El Bosque

About El Bosque

El Bosque suits travellers who want the west of Ibiza without a resort on the doorstep. This three-star hotel sits in the countryside, outside the main resort areas, with Cala Comte 3.1 km away and Sant Antoni de Portmany 5.2 km away. Couples who plan to drive to a different cove each day fit here, and so do families who value a garden, two pools and somewhere to park the car.

The stay is uncomplicated rather than elaborate: a three-star hotel with free wifi, free car parking, a garden, a terrace and both an indoor and an outdoor pool. The rural setting, outside the main resort areas, keeps evenings quiet. El Bosque works best as a driving base, with the west coast coves a few kilometres off and Ibiza Airport 13.3 km away by straight line.

Location: Sant Josep de sa Talaia

The hotel sits in the countryside on the western side of Ibiza, in the quiet between Sant Antoni de Portmany and the south-west coves. There is no resort strip at the gate. Sant Antoni de Portmany, with its shops, harbour and life through the year, is 5.2 km away, and Cala Comte is 3.1 km away. The sea is near enough for a short drive, and the lanes back from the coast are calm.

Walking covers the immediate lanes and little else, so plan on a car, a taxi into Sant Antoni or a seasonal bus. Parking at El Bosque is free, which makes the drive-and-return pattern simple. Cala d'Hort is 7.4 km away and Cala Salada 6.8 km away by straight line. In high summer the west coast roads fill towards sunset, so set out early; in May, June, September and October the same run is easier and the coves are calmer. Bus lines change with the season, so ask El Bosque.

Rooms and facilities

The listed facilities point to an easy, uncomplicated stay. Free wifi covers the usual planning and messages, the garden and terrace give somewhere to sit outside, and free car parking removes the daily hunt for a space. Two pools, one indoor and one outdoor, mean a wet morning does not cancel a swim. Couples can treat El Bosque as a quiet base, and families get outside space plus a pool on site.

Confirm the practical details when booking: which pool is open during your dates, whether the indoor pool keeps set hours, and what time reception closes if you land on a late flight from Ibiza Airport. Ask about cots or extra beds if you travel with children, and whether the terrace or the garden is the better place for an evening at El Bosque. Parking is listed as free, and it is worth reserving a space in high season.

Getting there

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is 13.3 km from El Bosque by straight line, in Sant Josep south-west of Ibiza Town. Take a taxi from the terminal or collect a hire car; the rural approach to the hotel does not suit a long walk with luggage. Airport buses serve Ibiza Town, Sant Antoni de Portmany, Santa Eulària des Riu and the south beaches, with more lines in summer; check the island bus operator and El Bosque for the best current connection.

Ibiza Town port, where ferries leave for Formentera (La Savina), Palma, Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia, is 16.5 km from El Bosque by straight line. From the quay, take a taxi or collect a hire car for the run west to the hotel. Sant Antoni de Portmany, 5.2 km away, is the nearest town for supplies and an evening out. Flights are fewer in winter, so check El Bosque's own opening dates before a low-season trip.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Cala Comte is 3.1 km from El Bosque by straight line, a shallow bay with islets offshore and a following for its sunset. Cala d'Hort, 7.4 km away, faces Es Vedrà, the limestone islet about 380 m high that sits in a nature reserve where nobody lands. Cala Salada and Cala Saladeta are 6.8 km away. None is on the doorstep, so a car makes beach-hopping easy. Sant Antoni de Portmany, 5.2 km away, has the nearest larger choice of shops.

From El Bosque, walking leads to lanes rather than coves. Sa Talaia, the highest point on Ibiza at about 475 m, is 5.3 km away by straight line and is the obvious hill to climb from the hotel. Eating happens in the towns: Sant Antoni de Portmany, 5.2 km off, is the nearest place for a proper meal, and the island fish stew, bullit de peix followed by arròs a banda, is the dish to look for.

A day from El Bosque

A day from El Bosque can begin with the 6.8 km drive to Cala Salada and Cala Saladeta for a morning swim, before the coast gets busy. Return for the pool and the garden, then go out again in the afternoon. Cala d'Hort, 7.4 km away, gives the view across to Es Vedrà, while Sa Talaia, 5.3 km away, suits anyone who prefers height to water. The car stays useful all day, because nothing on this list is walkable from the hotel.

Finish at Cala Comte, 3.1 km from El Bosque, for the sunset, then drive 5.2 km into Sant Antoni de Portmany for an evening meal. Expect the town to be livelier than the lanes around the hotel. In high summer, leave for the coast well before sunset to find space at the cove and an easier road back to El Bosque afterwards; in spring and autumn the timing matters less.

Practical tips

El Bosque is most useful between spring and autumn, since many Ibiza hotels, beach bars and seasonal buses close roughly from November to April; check the hotel's own opening dates before booking outside that window. High season falls in July and August, when the west coast around Cala Comte is at its busiest. El Bosque adds the Balearic sustainable tourism tax per person per night; the rate varies with accommodation type and season, is reduced in low season and for longer stays, and children under 16 are exempt. The Govern de les Illes Balears publishes the current rates.

Questions about El Bosque