Ryans Pocket

About Ryans Pocket

Ryans Pocket suits travellers who want to sleep inside Eivissa rather than in a resort. The address is on Carreró de la Trinitat, a lane in the historic centre, 0.2 km from the Ibiza Town port and 0.5 km from the Dalt Vila and Ibiza Town area. Couples who plan to spend evenings on foot and walk up to the walls in the morning get the most from the position.

Ryans Pocket is a three-star hotel, so expect a straightforward city base rather than a full-service resort. The house works for short city breaks and for a night or two before a ferry to Formentera, since the port is a few minutes away on foot. Ask the hotel which rooms face the lane and which are quieter, and confirm anything you need at check-in, because an old-town building carries fewer services than a large coastal complex.

Location: Dalt Vila and Ibiza Town

The hotel stands in Eivissa, the island capital, in the lane network just below the walled upper town. The Renaissance walls above the port were built in the 16th century and the cathedral sits at the top; the whole upper town belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1999. Mornings are for errands and coffee in the centre, afternoons bring people down to the water, and evenings settle around the lanes beneath the walls.

Ryans Pocket puts most of the centre within walking distance. The walls of Dalt Vila are 0.3 km away, the Puig des Molins necropolis 1.1 km, and Talamanca 1.3 km across the marina. Playa d'en Bossa, at 3.3 km, is easier by bus, taxi or hire car than on foot in the heat. Check the island bus operator for summer lines and ask the hotel for the nearest stop.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at Ryans Pocket are listed with air conditioning, a refrigerator, a safe, a television and smoke detectors, and non-smoking rooms are available. That combination suits couples who want a cool base between the walls and the port, and small families who need somewhere central without paying for resort extras. A 24-hour front desk and 24-hour security help guests arriving on a late flight into Ibiza Airport.

Beyond the room, the listed facilities include a bar or snack service, coffee, cleaning, laundry service and first aid, and pets are allowed. Confirm with Ryans Pocket which of these run all year and which are seasonal, whether the bar serves food in the evening, whether a charge applies for laundry, and the check-in and check-out times. Ask about room size and outlook before booking a longer stay.

Getting there

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is 7 km south-west of Eivissa, in the municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia, so the transfer to Ryans Pocket is brief by taxi or hire car. Airport buses run into Ibiza Town, with more lines in summer; check the island bus operator for times. Ask the hotel where a car can set down near the lane, since the streets below Dalt Vila are narrow.

The Ibiza Town port is 0.2 km from Ryans Pocket, which puts the Formentera ferries within a short walk: fast sailings to La Savina take about 30-35 minutes and conventional ferries about an hour, frequent in season and fewer in winter. The same port has boats to Palma, Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia, and Sant Antoni de Portmany has some mainland routes in season. Confirm timetables with the operators before fixing dates.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The closest sand is Talamanca, 1.3 km from Ryans Pocket in a straight line, a calm shallow bay across the marina. Playa d'en Bossa, the longest beach on the island, is 3.3 km away, with the big clubs behind it. The Ses Salines dunes, 9.1 km south, lie inside the Ses Salines Natural Park, declared in 2001 and still worked for salt.

Fish and rice define eating on Ibiza. Bullit de peix and arròs a banda are the island fish stew served in two courses, broth with rice first and the fish afterwards. In Eivissa the choice is wider than on the coast and the town keeps serving through the winter, when many seasonal kitchens shut. Ask at the front desk of Ryans Pocket which streets to try out of season.

A day from Ryans Pocket

Begin at Ryans Pocket and walk 0.3 km to the walls of Dalt Vila. Follow the ramparts to the cathedral at the top for the view over the port, then come down for coffee 0.2 km from the hotel. In the afternoon the Puig des Molins necropolis is 1.1 km away, a Phoenician-Punic burial ground that shares the 1999 World Heritage inscription with the fortifications above Ryans Pocket.

Late afternoon belongs to Talamanca, 1.3 km from Ryans Pocket, where the bay is shallow and sheltered; walk it or take a short ride. Return to the centre as the light goes, with the port 0.2 km from the door and the lanes filling after dark. A longer day can start with a drive to the Ses Salines dunes, 9.1 km south, and end with dinner back in Eivissa.

Practical tips

Late spring and early autumn give the best of the old town without the July and August crowds, though much of Ibiza's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so confirm Ryans Pocket's own opening dates with the hotel before booking a winter stay. The ecotasa, the Balearic sustainable tourism tax, is charged per person per night by the accommodation at Ryans Pocket; rates depend on the category and the season, fall in low season and for longer stays, and children under 16 are exempt, so check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rates.

Questions about Ryans Pocket