Unusual Things to Do in Ibiza
Most visitors leave Ibiza with a tan and a playlist. The experiences we would send a friend to try ask for a little more time, and winter suits them best: a liqueur that rests for three months, a balloon that waits for the right wind, horses that were rescued long before they carried anyone. These are four unusual things to do in Ibiza between November and March, when the island slows down and has time for you.
Make your own hierbas with an Ibicencan family
Every farmhouse on the island once had its own recipe for hierbas, the herbal liqueur that closes almost every long lunch here. Hierbas ibicencas has been a protected geographical indication since 1996, yet the family recipes never disappeared. In Jesús, a few minutes from Santa Eulària, Joan Tur Planells still follows the one his mother, Catalina, taught him, and holds the Consell d’Eivissa’s craftsman’s licence as a liqueur maker.
His workshops at Fluxà Ibiza begin in the garden, gathering up to eighteen plants, among them thyme, rosemary and fennel. Indoors, they meet the anise, and the bottle you fill goes home with you. It needs three months to rest, so the first glass is poured in spring. Places are limited; book directly with Joan.
Watch the sun rise from a hot-air balloon
The island’s only balloon operator, Ibiza en Globo, lifts off from Sant Rafel just before dawn, while the air is still. For the next 45 minutes to an hour the island opens out below the basket, and depending on the wind you may drift towards Dalt Vila, the salt flats or the wooded hills of the interior. The flight ends with cava and breakfast.
Seats cost around 250 € per person, and private baskets can be arranged. The balloon flies only when the wind allows, so keep a second morning free in case the first is moved.
Ride horses that were given a second chance
In the valley of Es Murta, near Sant Joan, Ibiza Horse Valley cares for horses rescued from neglect and takes small groups out on the mountain trails of the north. It is a non-profit, and every ride helps keep the sanctuary going.
Paddle Es Figueral on a Sunday morning
From November to April, Kayak Ibiza runs community paddles from Es Figueral every Sunday, from 10.30 to 13.30. In summer this stretch of the north-east coast belongs to sunloungers; in winter you may have it almost to yourself. The sea is often warmer than the air at this time of year, and the morning light on the cliffs is worth the early start. If you would rather stay on land, our autumn walking routes cover every municipality, Sant Joan and Santa Eulària included.
A Different Island in Winter
None of these appears on a summer itinerary, and that is rather the point. Winter is when we show the island to clients who are thinking of living here: the light, the silence of the valleys, the warmth a stone wall gives back at the end of the day. If the farmhouses behind these landscapes catch your eye, our article on the traditional Ibiza finca is a good place to start, and our current selection of homes shows what is on the market now.
As a family business founded in 1983, we know not only the Ibiza property market but the nuances of living here all year round.
FAQ
What unusual things can you do in Ibiza in winter? Make your own hierbas with a local family, watch the sunrise from a hot-air balloon, ride with rescued horses in the north or join a Sunday kayak paddle from Es Figueral. All four run between November and March.
Can you take a hot-air balloon flight in Ibiza in winter? Yes. Ibiza en Globo flies all year from Sant Rafel at dawn, weather permitting. Flights cancelled for wind are moved to another day.
What are hierbas ibicencas? A herbal liqueur made with anise and local plants such as thyme, rosemary and fennel, protected as a geographical indication of Ibiza and Formentera since 1996.