© T.Humpage
© A.Johnston
A Guide to Marinas & Moorings in Ibiza
The sailing community in Ibiza is fairly substantial, so it's only right that there should be plenty of marinas for all shapes and sizes of boats. There are berths available for your small fishing boats, right up to the growing sector of the superyacht category. So berth your boat in Ibiza and put on your dancing shoes, for you have arrived in the sparkling playground of super-yachts and super-clubs.
An Ibiza marina in July or August is the kind of place that you’re most likely to see celebrities like Rihanna swanning about on their superyachts. Of course, those in the know realise that even global superstars like Rihanna can’t really afford to own one of the really big boats, and have to settle for chartering them for a week or two. After all, yachts such as this one that Rihanna has chartered in the past are worth about 30 million euro to buy, with a yearly maintenance bill of between 3 and 6 million. Well, we can all dream, can’t we?
Ibiza Town is where the main super-yacht sized marinas are based. The party town of San Antonio in the west is more of a mooring for charter boats and smaller vessels, and the quieter town of Santa Eulalia in the east is certainly more of a family destination. But the real glitz and glamour is based around the Ibiza Magna, Marina Ibiza and Marina Botafoch - all in Ibiza Town itself.
Known across the globe as one of the most expensive marinas in the world, Ibiza Magna is located minutes away from the beautiful Dalt Vila and infamous nightclub Pacha. The Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s yacht has been seen out at anchor here, along with arguably the most famous yacht in the world, Eclipse, which is owned by Roman Abramovich.
In Ibiza, these superyacht owners host their own parties and mingle with the likes of Jade Jagger, Paris Hilton and Valentino Rossi who either own or regularly rent villas on the island.
Availability
Ibiza an exceedingly popular yachting destination, and berth rates on this glamorous island certainly aren’t cheap. You’ll sometimes come up against the spending power of superyachts for a berth, meaning that you should definitely book ahead in the summer months. The marinas are generally a lot quieter and cheaper in the shoulder seasons and winter months.
Ecological Buoys Ibiza
In order to protect the marine environment against damage caused by anchors the Balearic Government has placed 400 buoys in areas of particular marine interest to regulate recreational mooring, between June and September. The main aim is to preserve the underwater Posidonia oceania meadows (sea grass) which has been included in the List of Wild Species in Special Protection Regime.
Anchoring, under strictly regulated use of the buoys, can only be requested online (up to 2-20 days in advance for a maximum of 2 nights per week) and are granted by the Ministry of Environment. There is a small fee for the use of these buoys. There are a total of 400 buoys across the four islands (Mallorca, Menora, Ibiza & Formentera), 116 of which are in three regions of Ibiza – 39 in ses Salinas, 26 in Calo de s’Oli and 51 in s’Espalmador.
Small Ports Ibiza
In addition to the main ports and marinas, mentioned above, one of the real pleasures of yacht charter is navigating its waters and exploring the coastline of the island. Finding a secluded bay or small port to anchor up for the night is a real treat and part of you yachting experience. Luckily in Ibiza anchoring can be done in many of the small ports along the coastline and most offer a security spot for the night, safe from winds or storm.
Starting your journey from San Antonio you will pass many natural sea ports such as Cala Salada, Cala Portitxol, and then on to Port de Sant Miquel in the north of the island, sailing eastward you’ll find Benirràs, Cala des Porcs, Portinatx, Cala Sant Vicent, (passing Santa Eulalia), Cala Llonga (passing Ibiza), Purroig, Cala Vedella, and finally Port des Torrent just to the west of San Antonio. At these natural harbors, and others (Cala Martina , Talamanca, Figueretes, etc.) you will find piers. The main warning for anchoring to keep away from Posidonia oceania meadows, as mentioned above. The meadows of this plant, not algae, are primarily responsible for cleaning the waters of Ibiza, so as you can imagine they are considered a very important part of the islands ecology.
Ibiza has a great range of marinas and moorings for boats of all sizes, from the little dinghy to Rihanna’s (rented) superyacht. We do recommend booking as far in advance as possible in this incredibly atmospheric and exciting part of the world.
See all our Ibiza marina listings.
