dalt Vila

On our final day on the island of Ibiza, we decided to explore these winding cobbled streets.

Green vines and pink blossoms wound their way up against white washed walls and through metal balconies, framing our way on the steep incline to the top of the Dalt Vila.

If you ever do find time to explore the Ibiza that exists outside of the nightclubs, then spending a day in Eivissa is something I can’t recommend highly enough.

Not to mention the fact that the walk is pretty steep. There are far more strenuous hikes on this island for sure. But if you’re looking for a beginner’s hike amongst 16th Century architecture to get rid of a hangover from clubbing from the night before, this is definitely one of the most beautiful.

 

And what better reason to make the climb than this view from the top?

An Evening in Eivissa

After exploring the best views from atop the Dalt Vila, we descended with the sun back down to the New Town for dinner.

Built outside the original walls of the city, the New Town has expanded with the increasing population of Eivissa, as well as its role as a tourist attraction. Which meant that dinner wasn’t cheap, but it was delicious…

However, the true favourite amongst all of us on the film crew was a pizza slice bar (Pizza Loca) we had been told about a few days earlier.

And in fact, after dinner and then a few more beers with the awesome Victor from Amistat Island Hostel, we headed back for more pizza!

Needless to say, the New Town of Eivissa is far more lively at night than it was during our evening stroll. But that didn’t mean that the bars weren’t already setting up for the evening with tables lining every available space of pavement.

I’d also highly suggest visiting around the same time, or at least sticking around to see the sunset. Because it’s pretty magical from here!

How to Get to Eivissa from Amistat Island Hostel

Ibiza isn’t a big island, but Amistat Island Hostel is on the other side of the island from Eivissa, in the gorgeous town of Sant Antoni.

So aside from hiring a car, the easiest way to get across the island to spend a day in Eivissa is by bus. Just a short 10-minute walk will take you from the hostel to the main bus station. From there you’ll need bus L3 in the direction of Avenue Isidor Macabich (Eivissa).

Once off the bus, it’s just another 10-minute walk to the walls of Dalt Vila.

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Have you ever been to Ibiza? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

My day in Eivissa was in partnership with Amistat Island Hostel, who opened the very first Ibizan hostel in 2017! They have had no editorial input in this post, aside from hosting me and showing me some of Ibiza’s most beautiful spots!