Guide · 10 min read
Ibiza Without a Car: The Complete Bus & Slow-Travel Guide
Can you do an Ibiza camping holiday without a car? Yes — here's exactly how: the bus lines that reach the campsites and beaches, a 5-day car-free itinerary, and what it costs.
By the IbizaCamping team · Updated 16 August 2026 · How we research
Ibiza has a reputation as a you-need-a-car island, and for the wild northern coves that’s half true. But for a camping holiday — the version of Ibiza this site is about — a car is genuinely optional. The island’s bus network is better than its reputation: 60+ lines, a direct airport route to the east-coast campsites, night buses, and a summer Discobus. If you’re happy to let the timetable set the pace (which, honestly, is what a relaxed holiday means), here is how to do Ibiza without wheels.
The good news first: the campsites are on bus routes
This is the fact that makes a car-free camping trip possible. Three of the island’s five campsites sit on bus line 24, which runs from the airport through Ibiza Town, Santa Eulària, Es Canar and Cala Nova:
| Campsite | Bus line | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Camping Cala Nova | L24 stops at the beach | The most transit-friendly campsite on the island |
| Camping La Playa | L24 / L18 to Es Canar | 5–10 min walk from the Es Canar stops |
| Camping Es Caná | L24 / L18 to Es Canar | ~10 min walk from the stops |
| Parco Ibiza | L3 / L8 (Sant Antoni station) | Glamping resort ~10 min walk from the bus station |
| Camping Cala Bassa | L7 from Sant Antoni (summer) | The only west-coast campsite with a bus — though carrying camping gear on L7 is a squeeze; a taxi from Sant Antoni is the comfortable fallback |
So the strategy writes itself: base yourself on the east coast or in Sant Antoni, and do everything else by bus, boat and foot.
The bus network you’ll actually use
- L10 — airport ↔ Ibiza Town (frequent, all year).
- L24 — airport ↔ Santa Eulària ↔ Es Canar ↔ Cala Nova. The campsite line.
- L13 — Ibiza Town ↔ Santa Eulària (every ~30 min in summer).
- L3 / L8 — Ibiza Town ↔ Sant Antoni.
- L4 — Sant Antoni → Cala Comte (the sunset beach). L7 — Sant Antoni → Cala Bassa.
- L11 — Ibiza Town → Ses Salines. L14 — Ibiza Town → Platja d’en Bossa.
- L16 / L20A/B — east and north: San Carlos, Cala Sant Vicent, Portinatx.
- Night buses — N03, N08, N13, N20 cover the main corridors after dark; the Discobus runs in summer.
Two practical notes: Benirràs runs a shuttle bus from the Sa Plana car park on busy summer days (especially Sundays) — you can reach it by bus L20/L23 to the area, though a taxi is simpler; and timetables shift between seasons, so check the current TIB timetables for the week you’re travelling rather than trusting this list blindly.
The car-free areas that work — and the ones that don’t
- East coast (Santa Eulària / Es Canar / Cala Nova): excellent. The campsites, two beaches, both hippy markets (Las Dalias by L16, Punta Arabí on foot) and the airport all connect by bus.
- Sant Antoni bay: excellent. The best-served town on the island, with buses to Cala Bassa, Cala Comte, Cala Tarida, Cala Gració and Ibiza Town.
- Ibiza Town & the south: excellent. L10, L11, L14, plus the Formentera ferry from the port.
- The north (Benirràs, Portinatx, Cala Xarraca): possible but slow — L20A/B reach Portinatx; the coves between villages don’t. Budget a taxi day for the north, or join an organised tour.
- The west’s wild corners (Es Vedrà, Cala d’Hort, Torre des Savinar): no direct bus. Taxi from Sant Josep/Sant Antoni or a guided trip.
A realistic 5-day car-free plan (east-coast base)
Day 1 — arrive. Land, L24 from the airport to your campsite (Cala Nova or Es Canar). Unpack, swim at Cala Nova, dinner in Es Canar — all on foot.
Day 2 — Santa Eulària. L18/L24 into town (10 min). Promenade walk to the marina, lunch on restaurant street, afternoon swim at Cala Llonga (L41, or walk the coastal path back toward Es Canar if you’re feeling it).
Day 3 — market day. Wednesday: Punta Arabí market on foot from the campsites. Saturday: L16 to San Carlos for Las Dalias — go early, stay for lunch, bus back before the afternoon heat.
Day 4 — Ibiza Town. L13/L24 to Ibiza Town. Morning on the Dalt Vila ramparts, lunch in the old port, afternoon ferry to Formentera (30 min each way — bikes at La Savina if you want the full day) or the L11 bus to Ses Salines for the long beach.
Day 5 — Sant Antoni day. Bus to Sant Antoni (via Ibiza Town). Cala Gració for a swim, the Sunset Strip in the evening, night bus N03 back toward the east coast — or book a taxi if midnight buses feel heroic.
What it costs vs a hire car
- Buses: single fares are cheap; the TIB app sells tickets and passes. Figure roughly €15–35/day for a busy sightseeing pattern, far less on beach days.
- Taxis: €10–25 for most resort-to-resort hops; €45–70 airport ↔ north. One taxi day for the northern coves is worth every cent.
- Bikes & e-bikes: widely rented on the east coast and in Sant Antoni — perfect for the flat promenade routes; the island’s hills will find you eventually.
- Car hire: €35–70/day in season, plus fuel and parking pain. The bus-plus-occasional-taxi mix usually wins for couples and solo travellers.
The honest trade-off
Without a car you’ll swim at fewer coves and more beaches — but you’ll also skip the August parking fights, the one-way coastal lanes and the designated-driver debate. On Ibiza, for a camping trip, that’s a good trade. And the one rule still applies, wheels or not: sleep at a campsite, legally booked.
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