Ibiza’s food culture runs from working fish markets to beach chiringuitos to some of the most inventive small restaurants on the island, often within the same afternoon. This route strings together a market breakfast in the old town, a beachfront lunch at the salt flats, and a slow village dinner in Santa Gertrudis, the inland village that has quietly become the island’s most concentrated stretch of good restaurants. It covers most of the island’s width by the end of the day, so it rewards an early start more than most guides in this series.
Getting there and parking
The day runs south to north: Ibiza Town first, then Ses Salines just south of it, then Santa Gertrudis roughly in the island’s centre, about twenty five minutes’ drive away. A car makes the whole loop easy; without one, taxis between each stop are straightforward but add up over a full day, so factor that into your budget if you’re not driving. Ibiza Town has metered blue-zone parking near the port and a handful of free unmarked spots further from the centre; Ses Salines has a beach car park that fills early in peak season, so arrive by late morning if you’re combining it with lunch; Santa Gertrudis is small enough that a spot on the village’s edge and a short walk in is usually the quickest option once evening traffic picks up.
Morning: Mercat Vell and breakfast in the old town
Start at Mercat Vell, the old market in the heart of Ibiza Town, a circular early twentieth century building with a central dome that still functions as a working fish, produce and bakery market rather than a tourist stop. Mornings are the time to see it properly, with stalls at their fullest and the town itself still quiet before the day’s cruise-ship and day-trip crowds arrive. Pick up pastries or fruit to eat on the move, or find a nearby café for something more substantial before the day gets going; either way, it’s a useful, unhurried way to see a side of Ibiza Town that most visitors walk straight past on their way up to Dalt Vila.
Midday: lunch at Ses Salines
Drive fifteen minutes south to Ses Salines, the beach backed by the island’s protected salt flats and one of the most naturally beautiful stretches of coast on Ibiza. Sa Trinxa, right on the sand, has been one of the island’s best loved beach bars for decades: relaxed, unpretentious, and known for grilled fish, prawns and salads eaten with your feet more or less in the water. It’s not a budget stop, but it’s the kind of place regulars build entire holidays around, and it’s worth treating as the meal to slow down for rather than rushing through between beach stops. Book ahead if you can, especially at weekends; if it’s full, the beach has other chiringuitos along its length that keep a similar spirit, just with a little less history behind them.
Afternoon: a food crawl through Santa Gertrudis
By late afternoon head inland to Santa Gertrudis, a whitewashed village built around a single church square that has more good kitchens per square metre than almost anywhere else on the island. This is the stop for grazing rather than a sit-down meal: Bar Costa, hung with hams and old photographs, is the village institution for bocadillos and tapas at village prices, and Gertrudis Bagel House is worth a stop for coffee and something sweet even if you’re saving your appetite for dinner later. Wander the square, browse the small boutiques and galleries around it, and let the afternoon run slower than the rest of the day; this is the one stop on the route with nowhere in particular you need to be.
Evening: dinner in the village
Stay in Santa Gertrudis for dinner rather than driving on. Finca La Plaza is the village’s best known fine dining room, built around Mediterranean cooking with locally sourced produce in a traditional Ibizan finca, and a good choice if you want to end the day somewhere that feels like an occasion. For something looser and more inventive, The Overall pairs smoked meats and fish with Asian influences and offers a tasting menu for anyone who’d rather let the kitchen decide. Either way, book ahead: the village is small, the good tables are limited, and Santa Gertrudis fills up quickly on summer evenings, often earlier than visitors used to bigger towns expect. If you’d rather not drive after a long lunch and dinner, Santa Gertrudis has taxis, but they can take a while to arrive on a busy night, so it’s worth asking your restaurant to call one before you’re actually ready to leave.