Places

The slow guide to Santa Gertrudis

Santa Gertrudis village, Ibiza

Santa Gertrudis is a small village in the middle of Ibiza, a world away from the island’s party scene. People come for the food, the shops and the slow afternoons. There’s cosy cafés and terraced restaurants under the trees, and boutiques down the side streets. It's a good base too, with both coasts and most of the island's beaches a short drive away.

This is a where-to-eat-drink-shop-and-stay guide, with our favorite beaches throw in too.

Where to eat

Macao Café

The village's classic Italian, family-run for years, with homemade pasta, wood-fired pizza and a nice terrace under the trees.

Bar Costa

The old ham bar on the square, an Ibiza institution. Come for a jamón sandwich and a glass of wine under the hanging hams, with art all over the walls. A proper local spot.

Can Mimosa

A 200-year-old farmhouse just off the square, doing relaxed Mediterranean food with vegetables from its own garden. Lovely garden terrace, warm and family-run, good with kids.

Bottega Il Buco

The Ibiza outpost of the New York restaurant, known for its focaccia, seasonal sharing plates and natural wine. Smart and always busy.

Finca La Plaza

A garden restaurant just off the square, good for a nicer dinner out, with a pretty terrace and Mediterranean food.

Wild Beets

The healthy one: raw, vegan and vegetarian food made with organic local produce, open all day. Good for a lighter lunch.

Coffee, sweets and a drink

Musset

On the main square, good for breakfast or brunch with a sunny terrace for watching the village go by.

Gertrudis Bagel House

New York-style bagels and good specialty coffee on the pedestrian street. The brunch spot.

SOMM

A wine shop behind Wild Beets with a great selection and tastings, for a special bottle or a glass. And for an evening drink, just grab a terrace on the square.

Where to shop

La Galería Elefante

A finca just outside the village packed with clothes, homeware and vintage finds, with a little yoga studio out back. A Santa G institution.

Le petit Atelier nº74

The Numéro 74 shop, full of soft textiles, homeware and bits for the home and kids.

Beatrice San Francisco

A women's clothing and accessories shop with an easy, sunny feel.

Wanderlust Ibiza

A boho fashion and lifestyle shop for clothes, jewellery and gifts.

The beaches

There's no beach in Santa Gertrudis, but you're central, so plenty are fifteen to twenty-five minutes away on either coast.

Benirràs

The famous one for sunset, on the north coast, with drummers on Sunday evenings and a big rock out in the bay. About twenty minutes.

Aguas Blancas

A long sandy beach under the cliffs on the east coast, with a simple chiringuito at each end. About twenty minutes.

Cala Salada

A pretty golden cove on the west coast near San Antonio, good for a swim and a sunset. Parking is hard in summer, so go early.

Cala Llenya

An easy, sandy family beach on the east coast near Santa Eulària, with calm water and somewhere to eat. Cala Nova next door is similar.

Where to stay

Soho Farmhouse Ibiza

The old Cas Gasi agroturismo just outside the village is now Soho Farmhouse Ibiza, the Soho House members' club, set in a nine-acre olive grove with rooms, two pools, a restaurant and a spa.

Gatzara Suites

Design-led rooms with a rooftop pool right in the village, so you can walk to everything.

Can Marquet

A rural finca hotel in the pines a short drive away, traditional but comfortable, good if you want quiet.

A little taste of village life

The village itself is the sightseeing. If you're here on a Friday night in summer there's a small craft market on the square with live music. Otherwise just wander, shop, and sit under the trees with a coffee or a vermut. It's also a great base for driving north into the countryside around Santa Agnès and Sant Miquel.

Santa Gertrudis is one of our favorite villages in Ibiza. Life slows down with a long lunch on the square, an afternoon in the shops, and a short drive to the beach when you feel like it.

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