Low budget tips for Ibiza – how to do Ibiza cheap

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Latest update: 2 October 2024

Let’s face it: Ibiza is an expensive destination. If you want to enjoy the food, shopping, and nightlife fully, you should bring a thick wallet. In the club, you easily pay € 13 for a beer. Ouch! Yet there are also plenty of ways to do Ibiza cheap. Low-budget Ibiza is possible!

How to do Ibiza cheap

Even before you go to this fine island, you can keep an eye on bargains. Tickets, accommodation, and transport take up a large amount of your budget. However, with a bit of patience and intensive research, you can find great deals. I, therefore, start this article with a few tips before you go, and then I give you low-budget tips for when you’re on the island.

Cheap tickets to Ibiza

Airlines such as Ryanair and Vueling regularly have good deals for Dutch Ibiza lovers. So if you are a bit flexible in terms of date, you suddenly find yourself in Ibiza for a €70 return ticket from Amsterdam. To find cheap tickets from Ibiza to anywhere, your best bet is Skyscanner.

Cheap stays in Ibiza

Of course, it is cool to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel or Ushuaïa. However, it is also costly while you spend most of your time outside of your hotel room. I prefer Airbnb or a hostel, such as Giramundo in Figueretas. It’s within walking distance of Ibiza town and is close to the beach. They don’t have dormitories anymore, but they have budget private rooms, including breakfast. The staff is accommodating, speaks good English, the wifi works and you meet other travelers. Ideal option!

If you’re up for staying in a dorm, please try either Amistat Island Hostel in Sant Antoni or Ryan’s Pocket Hostel in Ibiza Town.

I am also enthusiastic about PIMS. In this Ibiza holiday resort, each apartment has a different owner. They rent out their spaces if they do not use them themselves. The decor is not always ‘tasteful’, but there is a swimming pool, and the price is friendly.

Another recommendation on Booking: Camelina Suites. I’ve stayed here a few times already. Although the facilities are not legendary, I still recommend them because of the clean apartments and the location. In addition, there are a few excellent restaurants nearby, and you can easily walk to the beach.

Update 2023: unfortunately, Camelina seems to have doubled the prices this season.

Do you want an extremely cheap place to stay in Ibiza? How about a FREE overnight stay in Ibiza? In the Paradiso Ibiza Art Hotel, you can sleep one night for free. The catch: you sleep in a glass room in the lobby, and you can be filmed and photographed. You can make a reservation for the Zero Suite Project here.

Cheap car rental in Ibiza – good service and affordable

I think Ibiza is an island where you have to rent a car: I want to visit different beaches and towns. Although there are buses and there is no shortage of taxis, you simply have to use them frequently when visiting the island. That’s when convenience comes into play. Although the taxis are cheaper than in the Netherlands, those costs also add up quickly. There is no Uber in Ibiza, by the way, so download the TaxiClick app.

Fortunately, there are many car rental companies in Ibiza. From experience, I can tell you that the cheapest choice is not always the best. I hate the hassle of queuing at pickup and employees trying to sell you insurance for unnecessary things. I’m happy to pay a little more for a professional organization, so pick wisely via Discover Cars or Rentalcars. Because Ibiza is a small island, you don’t have to worry about extremely high gas costs. In five days, we had barely used a quarter tank of our Polo.

Don’t skimp on fun!

Okay, so Ibiza is expensive. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get out of your apartment. There is plenty of natural beauty to see for free, there is plenty of dancing to do at hip beach bars that do not charge an entrance fee, and there are plenty of outings that you can make as expensive as you want. Although… enough? I say: too much! Some of the low-budget tips for Ibiza below are cheap; others are even free. So let’s see how you can do Ibiza cheaply with some cheap activities!

Beach hopping in Ibiza

If you have rented a car, you should, of course, take a nice tour of the beaches. There are many beaches to discover – from small rocky coves to idyllic sandy beaches. There are too many to see in one day, so focus on one side of the island per day. One day we visit Cala Talamanca, S’Estayol, Cala Nova, and Cala Llenya, and the next day Cala Sant Vincent, S’Illot des Rencli, Cala Benirras, and Cala D’Hort. Each beach even prettier than the next. Some of them are especially suitable for a quick photo; you can easily spend a few hours at others.

Watching flamingos on the salt flats

The Ses Salines Natural Park extends from the southern part of Ibiza to the northern part of Formentera. The majority of the park is, therefore, underwater. Nevertheless, hundreds of flamingos arrive on the salt flats in the south of Ibiza between August and October. About three hundred of them spend the winter on Ibiza, smart birds!

Ses Salines is easily accessible by car: you can even drive through the middle of the salt flats. Keep your eyes open and spot the flamingos. We find them at the salt production of Sal de Ibiza. Between the salt flats is a small mint-colored house with the logo of Sal de Ibiza. You can park a little further along the road and enter the property. It’s private property, so we asked first. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close to the flamingos, but we were already happy to see them from afar.

