Discover the Tranquil Beauty of Ibiza

“Winter in Ibiza is a sanctuary of serenity where time seems to slow down, inviting locals and visitors alike to embrace the island’s rhythm of contemplative reflection and personal expansion,” says Magaret von Korff, an island resident of nearly forty years and owner of the agriturismo hotel Cas Gasi, which will transform into Soho Farmhouse Ibiza in the new year. “Here, every moment is imbued with a sense of connection—to oneself, to the land, and to the soulful beauty of Ibiza.”

Over the past decade, the shoulder season continued to extend itself throughout the year until a year-round scene took shape. While taxis and car services are available, visitors will want to rent a car to unlock the island’s hidden corners—though perhaps forgo the vintage model in favor of an all-terrain four-wheeler, as the island’s untamed dirt roads are as wild as its people. Here’s how to prepare for a winter holiday bathed in gentle sun, tapas, and rejuvenation.  

Where To Stay

While each season brings with it a new crop of elevated boutique hotels, casitas, fincas, villas, and guesthouses, know that some do close for a month or two unexpectedly in the colder months (they are on island-time, after all). For discreet travelers in search of peace and quiet and country chic, check into the family-run Es Cucons on the northern coast or Can Sastre, a small escape surrounded by orange trees and bougainvillea, just a five-minute drive from year-round hub Santa Gertrudis. 

For something more central and livelier, The Standard and Montesol Experimental Hotel in the heart of Ibiza Town are steps from the harbor, and their rooms and suites offer sweeping views of the Old Town. Just a block away from one another, locals flock to them in the offseason for The Standard’s Jara bar bingo night and Hotel Montesol’s weekly moules frites special or tapas and sangria.

Where To Eat and Drink

A wealth of regenerative farms, olive groves, local seafood, wild herbs, and passionate chefs have reshaped the food scene in recent years, while some mainstays have stood the test of time. Juntos House is a farm-forward, locally-minded gem of a restaurant housed in a 19th-century farmhouse. Crowd favorites include plates of grilled pumpkin—an abundance of them grow on the island—served over labneh with a drizzle of coffee butter, dollops of chili sauce, and topped with pickled jalapenos, or a decadently roasted chicken thigh with wild mushrooms and a sweet potato purée. Elsewhere on the island, at Hämbre, the menu changes depending on the local market’s availability, but permanent menu items include the pickled oyster on toast and chicken pâté, as well as an abundance of natural and organic wines. 

For something classic, look no further than Amalur, which opened on the island in 1981 and has been a pinnacle of the local food scene ever since. Its sexy, warm candle-lit room brings the feeling of the Amalfi coast to the island’s northern countryside. Be sure to save room for their salted pistachio ice cream. Longtime locals and visitors alike also flock to Bar Costa in Santa Gertrudis for pours of Estrella, local wines, and simple bocadillo sandwiches, while either people-watching on the terrace or gathered near the magnificent fire in the center of the dining room, surrounded by walls filled plum with tableaus the owner once traded with artists for beer.

If the sun is out, cancel all plans and head to Cala Bonita, a deliciously charming lunch spot directly on the beach in a small inlet cove across from fishermen's lockers and ragged cliffs. It is simple and understated with a focus on seasonal and local. If they’re on the menu that day, order the Spanish prawns: they arrive singing in a bed of nothing more than local olive oil, garlic slivers, white wine, a hint of lemon and hot pepper. Wash it down with a bottle of Superbloom organic orange wine made by Ibizan local legend Bernat Tetjas, who affectionately refers to the island as “a garden in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.”

Where To Shop

In Santa Gertrudis, La Galeria Elefante is a bohemian paradise offering a mix of local and globally sourced velvet tunics, embroidered pillows, bejeweled rings, and other delights from NGOs and local artisans, including candles and home scents by Shū Ibiza. Embrace island style with wares from Jeffrey’s Ibiza or handcrafted pieces from L_MENTAL, or bring home handknit mohair sweaters, ceramic kitchenware and soft linens from Numero 74 and their atélier, which also offers workshops. For a bit of cheeky fun, stop by Sluiz’s warehouse of curios and homewares, or Parada’s thoughtfully-selected gifts and island souvenirs.

What To Do

Get in touch with Mother Nature and hike to secluded coves and bays like Es Portixol or Portinatx, or sunbathe on the cliffs of Ibizian beaches like Sa Caleta, Platja Pou d’es Lleo, or Cala Nova. History enthusiasts will want to venture to Ibiza Town’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dalt Vila, to discover its cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. The epicurean inclined should arrange a visit to Bodegas Can Rich, which offers tours of the winery as well as tastings of their different wine varietals and olive oils. Restorative spa treatments at Can Curreu, Es Pins, and hotel and spa Atzaró offer tranquility, whereas art enthusiasts can enjoy galleries such as Galeria Tambien and Parra & Romero for a range of local and global painters, designers, sculptors, and other artists.