Any advice for cruising Ibiza in a 10.5m boat?

Petem if you are not tied by school holidays and can avoid July and August you are very lucky. The marinas all reprice for these months, the ones in Ibiza Town by 4x but it's almost irrelevant as trying to secure a berth is just so painful if not impossible. You'll have a little more chance in San Antonio or Santa Eulalia, the latter can be booked in advance but only for a 5 day minimum, paid in advance (this year I paid €170 for 15m) .

Outside of July/August it's totally different, more sensibly priced and availability in most places even on the day. Last 2 weeks of June or first 2 weeks of Sep would be ideal, obviously warmer seas in Sep.

I much prefer Santa Eulalia to San Antonio. The former has a large selection of restaurants and services in the port, the town is very nice and some great restaurants and beach clubs are a short cab/cruise away. There are some great anchorages on the East coast but the swell is often from the East and they can become a little uncomfortable. Formentera is only 12m away and the anchorages on the N coast about 17m. Be aware visitors are often put on the floating dock opposite the fuel station, it's technically outside of the main marina and it's a very long walk to the other side, the buggy/rib service is a bit unreliable, there is however a nice toilet/shower block v close-by.
San Antonio is a nice marina with a good restaurant. Once you step outside the town is hideous. The sunset is amazing from one of the bars on the strip but that's it. It is however a good base, for the western and northerly anchorages some of which are spectacular, the run to Formentera is 17m . There are buoys available in the bay and they are run/booked by the marina, that bay can be choppy in any westerly. There are no pools in any of the Ibiza marinas.

There are about 5 different berthing options in Ibiza Town. The main 3 are Club Nautico, Marina Ibiza and Botafoch. I would avoid the first, it's the cheapest but you'll be on the very outside floating pontoon completely exposed to the significant ferry wash, the facilities are basic. Marina Ibiza is nice, although v expensive and you will be in the northerly part which can be a fair walk, albeit the buggy service is good - some of the visitors berths are also exposed to the ferry wash so I'll be careful on situ before paying. Botafoch is probably the best option, lots of restaurant choices in the marina as well as in the main Town which is serviced by a small water taxi.

There are 3 anchorages with permanent bouys all bookable in advance. I use them a lot, sometimes just to tie up during the day and not having to worry about the anchor whilst at lunch. Espalmador is stunning but the wash from ferries and other traffic can be annoying. The other 2 are also nice but a little exposed so check the swell direction before you book, in June or Sep you'll be fine 24 hours in advance.

The pilot books are great and it's worth doing your homework, there are a quite a few rocks that are semi submerged, La Barqueta and and the one to the NW of Es Vedra seem to take a boat down most seasons.

If you want any other info nearer the time please ask.
 
Although San Antonio has access to the beaches of the West coast of Ibiza it wouldn’t be my choice of marina. San Antonio itself is pretty much the worst aspect of Ibiza and it’s not somewhere I’d want to be based for a week’s visit to this wonderful island.
My advice would be to book now a stay for five or six nights in Santa Eulalia and spent one or two nights at anchor at the beginning or end of your trip over on Formentera.
Santa Eulalia Marina is a five minute walk to the town where you have a vast variety of restaurants and shops and it’s a really pleasant place so there’s more than enough to do during the non-boating hours.
You also have a short trip to some of the beautiful calas in the North of Ibiza ( Cala Xarracca, Portinaxt, Benirras) as well as an easy run over to Formentera. If you try now you might even get a berth in the marina on Formentera if it’s just for a night or two, although it isn’t cheap.

Agreed
I'm not sure I would want to intentionally spend a week in San An but, as you say, Santa Eulalia is nice.
Last year, I vowed I would never go into San Antonio ever again after the way that they treated us with their booking system.
But, I expect we might get caught out sometime and have to go in there.
Last year (during August) I knew that bad weather was on the way and decided to stay in Ibiza on the basis that San Antonio would be able to put us on their buoys if there wasn't room in the marina.
Their procedure is that you telephone at 09:00am on the day you want and you go on a waiting list.
They will phone you later with your booking.
So in the days leading up to the bad weather, I tested the system by phoning them at 09:00.
Guess what no phone call back.
On the actual day that I wanted, I phoned and suddenly, they had decided that they don't allow motor boats on the buoys.
That really let us down - and I started to feel very vulnerable.
This is a particularly bad practice considering that anchoring within the harbour is now not allowed - you HAVE to pick up a buoy - and as soon as there is a chance of bad weather, they change their policy.
Real ?hit practice IMO.
When that bad weather actually came through last year, there were 50 knot winds, huge electrical storms and biblical rain.
Like hundreds of others, we sheltered on the south west side of Ibiza.
That storm was responsible for 6 boats going on the rocks in Sayona and washing 3 beach restaurants close to us out to sea.

So, with Ibiza, I suggest very careful planning.
About 4 weeks ago, we decided that running for cover to Denia was the better option.
That was when 10 people lost their lives on Mallorca.
 
