Things to do & NOT to do in Ibiza (incl. Scam Warning).

Ibiza Boat Club
Apr 27
7 min read

Updated: Aug 18

Yes, Ibiza has so much more to offer than just parties, glamour, and beautiful people. Hopefully, that’s something everyone’s realised by now.

But this article isn’t just another copy-paste version of the typical “Things to Do in Ibiza” list. Most of those articles give you the same (totally valid) advice:

Explore the island beyond your hotel, the shops, the clubs, and the beach in front of your resort.
Don’t just stick to the same fast-food chains you eat at back home—try the island’s incredible local cuisine.
Don’t get embarrassingly drunk or ride public transport half-naked.
Don’t lose yourself entirely in the glamor, the show-off culture, and spending money for the sake of it.

All that’s true. But our intention here is to go deeper. To help you connect with what truly makes Ibiza magical. To help you discover the real luxury, the real beauty: the soul of Ibiza.

In this article, we will talk about the following topics:

2) Get yourself in the sea, at the beach, in the water, into nature.

4) Bonus tips for your day out at sea.

1) The real soul of the island.

Ibiza has always been a place of transformation.

First the Phoenicians, then the Carthaginians, later the hippies and free spirits - and now, Ibiza is shifting once again, this time from being a melting pot of the electronic music scene to a rather exclusive - but still unique - destination.

Where for at least two decades electronic music was played almost everywhere, Ibiza is now musically just as open-minded and diverse as it is in every other sense.

And all of these shifts happen at an impressively high level - whether we're talking about hotels, clubs, or restaurants.

Today, the island is more world-class than it has ever been before.

But one thing Ibiza has always held on to:

A very special and magical energy.

It has always been there - and it always will be.

And it has nothing to do with surface-level trends or cultural shifts.

It’s something much deeper. It’s the soul of Ibiza - and probably the very reason the island has always been kind of special.

And always will be - no matter what form it takes.

You won't truly get a sense of this unique energy if you only stick to the well-trodden tourist paths.

To feel it, to connect with it, you need to get out into nature.

And out to sea.

Into the water.

At the beach.

Ibiza is defined by its stunning beaches, picture-perfect coves, and crystal-clear waters.

2) Get yourself out at sea, into nature, on the beach.

Out at sea, on the beach, in nature, you leave behind the heat, the crowds, the dust, the traffic, the parking chaos... and you connect with Ibiza on a different level.

Just as everything else, also the world of boating in Ibiza has evolved.

There are now many quality providers offering imaginative, high-end formats for discovering the best of Ibiza and Formentera by sea. Whether you want to party, relax, dine, or do all three in style - there’s something for everyone.

This article isn’t about selling our boat trips.

So don’t expect this post to be self-promotion. It’s a curated roundup of the crème de la crème of our industry.

That said, here’s a look at some top-notch experiences and honest providers (with helpful links), along with important scam warnings and useful tips to help you make the most of your Ibiza experience.

There are legendary options like these two vintage sailing boats, where rare and beautiful productions like this private boat party with Lilly Palmer and this pirate ship party with Hot Since 82 take place. Hot Since 82's video already has 18 Million views! If this is not legendary... we don't know what legendary means.

You’ll need a bit of luck (or connections) to just happen to be on board on one of these special days. These unique events are usually private parties, so you have to know someone who knows someone who knows someone.

If you want to create your own unforgettable moment, you can book one of these sailing boats for a private party - for example, through Saga, and create your own private pirate party in the beautiful waters surrounding Ibiza.

Private sailing tours for small groups (up to 6 people) with providers offer a relaxed, eco-friendly and intimate experience. Enjoy the more authentic, quiet and real side of Ibiza in its pure nature.

La Sirena Morena Ibiza offers a unique experience on a Llaut: Ibiza's authentic and original wooden boat that locals use for fishing.

La Bella Verde Ibiza creates the most environmentally friendly way to explore Ibiza's raw and pure beauty on their solar powered catamarans.

Ibiza to Formentera: The classic way.

Thousands of tourists take the ferry from Ibiza to Formentera every day in high season. Companies like Balearia and Trasmapi run the fastest, most modern ferries.

From Ibiza Town, round-trip tickets start at about €45 per person. To this, you'd have to add parking fees (around 20€ for the day) if you’re coming by car as there’s no free parking in the city.

The largest car park in town (which is also close to the ferry station) is called Es Pratet, and it always has space. But calculate plenty of time... traffic in and around Ibiza Town is always heavy.

And last but not least, we would also like to introduce you to our boat: The Ibiza Boat Club.

