Overview
An eight day, self-guided adventure cycling in Ibiza, exploring the underrated and often unknown northern half of this Balearic beauty. This is a centre-based tour, staying in a resort hotel with pools, in the coastal town of Santa Eulària des Riu. From here, there are daily cycling itineraries through traditional villages, to other beaches, traditional markets and to Port de Sant Miquel. With both traditional or e-bikes available to rent, this cycling holiday is suitable for people of all levels. With one rest day built into the tour, this holiday is about chilling as much as it is about cycling.
- Santa Eulària des Riu
- Es Canar
- Ibiza Town
- Sant Joan Labritja
- Port de Sant Miquel
- Can Marçà cave
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Ibiza
After arriving at Ibiza Airport or ferry port, make your way to your hotel in Santa Eulària des Riu, on the east coast of the island, famous for its lovely market and beach promenade. The hotel is within walking distance of the town centre and sandy beach, where there are also many cafes and restaurants. In the afternoon, pick up your rental bikes at the bike rental shop.
- Accommodation: Tropic Garden Hotel & Apartments or similar in Santa Eulària des Riu
Day 2: Es Canar route | 44km
Today’s circular route takes you inland on paved backroads with little traffic. Cycle through a rural area with the traditional whitewashed houses and azure window frames that Ibiza is known for. The route heads through the coastal village of Es Canar, located on the east coast of Ibiza, just north of Santa Eulària des Riu. Every Wednesday, there is a famous market known as The Hippy Market, at Punta Arabí. A great spot for some gift shopping of jewellery, leather goods, beach clothes and ceramics.
- Cycling distance for the day: 44km, ↑405m ↓405m
Day 3: Sant Joan de Labritja route | 42km
Today’s route is circular on mostly small asphalt roads. Start by cycling towards Sant Llorenç de Balàfia, where we recommend visiting Poblat de Balàfia, a medieval village on the outskirts of Sant Llorenç de Balàfia. Continue to the traditional town of Sant Joan de Labritja, through the hamlet of Sant Vicent de sa Cala and past Cala de Sant Vicent, located on a north-eastern bay. Cala de Sant Vincent beach is a treat with golden sand and clear waters, so pack a swimsuit for this one. Head back south towards Sant Carles de Peralta, with more traditional Ibicenco buildings, bringing your day to a close back in Santa Eulària des Riu.
- Cycling distance for the day: 42km, ↑577m ↓576m
Day 4: Sant Mateu d’Albarca route | 48-59km
Cycle west to the village of Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera, then continue among olive groves and orchards to arrive in Sant Mateu d’Albarca, known for its small-scale winemaking and traditional restaurants. There is an option to extend the route and cycle through Ibiza’s vineyards and on to the village of Sant Mateu d’Albarca, in the heart of the wine-making region.
- Cycling distance option 1: 48km, ↑467m ↓467m
- Cycling distance option 2: 59km, ↑669m ↓670m
Day 5: Rest day
Take the day to relax by the hotel pool or visit Ibiza’s capital, Ibiza Town. Although Ibiza Town is known for its lively nightlife, it also has a traditional centre with the cobbled streets of Dalt Vila and many boutiques making it a lovely place to stroll around. In addition, there’s a port area full of bars and restaurants. There are direct buses (payable locally) from Santa Eulària des Riu to Ibiza Town.
Day 6: Can Marçà Cave route | 48-51km
Cycle along rolling country roads with an occasional short climb to Sant Miquel de Balansat, a traditional village with a historic hilltop church. Continue to the coastal town of Port de Sant Miquel on the west coast. We recommend a visit to Can Marçà Cave (payable locally) which, as well as having an impressive collection of stalactites and stalagmites, was once a smugglers’ spot. Port de Sant Miquel is a great lunch spot but, if the ascent to Port de Sant Miquel feels too much, cycle back to Sant Miquel de Balansat and make your way back to Santa Eulària des Riu on a different route.
