Ibiza Town Cruise Port

Ibiza Town, Ibiza

Ibiza Town, known in the local Catalan language as Vila d’Eivissa is the capital city of the island of Ibiza in Mediterranean Sea that is also home to the islands only cruise port.

As one of the most popular holiday islands in Europe, the island is quickly becoming a go to cruise port for many lines and a popular choice for cruisers sailing in the region.

The city is well away from the all-action resorts that many associate the island with, so if you have always been put off visiting somewhere such as Ibiza, this guide may help to change your mind as there is so much more on offer in the island than bars, beaches and night clubs, including in its historic capital city.

Cruises To Ibiza Town

Our Visit

We were fortunate enough to visit the city in October 2023 onboard the Norwegian Prima cruise where we were on a repositioning route between Southampton and Barcelona.

The cruise terminal in Ibiza Town is quite some way from the old town of Ibiza but we had planned to make the long walk around the harbour as the shuttle buses were E20 each for me and my wife.

They only took you to the edge of shopping area, which is only around a 5-minute drive away.

Upon doing some research, we found that you can do a boat ride from next to the cruise port, to the heart of the town for just E7, so not only did we have a pleasant boat ride with great vies of the town, but we saved money and had less walking to do to get to the fortress that dominates the town. To get to it, you walk through some narrow streets full of bars, cafes and shops until you get to a large ramp up through the city walls.

You then walk up more narrow and winding streets until you reach some steps that takes you to the top of the fortress.

With it been 30+ degrees for our visit, it was some effort to make the trek up the hill, but it was well worth it to get the great views you get from up there and thankfully it is also an interesting walk around the streets of the old town and the fortress hill.

Once back down at the bottom of the hill, you arrive in the town centre where we grabbed a drink, enjoyed a rest in the main high street and then walked back around the harbour to where we pick up our shuttle boat back to the cruise dock.

We didn’t arrive in the city until the afternoon, so that left us with a late departure for Ibiza and that gave us time to sit out on deck and watch the sun go down before setting sail.

Ibiza Town Cruise Guide

This cruise guide is based on our own personal experience of visiting the port of Ibiza Town on a cruise ship and also on the research that we did before visiting there.

If you have already booked a cruise holiday in the Western Mediterranean that includes a stop in the port, this guide should help you to make the most of your time on shore.

If you are still researching your next getaway and are trying to decide on whether a stop in Ibiza is right for you or, not this guide should give you all of the information that you need.

Type of Cruises Available

As a port of call, you cannot start or end you cruise in the city but there are still quite a few options available to you.

Firstly, you can do a round-trip itinerary from the UK that calls in Ibiza as part of a trip to the Western med and back.

Another option is to do a journey similar to the one that we did where you reposition between the UK and a port in the Med.

That allows you to spend more time in a great city such as Palma, Barcelona, Valletta or Civitavecchia for Rome and have one less flight.

Another option is to choose a fly cruise, where you fly from the UK to a cruise port in the region to spend more time sailing around the Med and the Balearic Islands.

Ibiza Town Cruise Port Location

The cruise terminal in the city is located on the far eastern side of the harbour Ibiza Town is built around but sadly the bulk of attractions and the old town is located on the western side of the harbour.

It is around a 3km or 45-minute walk to the start of the old town from the cruise terminal and about an hour walk from the old town walls and fortress.

Norwegian Cruise Line did offer an incredibly expensive shuttle service but the best option was to take a harbour ferry boat from next to where you dock, across the harbour to the old town.

Ibiza Town Cruise Facilities

The cruise port in the city is also a ferry terminal, so despite not been a turnaround port, there are plenty of services including gift shops, a tourist information desk, vending machines, an ATM and toilets.

Ibiza Town Attractions

One of the best parts of Ibiza Town for us is what we called the Old Town but that is actually called the Dalt Vila.

It is the historic part of the city that features small, winding cobbled streets that are full of shops, bars and cafes all with apartments above them in the traditional Catalan style.

It is a walk through the old town that also gives you access the cities fortress that dominates the entrance into the harbour.

The Castell de Eivissa strategic position now gives visitors incredible views along the coast, out into the Med and also across the harbour back to your cruise ship.

The harbour is home to numerous ferries which are fascinating to watch them load up and sail back and forth to the rest of the Balearic Islands and back to the mainland, whilst there are also luxury yachts to look at.

The cities cathedral is also in the old town and offers a peaceful place to get away from the buzz of the city.

Ibiza Town Shorex

There are a few shore excursions that are offered by most lines when visiting Ibiza Town including several guided tours around the city itself.

The island is known for its vineyards and cruisers can head off to explore a nearby vineyard, including trying some of the local produce.

If you want to head out and see more of the island, most lines will offer island tours either on coaches or small group ones on a minibus but to see the best of the natural beauty of Ibiza, you will likely need to head off on a 4×4 tour.

Best Time To Visit Ibiza Town

Ibiza Town can be visited all year around and it offers sun and warm weather 12 months of the year, so anytime is a good time to visit.

In the winter months, the seas can be rough, and storms do hit the island, so unless you are wanting some winter sun, we would recommend visiting during the main cruising season between May and October.

With that said, the island as a whole can get too crowded during the school holidays and especially during the height of summer when millions head there from across the world.

So, with all of that in mind, we would recommend visiting between May to early July or in either September or October to make the most of the sun and blue skies whilst having the best chance of avoiding crowds and potential rough seas.

Transport

Whilst there are some local services in the city, they are mostly to get people from the town centre to housing areas.

From the port terminal, we would recommend taking the local ferry boat across the old town but if you are on a line that offers shuttle buses, that is also an option.

Outside of the cruise terminal, there are some taxis.

Ibiza Town Cruises From UK

If you want to cruise to Ibiza from the UK, you can do with numerous lines offering itineraries all year around.

Ibiza Town Cruises From Southampton

The port of Southampton offers the widest range of options when it comes to itineraries, ships and lines sailing between England and Ibiza.