Dalt Vila with an audio tour

Both in the evening and during the day, it is wonderful to stroll through the oldest part of the capital of Ibiza. Dalt Vila is the high part that you can see from afar. The ancient city walls surround it, and there is no sign of cars. Get lost in the small streets, view boutiques, and enjoy delicious food and drinks. There are also some sights, such as a museum and a church. If you want some more information about Dalt Vila, stop by the tourist information point in front of the cathedral. They have a free audio tour available.

Sunset at Es Vedra

Sunsets are free! There are many beautiful places to watch the sunset in Ibiza, for example, sipping a cocktail at a bar on the boulevard (or just before the boulevard with your own bottle of wine) in Sant Antoni. Very beautiful, but you can see the possibly ultimate Ibiza sunset at Es Vedra. At first glance, Es Vedra is a rock formation, but it is actually a tiny island. Uninhabited, yes. It’s claimed to be the third most magnetic place on Earth. That means compasses no longer work well here.

There are quite a few myths about Es Vedra: it is said to be a remnant of Atlantis, the home of the goddess Tanit, used as a reference point for UFOs, and a giant has also lived there. Right. Believe what you want, but know it’s worth a visit.

You can drive to the viewpoint and admire the sunset in the wild nature with a handful of couples and a meditation class. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy! Low-budget Ibiza at its best. Or you can view it from the beach at Cala D’Hort. They both make for beautiful pictures.

Tip! There are many more beautiful sunsets to see on Ibiza. Check out the best spots.

Take a hike in Ibiza

Ibiza has beautiful nature. It reminds me a bit of Curaçao and Aruba in terms of vegetation and style (or is that swearing in church?). You can go for beautiful walks. Plan your route with this handy guide from the Ibiza Tourist Board. And I’ve also listed a few short hikes on the island. Also fun: go for a walk with Walking Ibiza.

Cheap partying in Ibiza

The entrance fee for a club starts at €30 and goes up quickly. Then you can easily put down € 13 for a beer and € 20 for a mojito in the club. Then the fun soon wears off. Fortunately, there are cheaper ways to celebrate.

On Sundays, you can go to the beach of Cala Benirras. From about five o’clock, the ‘hippies’ come here to drum and dance. Wannabe and non-hippies are also welcome. Bring a nice drink and dance the night away. Make sure you are there on time (for example, sunbathe here during the day) because there is a severe traffic jam in the high season because there is not enough parking space.

Or have a party at a beach club. Many beach bars on the island regularly have a band or a DJ. Ask the locals about the hotspots of the moment and get your tickets here.

Free entrance to Ibiza clubs

Also smart: eat at the Pacha restaurant. You have to eat anyway, and on some evenings, you can join the party at Pacha for free afterward. Check whether this also applies to your evening. Sometimes the clubs also have reduced rates if you arrive before a specific time. Ushuaïa and Amnesia, for example, sometimes do this. In addition, discount tickets are sometimes handed out on the beach.

Tip! Also read my blog about clubs on Ibiza.

Guest list spots for Ibiza clubs

Since 2018 there is an app with which you can put yourself on the guest list of clubs. Awesome! TG IBIZA is (still) free. If you are on the guest list, you will receive a substantial discount on the entrance fee. For example, instead of €40 at the Amnesia, I only paid €25. And I also saved €15 on the entrance for another party. Via the app, you can register yourself and your friends for the guest list. Pay close attention to whether there are any conditions (for example, arriving before a specific time) and bring identification with you to the club. Enjoy!

Hippie markets in Ibiiza

Assuming you’re not tempted to purchase something at every stall, the hippy markets are worth a visit. The entrance is always free. The hippy market of Punta Arabí has ​​more than four hundred stalls. That’ll take you some time. You can browse the market every Wednesday from April to October. Frankly, I think it’s too massive, too commercial, and too much of the same.

I enjoy the flea market at the Hipodromo in San Jordi on Saturdays more. On Saturdays, you can also go to the Las Dalias hippy market, and there are many smaller versions of the hippy market. These are my favorite hippy markets.

And make sure you behave like a good Dutchie, eh? Look, look, don’t buy. Or at least bargain. 🙂

Practical low budget tips for Ibiza

Ibiza will never be really cheap. Unfortunately, you have to choose another island for that. But, on the other hand, there’s no harm in turning on the cost-saving mode now and then. So, to end, here are a few practical tips for cheap Ibiza:

• Skip the beach bed and lie on the sand with your towel;
• Cook yourself once. Do your shopping at, for example, an Eroski supermarket or at Mercat Vell or Mercat Nou.
• Choose the menu del dia. At lunchtime, many local restaurants offer a set menu for a reasonable price (three courses for €10 to €15). Check out La Sardina Loca for example, you’ll have a 3-course lunch for € 12.

If you also want to discover the not-so-budget-proof Ibiza, read all Ibiza tips here.

First published: October 2015. The article has been updated since.