It's the floating beach club in Ibiza, complete with VIP daybeds for all guests, ice-cold drinks, Show Cooking of local food, and all the comfort you’d expect.

We could say a lot more things to convince you how amazing we are, but we rather like to leave this to Vogue and Condé Nast Traveller Germany who recently published articles about us.

You can rent the floating beach club for your own private event, or you can join one of three public events to connect, dance and eat with an international crowd of like-minded people.

Open air dine & dance with interactive show cooking, surrounded by striking nature, perfectly paired with Ibiza's flavourful cuisine and chilled local wine, accompanied by live music, shared with nice people and new friends. Sounds like your vibe?

Join one of our innovative and grown-up formats: The Bottomless Brunch Party. Perfect for those who aren’t into wild boat parties but still enjoy daytime parties with an interesting crowd of international guests.

We have redefined the VIP experience by making it inclusive for all. Regardless of background or social status, every guest is treated in the same way. Our events are not just boat cruises. Each event creates a community and an experience where everyone is a VIP with access to the daybeds and amenities like bottomless Aperol Spritz and Paella Show Cooking.

If you're more into the old-school wild, raw and uninhibited side of Ibiza's nightlife, the iconic Aftersun Ibiza Sunset Boat Party will be your choice. Think 300 young party animals aboard Ibiza's floating beach club for 3 hours, wearing their shortest bikini and biggest smile. Perfectly not conservative and everything but boring.

If none of this resonates with you, or if you always wanted to visit Formentera as well, there is another gem happening aboard the Ibiza Boat Club.

Find more info about it below.

Formentera with Benefits: More than just a ferry ride.

For just a little more money than the standard ferry (with prices starting at 89€), “Formentera with Benefits” by Ibiza Boat Club really does offer a lot more benefits compared to the regular ferry... and not just on the boat.

Despite of all the benefits on the boat, this tour also solves the parking issue and skips the traffic in Ibiza Town. Because it departs from Playa d’en Bossa, not Ibiza Town.

This might be the most charming and comfortable way to experience Formentera, unless you have a private super yacht.

Formentera with Benefits offers an exclusive voyage, seamlessly blending a luxury yacht experience with deep connections, unforgettable stories, fresh and local food, ice-cold drinks, breath-taking views, interesting conversations, heartwarming laughter and the natural beauty of Formentera.

3) Scam warning.

Not all boat trip offers are legit. Some are outright scams.

Sometimes, the boat doesn’t even show up - or if it shows up it’s not the boat in the photos.

This is not what we want you to remember of our industry.

So no matter wether you book a ticket with us or a different provider: Just make sure you’re safe!

How to avoid being scammed.

Make sure you get to see the actual boat (on photos, videos or in real life) you’re about to sail with before you buy a ticket.

Is the provider showing the actual boat (also from the outside!), or just staged pics, stock images, AI-generated content and highly edited photos?

Is the boat on the photos always the same, or does it look like the photos have been taken on various boats?

Scammers are everywhere, and Ibiza is no exception.

Some of them are for example using fake photos or quite often our photos in order to sell their much older and smaller boats.

Be careful with operators who don’t show any actual photos of their boat on their website or socials. Especially if there’s no exterior shot.

Also watch out for stock photos, overly edited or fake-looking pictures, or just a general lack of images and information.

Make sure to do a proper online check of the provider before you book any tickets.

Scammers might even play with our brand name in order to trick you and sell you their dodgy fakes.

The original is easy to recognise. 3 simple words:

In exactly this order.

Written together, without hyphens.

Ending with .com

ibizaboatclub.com

4) Bonus Tips for your day out at sea.

Weather & sea conditions.

Before heading out on your boat trip, it’s always smart to check the sea conditions. Apps and websites like Windfinder or Windguru can show you the expected wave height for the day.

Waves up to 1 meter are generally no problem for larger boats — especially wide catamarans like the ones we use at Ibiza Boat Club.

However, smaller boats with a single hull tend to be more sensitive to rough seas.

Responsible and reputable providers will cancel trips if waves are expected to exceed 1 meter.

Less trustworthy operators, unfortunately, may go out regardless of the conditions. So don’t just check the weather for sunshine... keep an eye on the wave forecast too.

Sun protection & what to wear.

Out on the open sea, you can get sunburned surprisingly fast. The breeze feels amazing, and it can make the temperatures feel cooler than they are — plus, the sun reflects off the water and amplifies UV exposure.

So for longer trips, make sure to bring sun protection: A hat, sunglasses, plenty of sunscreen.

Also, mornings and evenings can get chilly out at sea, even into June or starting as early as September. A light sweater or jacket is a good idea. Unless it’s the peak of summer (June through August), when you can safely leave those layers at home.