El Corsario

About El Corsario

El Corsario suits travellers who want to sleep inside the oldest part of Eivissa and spend their days on foot. The three-star hotel sits on Calle Ponen, 0.3 km from Dalt Vila and Ibiza Town and 0.5 km from the port, so the walls, the cathedral and the ferries to Formentera are all within a short walk. Couples, small families and anyone arriving late on an evening flight will find the position more useful than a resort address.

This is a three-star town hotel with a listed guest score of 4.4 out of 5 from 1830 reviews. The building is quiet rather than showy, and the listed garden, terrace, library and bar give it the feel of an old town house with rooms attached. Breakfast is served on site and a restaurant is listed. Book early in summer, when rooms close to the port of Eivissa are in demand.

Location: Dalt Vila and Ibiza Town

Calle Ponen sits in the lower old town, a street back from the harbour side of Eivissa. Dalt Vila and Ibiza Town is 0.3 km away, which puts the Renaissance walls, the cathedral at the top and the lanes below all within walking distance. The port is 0.5 km off, where the Formentera boats and the mainland ferries load. This is a working town address in winter and a busy one in summer.

Walking covers most of a stay at El Corsario: the walls are 0.1 km from the door and the Puig des Molins necropolis 0.8 km. Talamanca, a shallow bay across the marina, is 1.6 km away and Playa d'en Bossa 3 km, both easy by bus, taxi or a hire car. In July and August the old town fills after sunset; in May, June, September and October the same streets are calmer and the light is kinder.

Rooms and facilities

Facilities listed for El Corsario point to a practical town stay rather than a resort one. The 24 hour front desk helps anyone landing on a late flight, and there are lifts, luggage storage and a safe. Breakfast is served daily, coffee is available, and a bar and a restaurant are listed. Guests also get a garden, a terrace and a library, plus free internet access in the lounge and free car parking.

Couples tend to use the lounge and terrace as an extension of the day, while families should ask which room types take an extra bed before booking. Confirm check-in and check-out times with El Corsario, along with breakfast hours, whether the free parking space needs reserving, and the current tourist tax. Pets are not allowed. Dry cleaning is listed, cards are accepted including Diners Club, and the staff speak several languages.

Getting there

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is 6.7 km south-west of El Corsario in a straight line, in the municipality of Sant Josep. A taxi is the quickest way into town, and airport buses reach Ibiza Town and the south beaches, with more lines in summer. A hire car needs somewhere to park, so ask El Corsario about the free spaces before arrival. Summer Saturdays take longest.

From Ibiza Town port, 0.5 km away, boats cross to La Savina on Formentera, with fast crossings of about 30-35 minutes and conventional sailings of about an hour; Palma, Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia are also served from the same harbour. Anyone coming from Talamanca at 1.6 km or Playa d'en Bossa at 3 km reaches El Corsario quickly by road. Winter brings fewer flights and sailings, so check times before fixing a date.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest sight is the wall walk of Dalt Vila, 0.1 km from El Corsario, with the cathedral at the top of the hill. The Puig des Molins necropolis, part of the UNESCO listing, is 0.8 km away. For sand, Talamanca is 1.6 km and Playa d'en Bossa 3 km; the dunes of Ses Salines, inside the natural park, are 8.8 km off. El Corsario is a town hotel, so the sea comes after a short walk or ride.

Eating in Eivissa means fish first. Bullit de peix is the island stew, served in two courses with rice cooked in the broth, and arròs a banda is the rice dish that follows the same idea. Both appear on menus in the old town and around the port, a few minutes from El Corsario. Book a table in high summer, when the lanes of Dalt Vila fill early.

A day from El Corsario

Start with the walls. Walk up from El Corsario to Dalt Vila, 0.1 km away, in the cool of the morning, follow the ramparts and come down through the lanes to the port. The Puig des Molins necropolis, 0.8 km off, covers the Phoenician and Punic side of island history. Both are close enough to reach before the sun is high. Coffee back at the hotel, then choose a beach.

Talamanca, 1.6 km away, is the calmer choice for a swim; Playa d'en Bossa, 3 km, is longer and louder. Return, change, and walk the 0.5 km to the port for the evening, or stay inside Dalt Vila for dinner. Anyone with a spare day can take the ferry from that same port to La Savina on Formentera, about 30-35 minutes on a fast boat.

Practical tips

El Corsario works on town time. Eivissa stays open through the year, but the wider island winds down roughly from November to April, when many hotels, beach bars and seasonal buses stop; ask El Corsario about its own opening dates before booking a winter stay. July and August are the busiest weeks in Eivissa, so reserve early. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is added to the bill at El Corsario per person per night; rates vary by season and category, children under 16 are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears sets them.

Questions about El Corsario