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BUS, TAXI AND COACHES
Walking around Ibiza Town is great, Dalt Vila can be explored time after time.
Outside of the town, and the walk to Figueretes, there is little you can do on foot (apart from the walk back from Amnesia and Privilege). The cheapest way to get about the island, or make it to the beach, is by taxi, bus or coach.
Taxis
Buses
Water Bus
Excursions
TAXIS
Taxis are reasonably priced in Ibiza - If you can find one... It can be bloody impossible in the height of the season, with queues developing in Ibiza Town from 6pm onwards, in some part due to the taxi drivers avoiding the congestion at the harbour/port caused by the mainland ferries arriving. Although things were a little better at the airport last year.
The taxis took on taxi meters for the first time in living memory.... All should be switched on and you will pay what you see on the meter...
Almost all of teh drivers I have come accross are great, Some of the older drivers may not enjoy you snogging the face off each other in the back of the car. (Whoever you are.) and just a few drivers love to be very slow at returning notes in your change, especially when you are a little worse for wear early in the morning. They will always pass you your coins first. Do not jump out too quickly, you could be leaving a BIG tip in the form of a €5 - €10
note.
The two main taxi ranks are outside of Abra tours in Figueretes, and down near the harbour at the start of Adv. Bme. De Rossello (the road that continues off from the harbour).
There are suprisingly only 4 or 5 taxi firms in Ibiza, with very few self employed drivers.
If you are flagging a cab down in the street, make sure that the green for hire light is on. Do not be surprised if a cab does not stop for you if you are within 500 yards of a taxi rank.
Fares originating in Figueretes are approximately the same as those from Ibiza town (give or take 2 Euros - the airport/beach may be a little cheaper.)
BUSES
Bus stops are sign-posted with a blue 'P' on a white background. Even though you will find four or five cars rammed into the space, the 'P' does not represent a parking spot (it comes from "Parada", Spanish for 'stop').
Now, I thought that getting a bus would be pretty bloody easy, you find a stop, wait, get on, pay and eventually get off where you wanted to be. Not so in Ibiza....
Firstly, the 'bus station' in Ibiza is a collection of bus stops, split in to two areas on the Avenida Isodor Macavich. So don't go looking for anything that may look like a bus station, it is not there.
Secondly, all references to the bus routes are by number, (on both the bus companies web site and the timetables and bus stops) but the buses only have their destinations prominently showing, if you are aiming to go somewhere in-between the two end points and do not know the island, you will need a map. NOTE - anyone who lives in Ibiza will argue until death that there are no bus/route numbers at all. - To be fair, new buses have digital displays showing destination and route number.
Thirdly, Buses do not run every so many minutes, they may run at 00, 15 and 30 minutes each hour, missing the 45 past every hour, and then any particular hour completely. Returns for a few hours out TO Ibiza town are generally easy from anywhere on the Island, but from Ibiza town, and you may be stuck for a couple of hours longer than you would have wished. Read the time tables carefully. (and then possibly ignore them.)
Finally every bus I have been on has tickets and change available on boarding. I have seen passengers pay on the bus every time I have travelled, but should I fail to buy a ticket at the ticket office (if I can find it and it is open) I am refused entry. Don't let this upset you - I know it is totally random and unnecessary, but if you can, buy a return ticket at you departure point (it is no cheaper than two singles) and save the stress.
The good news is, that the beach bus The Number 11, is possibly the most reliable, and welcomes on board payers (1.30 Euros cash) extra busses are laid on for the last run of the day, for the excess in passengers leaving at the beach at the same time.
All buses run from/to Avenida Isodor Macavich, services include:
• 3 San Antonio (Amnesia/Privilege
• 8 San Antonio (The long way around...)
• 10 Airport
• 11 Ses Salines (Gay Beach)
• 14 Playa De'n Bossa (Space)
• 15 Cala Llonga (Beach)
• 26 Cala Vadella (Beach)
• 31 Ibiza Town Circular (Pasha/Talamancha/Botafoch)
• 43 Cas Serres (Hospital)
• 45 Dalt Vila circular (Navila)
Click on the links above for the bus companies own website, it provides detailed information. (It is also more likely to be up to date.)
If you miss the last bus back from the beach, hang around the car park and ask for a lift from anyone who appears to be heading back to town, or call a cab from the shop near the car park.
Note new water bus to gay beach - info below.
WATER BUS
To get between Talamanca and Ibiza Town (or between the harbour quay and the marina at Botafoch, and El Divino), there is a water bus, operating throughout the day and late into the evening. At around €1.5 this is a much cheaper alternative to taking a taxi.
Scheduled services also run from the harbour to other beaches around the island, pop down to the harbour for the current times and destinations. The boats are often cheaper than a taxi.
Botafoch lighthouse is a great spot to explore at least once during your holiday (you can get some great pics of Ibiza Town from here), and perfect for night trips to some of the restaurants at Botafoch, all of which stay open very late into the morning. Bolero is worth the trip at least once during your holiday, or you can enjoy a meal at El Divino restaurant, looking across the harbour to Ibiza Town.
Taking the boat back to Ibiza Town from Botafoch, after overdoing the food and wine, in a choppy little boat (even within the enclosed harbour area), in relative darkness, is a magnificent experience, worthy of the dangerous sports club as you try to balance legs, camera, and stomach simultaneously.
 Excursion boats (glass bottomed) leave Figueretes bay during the summer season, and mid to high season, water buses also run between Figueretes and Ibiza harbour. Check the waterfront boards when you are wandering around the sea front/harbour for more information - it is not an exact science so there is no point in displaying 'best guess' information here.
Pelle from Sweden reports that 'there is now a speed boat service from the small pier at Figueretes Beach (the same one that the glass bottom boat uses) to the gay beach at Es Cavallet. It runs between 10 am and 8 pm and costs 6 Euros one way. Its very fast, especially in calm weather but prepare to get a bit wet, partly because of splashes during the trip but also because there is no jetty at Es Cavallet. However, it only takes 10-12 people so be quick if your taking the last boat home, it gets full. The timetable is a bit confusing since the guy and woman who run it seem not to really have one, so it is advised to ask. They did tell me though that for next summer they would be adding a second boat for more frequent trips. You can buy tickets in the beach bar or just pay the man in cash.'
EXCURSIONS
No matter how naff it appears, day excursions with a group of friends can be great fun, and a great way to get about without having to drive.
For some reason, the 'gay run excursions' tend to be boat hires, taking you around the bend to the gay beach - as if you had never been...
If you fancy seeing more of the island, and can't (or don't want to) drive, pop into any travel agents, or into any hotel with a holiday company notice board. The rep will be happy to sell you a seat on an excursion. Or, just trap off with those who don't drink. They are bound to have a car.
I haven't forgotten the Island of Formentera, it is by all accounts a great day out, (I am saving it for the day I feel the need for a change). Judging by the state of those who come back, don't forget a hat, or your suntan lotion....
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