Ca nEscandell

About Ca nEscandell

Ca nEscandell suits travellers who want the quiet north of Ibiza rather than a resort strip. The hotel is a four-star property in the countryside of Sant Joan de Labritja, outside the main resort areas, with gardens, an outdoor pool and terraces. Couples who plan to drive to coves, walkers exploring the lanes and families booking several nights all fit here, because the base is calm and the coast is a short drive away.

Four stars, an outdoor pool and free car parking set the tone: this is a comfortable rural base rather than a scene hotel. Rooms are listed as non-smoking and air conditioned, wifi is free and pets are allowed. The pattern of a stay is a morning out at the northern calas, an afternoon by the pool or in the solarium, and dinner in Sant Joan de Labritja or Santa Eulària des Riu. Confirm arrival arrangements with Ca nEscandell before the drive north.

Location: Sant Joan de Labritja

Ca nEscandell stands in the countryside of Sant Joan de Labritja, the northernmost municipality of Ibiza, roughly 6 km from Portinatx and 9.4 km from Cala Sant Vicent. This is the quiet end of the island: pine-covered hills, small farms, scattered hamlets and a coast of small coves rather than long beaches. The village of Sant Joan de Labritja gives the municipality its name, and the road north from there reaches the bays around Portinatx and Cala Sant Vicent.

Little is within walking distance beyond the lane outside the gate, so a car makes the stay. Cala Sant Vicent is 9.4 km away, Portinatx 6 km and Santa Eulària des Riu 9.8 km, where the promenade, marina and shops are. Ibiza Town port is 17.4 km and Ibiza Airport 23.2 km. Buses serve the north on limited summer lines; check the island bus operator. In July and August the coast fills and cove parking goes early, while May, June and September feel easier.

Rooms and facilities

Facilities listed for Ca nEscandell cover the practical side of a rural stay. Rooms are listed as non-smoking and air conditioned, with a TV, and wifi is free throughout. Outside there is an outdoor pool, a garden, a terrace and a solarium. Families can ask about family rooms and the babysitting service. Late arrivals should agree arrival arrangements with the hotel in advance, since the property sits off the road rather than in a village. Pets are allowed.

The hotel also lists services that help on a car-free day: bicycle hire, a car rental service and a shuttle service, with luggage storage and housekeeping. A business centre and internet access cover work needs, and laundry, dry cleaning and massage are listed for longer stays. Diving, fishing and surf can be arranged. Confirm which listed services run during your dates and where the shuttle goes, directly with Ca nEscandell.

Getting there

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) lies 23.2 km from Ca nEscandell in straight-line distance, in Sant Josep on the other side of the island. A taxi or a hire car collected at the airport is the simplest way to cover the run north; the drive crosses the island and finishes on the Sant Joan road. Buses from the airport serve Ibiza Town and Santa Eulària des Riu, with limited connections onward to the north, so check the island bus operator before relying on them.

Ibiza Town port, 17.4 km away, is where ferries from Formentera (La Savina), Palma, Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia arrive, and a taxi or the hire car covers the rest. Santa Eulària des Riu is 9.8 km from Ca nEscandell, Portinatx 6 km and Cala Sant Vicent 9.4 km, which makes the east and north coasts easy for a day out. Flights and ferries run less often in winter, so check timetables with the operators.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest swimming is north of the hotel: Portinatx, 6 km away, and Cala Sant Vicent, 9.4 km away, both pine-ringed bays on the northern coast. Kayaking the north coast calas, listed 6 km from Ca nEscandell, is a way to reach coves with no road. Santa Eulària des Riu, 9.8 km off, has a promenade and a marina for a change of scene. The hotel is not beachfront, so plan a short drive to the water.

Markets are part of the northern circuit. Las Dalias at Sant Carles de Peralta is 8.1 km from Ca nEscandell and runs on Saturdays, and the Punta Arabí hippy market at Es Canar is 11.6 km away, running on Wednesdays in season; check current days before setting out. For food, look for bullit de peix and arròs a banda, the island fish stew served in two courses, and grilled fish with rice in the villages.

A day from Ca nEscandell

Start early and drive 6 km to Portinatx for a first swim before the bays fill, or 9.4 km to Cala Sant Vicent for a longer, more sheltered cove. From there, kayak the north coast calas, listed 6 km from Ca nEscandell, to reach water that is hard to walk to. Return to the hotel for the pool, the garden and the solarium in the early afternoon, when the sun is strongest.

Spend the late afternoon at a market: Las Dalias at Sant Carles de Peralta, 8.1 km away, on a Saturday, or Punta Arabí at Es Canar, 11.6 km, on a Wednesday in season. In the evening, drive 9.8 km to Santa Eulària des Riu for the promenade and a meal, or stay closer and eat in Sant Joan de Labritja. Return to Ca nEscandell along the Sant Joan road.

Practical tips

Much of Ibiza's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, and the north empties early, so confirm Ca nEscandell's opening dates before a winter trip. July and August are the peak, when the bays 6 km and 9.4 km from the hotel are busiest. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is charged by the accommodation for each person per night; the rate depends on the season and the length of stay, children under 16 are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears publishes the current scale.

Questions about Ca nEscandell