Gare du Nord

About Gare du Nord

Gare du Nord is a three-star hotel on Carrer De Sa Cala in northern Ibiza, outside the main resort areas and close to Sant Joan de Labritja. It suits travellers who want a quiet base for the pine-ringed coves of the north coast, with a car for the beaches and markets, rather than a position within walking distance of a bar strip. Couples and small families fit the format well.

The building is a straightforward three-star hotel rather than a resort, with a garden and a terrace where the day starts slowly. Bedrooms come with a balcony in some categories, and the mood is set by the village and the hills around it. Guests who spend their days out at Portinatx or Cala Sant Vicent and their evenings on the terrace will find the arrangement works.

Location: Sant Joan de Labritja

Gare du Nord sits on Carrer De Sa Cala near Sant Joan de Labritja, in the north of Ibiza and away from the main resort areas. The surrounding country is a patchwork of pines, small fields and hamlets rather than a strip of bars. Portinatx is 3.6 km from the hotel and Cala Sant Vicent 6.6 km, both sandy bays with shallow water in the coves and pine shade at the back of the sand.

Around the hotel, a walk leads into the lanes near Sant Joan de Labritja rather than onto a beach. For everything else a hire car is the practical choice: Es Canar is 10.5 km away, Ibiza Town port 19.7 km and Ibiza Airport 25.9 km. Buses serve the north in season; confirm the current lines with the island bus operator before planning around them. A car also covers the evening run back from the markets.

Rooms and facilities

Bedrooms at Gare du Nord are listed with air conditioning and a fan, a safe, a hairdryer and coffee making kit, and some come with a balcony or access to the terrace. Wifi is free, internet access is available and non-smoking rooms can be requested. A sofa bed gives a family with one child some flexibility, and the garden and terrace give the hotel a quiet centre.

Cleaning and housekeeping run through the stay and a laundry service helps on longer trips; a concierge can advise on the north coast and the markets. Pets are allowed, so ask Gare du Nord about the conditions before booking. Confirm with the hotel which rooms have the balcony, whether the sofa bed suits your party, and the check-in and check-out times, which matter on a late arrival from the airport.

Getting there

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is 25.9 km from Gare du Nord in a straight line, on the far side of the island in Sant Josep. A hire car collected at arrivals gives the most direct run north and is useful all week; a taxi covers the same journey without the driving. Airport buses run to Ibiza Town and the resorts, so the north usually means a change; check the current lines with the island bus operator.

From Ibiza Town port, 19.7 km away, the drive north passes Santa Eulària des Riu before turning inland towards Sant Joan de Labritja. Travellers arriving by ferry from La Savina in Formentera, or from Barcelona and Valencia, can pick up a car in town. Winter brings fewer flights and sailings, so tell Gare du Nord your arrival time before booking a late crossing.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The closest swimming is around Portinatx, 3.6 km from Gare du Nord, and Cala Sant Vicent at 6.6 km, both reached by car or a seasonal bus. Kayaking the north coast calas starts about 3 km away. Es Canar, 10.5 km from the hotel, has a sheltered family beach and the Punta Arabí hippy market on Wednesdays in season; confirm the current day with the hotel.

Las Dalias market at Sant Carles is 7.7 km from Gare du Nord, usually on Saturdays; check the current days before setting out. Island cooking in the north means bullit de peix, the fish stew brought to the table in two courses, and arròs a banda, rice simmered in fish stock. Village bars and small kitchens around Sant Joan de Labritja serve both, though many shut outside the season.

A day from Gare du Nord

Begin with a short drive to Portinatx, 3.6 km from Gare du Nord, for a swim before the bay fills, then continue to Cala Sant Vicent at 6.6 km for a second cove and a longer walk. Kayaking the north coast calas begins about 3 km from the hotel and takes most of a morning on the water. Lunch belongs at one of the small places back towards Sant Joan de Labritja.

In the afternoon, drive 7.7 km to Las Dalias at Sant Carles for the market, or 10.8 km to Punta Arabí at Es Canar when the stalls are up. Back at Gare du Nord, the garden and terrace are the place to slow down before dinner. For a bigger evening, Ibiza Town port is 19.7 km away, with the walls of Dalt Vila above it.

Practical tips

The north is seasonal: from roughly November to April many hotels, beach bars and seasonal buses stop, so ask Gare du Nord for its opening dates and check which village places are running before travelling. The busiest weeks come in July and August, when the coast roads and the coves fill. A sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is charged per person per night by Gare du Nord; the rate varies with category and season and children under 16 are exempt, so check the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about Gare du Nord