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We cruised to Ibiza a few times when we were based in Denia and then Palma. I dont want to repeat what other very knowledgeable forumites have already said other than to add the following

IMHO June is the perfect month to cruise the Balearics including Ibiza because the weather is usually very settled by then, the water has warmed up but its still relatively quiet so if you can delay your cruise by a couple of weeks it would be better. We found the Balearics still busy in Sept so I think you'd have to go at the end of Sept to avoid some of the crowds

Our favourite marina in Ibiza was St Eulalia. We also had difficulty booking ahead but just pitching up on the waiting quay mid afternoon usually elicited a space. There is also a marina on Formentera which is nicely located and which we found easier to get into. Personally I would avoid the marinas in Ibiza Town and San Antonio

I think expecting to stay in marinas 5 nights out of 6 without having pre-booked might be unrealistic even with a 10.5m boat so you should at least be prepared to spend more than just 1 night at anchor
 
Which I have to say is an amazing system if you are sub 15m.

The annoying thing is that the marinas will take you if longer and if you ask, but cant take a booking, and if you don't book they are full!
 
Thanks all for the informative comments. I have the 'advantage' of not minding San Antonio (we had land based holidays there in 2016 and 2017 - albeit at the south of the bay) so I think we'll try and book Port IB berths there for a few nights and then see if we can add extra nights in Santa Eulalia, Ibiza town and Formentor. It would be nice to book a buoy as well to complete the experience.

Early June sounds perfect if it's settled, not too busy and not too hot. I might even dip my toe in the drink if it looks nice :).
 
There are a few - Es Torrent , a couple of the restaurants in Cala Jondal and one of the restaurants in Salinas ( but not sure if it still does as we haven’t been for a while)
Over on Formentera you have a bigger choice - Tanga, El Tiburon, Beso Beach, Es Moli, Juan y Andrea, The hotel at Cala Saona and Es Calo all have Zodiacs to pick you up.
 
There was a RIB running round Cala Bassa
He appeared to be running a taxi service but it might have been for private use.
Restaurants are a bit exclusive.
Nice and close to San Antonio though - would be a good day out - meal ashore and back to the marina for the night - if that is the kind of thing you are looking for.

Cala Bassa
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The Beach
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There is a small quay next to the white arch on the right in this pic.
IIRC, thats where the RIB was located.
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@Illetas - thanks, looks good, will look further into each of them. If I know the beaches then I can normally get a more info from Google Earth and Trip Advisor.

@Hurricane - thanks, looks like Cala Bassa does indeed have a restaurant pick-up service. And yes, tragic as it might seem, this does appeal to me! As you say, would be a short cruise from San Antonio.

@jurudge - thanks, prices do seem to vary and seem to start at €12 for a main course. Some of the restaurants have snack bars too. Rest assure we won't be renting beds nor will we be guzzling champagne.

A couple fo questions, are there genrally buoys or is it anchoring? Do they charge for a boat pick-up?

Also, is it worth investing £55 in Tula's guide (I've only got the Imray one)?
 
Whilst on the subject of Balearic beach bars.
The authorities have ruined Es Trenc (Rapita) in Mallorca - there used to be two great beach bars there that have been closed down.
It was a great atmosphere with good, well priced, beach food.
I will now think twice before heading to the Trenc.

This is what it used to be like.

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Sorry for the thread drift - rant over.
 
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@Hurricane - thanks, looks like Cala Bassa does indeed have a restaurant pick-up service. And yes, tragic as it might seem, this does appeal to me! As you say, would be a short cruise from San Antonio.

I forgot to say that Cala Bassa is a bit deeper than most anchorages - we were in about 12m water in the pic.
It is also a bit more difficult to find a sandy spot - so you might get chased off by the weed police.
That said, the beach bars do want their punters to turn up.
 
@Illetas - thanks, looks good, will look further into each of them. If I know the beaches then I can normally get a more info from Google Earth and Trip Advisor.

@Hurricane - thanks, looks like Cala Bassa does indeed have a restaurant pick-up service. And yes, tragic as it might seem, this does appeal to me! As you say, would be a short cruise from San Antonio.

@jurudge - thanks, prices do seem to vary and seem to start at €12 for a main course. Some of the restaurants have snack bars too. Rest assure we won't be renting beds nor will we be guzzling champagne.

A couple fo questions, are there genrally buoys or is it anchoring? Do they charge for a boat pick-up?

Also, is it worth investing £55 in Tula's guide (I've only got the Imray one)?

The pick up is free. There are bouys but these are the Poseidon project ones. If you don’t book you can only grab post 6pm check in time. Anchoring is fine most of the time but if weather is poor everyone want a bouy! The problem with Ibiza is in poor weather there is nowhere To go.

It is worth buying a Honda gen. you might just run some ac
 
That's quite deep when you've only got 45m of chain!

I've just loaded the Tula Charts to check
See this image:-

CalaBassa.jpg


The red lines are JW's track so you can see the 12m (that I stated from memory) was about right.
But it does seem to be a little shallower nearer the beach - just outside the swim buoys.

I've just remembered that whilst we were there an old Sealine in front of us was getting a bit close.
When we looked again, we saw that he had "tied up to our anchor trip"!!!
We were furious - he just seemed to shrug it off - Spanish boaters!!!
But that might be an indication of the depth but he didn't seem to have an anchor at all!!
 
I've just remembered that whilst we were there an old Sealine in front of us was getting a bit close.
When we looked again, we saw that he had "tied up to our anchor trip"!!!
We were furious - he just seemed to shrug it off - Spanish boaters!!!
But that might be an indication of the depth but he didn't seem to have an anchor at all!!

Hurricane, you need to invest in some midnight spares from the local yacht club. Something like this will do
Naval_co_bridger_yacht_signal_cannon.jpg
 
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