A large coach transported the passengers and the bike directly on to the Palma to Ibiza ferry. Transmediterranea – the ferry company – didn’t seem to have a clear process for storing bicycles or dealing with them – so I left the bike against the wall on the lower deck of the ferry with the trucks and hoped it would still be there when we docked.
Sitting outside on the sunny 4 hour crossing of the Balearic Sea to Ibiza, at the front of the vessel below the bridge, the island slowly came in to view during roughly the halfway point of the calm journey. As we approached from the north east it was shrouded in cloud and the island looked very green. From afar there wasn’t much sign of settlement on the east side of the island where I was intending to camp.
The vehicle deck access door that I had entered the lounge area from initially when I boarded remained locked when I returned when the ferry docked. At reception I was advised to wait for the announcement because it would eventually open – it didn’t. After following some seemingly equally confused Spanish HGV drivers to the HGV deck through the maze of the noisy ferry, I discovered the area I’d left the bike was closed off by means of a very large metal gate. Eventually one of the crew provided access to the area where I’d left my bike and relieved to escape from the ferry and the port area, I cycled out of Ibiza Town towards the more tranquil Cala Nova.
The buildings I saw on the way there were mostly painted white and fairly stylish looking. Curved rectangular buildings seemed to be a common theme giving them a soft edge. Something struck me about the graphic design style often used by the shops, hotels and restaurants – a bit like in Koh Lanta in Thailand, it tended to use the vernacular style.
Cala Nova and the campsite had a pleasant atmosphere and people were doing some impressive yoga, some were playing musical instruments, and I was surprised to find the beach adjacent to the campsite had a lot of surf. In the evenings the rhythmic noise of distant bongos competed with the birdsong and the sound of the waves. The bars and restaurants nearby had style whilst being unpretentious and not generic feeling and the food was some of the best yet in Spain.
Getting to San Antonio involved a 3 mile early morning walk to Santa Eulàlia and then a 30 minute bus ride – I was intrigued to see that part of the island too. As anticipated it was far more built up than the area that I was staying and it was probably a different experience during the day than at night time.
Luckily the sun came out in the afternoon when I took the opportunity to walk to the beautiful neighbouring beach of Cala Llenya which was very nice and had a laid back atmosphere too.
The following day, before catching the ferry to Valencia, I had a look round the walled old town area of Ibiza Town which was very picturesque and set on a hill.
Distance: 13 miles
Maximum temperature: 28 degrees C
Approaching Ibiza by sea
Ibiza Town
Cala Nova, Ibiza
Es Canar, Ibiza
Cala Llenya, Ibiza
Cala Llenya, Ibiza
Ibiza Town
Ibiza Town
Ibiza Town