- Cycling distance option 1: 48km, ↑495m ↓495m
- Cycling distance option 2: 51km, ↑477m ↓477m
Day 7: White villages route | 59km
This is a circular route that takes you through the island’s most famous collection of traditional whitewashed villages, and also past defence towers that were attached to landowners’ houses, built to protect from pirate attacks. One of the most famous villages is Santa Agnès de Corona, towards the west coast of the island, with a lovely church and also some restaurants, making it the perfect lunch spot. Head back Santa Eulària des Riu to end the day and return the rental bikes to the bike rental shop.
- Cycling distance for the day: 59km, ↑610m ↓611m
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast, or extend your stay with an extra night in Santa Eulària des Riu.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour is a coastal hotel with pools. It has been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotel
- Tropic Garden Hotel & Apartments (Santa Eulària des Riu)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included each day. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can enjoy the rest of the meals in the restaurants along the way or in Santa Eulària des Riu.
Difficulty and terrain
This trip is rated as moderate (read more about difficulty grades) and is suitable for active cyclists with a good level of fitness. Most days, the distance varies between 42 and 59km. All cycling roads are quiet asphalted roads. Some areas have some traffic, however Ibiza is a very cycling-friendly island. We also provide e-bikes on this tour, which take the strain off the tougher sections.
We will provide detailed route notes and maps (in digital format) and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of April until the end of October. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. Due to the high temperatures in July and August, dates during this period can be booked on request only.
Ibiza is an island on the Mediterranean Sea that offers 300 days of sunshine. April to June provides pleasant spring weather with fewer crowds. July and August are peak summer months, which are very hot for cycling and more crowded. In September and October, there is also warm weather and fewer tourists. For more information on travelling in Spain, please visit our blog Best time to go to Spain.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By Plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Ibiza Airport (IBZ).
By train or bus:
If you are able to travel to Spain without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with a railway station in Barcelona and Valencia, from where it is possible to take a ferry to Ibiza. For more details, see the national rail operator Renfe and see Balearia or Trasmed GLE for ferry timetables and tickets or use the Omio planner above.
Ferry from Valencia: to get to Port of Valencia from Valencia Nord Station you can take bus line 4 (34mins). Alternatively you can take a taxi from Valencia Nord Station to Port of Valencia (€20-25, 34mins). The ferry from Port of Valencia to Ibiza Port takes approximately 6h 44mins. For more details, see Balearia or Trasmed GLE for ferry timetables and tickets.
Ferry from Barcelona: to get to Barcelona cruise port from Barcelona Sants station take the metro to Drassanes (8mins) from where you can take the Cruise bus (approximately 7mins) for to reach the terminals. Alternatively you can take a taxi from Barcelona Sants statin to Barcelona cruise port (€20, 10mins). The ferry from Barcelona cruise port to Ibiza port takes approximately 8h 30mins. For more details, see Balearia or Trasmed GLE for ferry timetables and tickets.
Arriving in Santa Eulària des Riu: A direct bus (22mins) leaves Ibiza Airport every 3h and arrives in Santa Eulària des Riu. From Ibiza Port there is a direct bus (28mins) that leaves every 30mins. Alternatively, you can take a taxi from Ibiza Town to Santa Eulària des Riu (€30–40, 22mins).
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 7 breakfasts
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure, and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Transfer to and from airport
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entrance fees (payable locally)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own (upon request only, subject to availability)
- This holiday is available for solo travellers on request only. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers. (upon request only, subject to availability)
- Bike rental
- Extra nights are bookable upon request
- Option for half board upgrade (seven evening meals including a drink)
Bike rental
In case you would like to rent a bike from us, we can offer two varieties of bikes. All are equipped with a toolset, spare inner tube, pump and lock. Helmets (obligatory in Spain) can be rented at the bike shop while picking up the bikes. Sample pictures attached below, note that the exact models may differ depending on the availability, but the standard will be the same.
E-bike
Trekking bike
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
