Nautilus

About Nautilus

Nautilus suits travellers who want a straightforward base on the west coast of Ibiza with the town of Sant Antoni de Portmany a short hop away. The building sits in Cala de Bou, at the calmer end of the bay, 1.5 km from the centre. Couples who plan to spend days in the coves and evenings watching the sun go down over the water will find the position useful, and families get a street quieter than the sunset strip in high summer.

Nautilus is a two-star hotel, and it works on that scale: the listed facilities cover the practical side of a holiday rather than a resort programme. A 24-hour front desk helps late arrivals, lifts and luggage storage keep bags simple, and a garden and terrace give somewhere to sit at the end of the day. Wifi, parking and a fitness centre are listed too. Treat Nautilus as a base and plan meals out in Sant Antoni de Portmany.

Location: Sant Josep de sa Talaia

Cala de Bou runs along the bay of Sant Antoni de Portmany, on the west coast of Ibiza, in the municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia. The bay faces due west, and its north shore, the sunset strip, fills with people as the light drops. Cala de Bou is the quieter half of that shoreline. In high summer the road along the water is slow from late afternoon and parking takes patience; in May or October the same stretch is calm enough to walk without a plan.

Sant Antoni de Portmany is 1.5 km away, a walk along the bay for most people, and it is where buses, taxis and hire cars are found. Cala Comte is 6.3 km in a straight line and Cala d'Hort 10.8 km, so a car or a seasonal bus makes more sense than walking. Ibiza Town port, 13.9 km off, is where you catch the ferry to Formentera or climb into Dalt Vila, the walled upper town.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at Nautilus are backed by shared facilities rather than a long list of extras. The 24-hour front desk matters most for anyone landing late from Ibiza Airport, and lifts and luggage storage keep arrival and departure simple. Couples tend to use the terrace and garden for a quiet hour before heading out, while families get parking and a fitness centre on site, which helps with children who need to run off energy.

Nautilus lists wifi, a laundry service and a shuttle service, and the last two are worth a question before booking: ask the hotel how the shuttle runs, when it operates and whether it needs arranging in advance, and confirm the laundry turnaround if you are travelling light. Parking is listed, but spaces and any restrictions should be checked with the property, especially in high summer when Cala de Bou fills up.

Getting there

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is 12.5 km from Nautilus in a straight line, in the municipality of Sant Josep. A taxi is the quickest option with bags, and picking up a hire car at the airport gives the most freedom for the coves later in the stay. Buses from the airport run to Sant Antoni de Portmany, 1.5 km from the hotel; check the island bus operator, since lines increase in summer.

Ibiza Town port is 13.9 km away in a straight line, with ferries to La Savina on Formentera, about 30-35 minutes on the fast boats, and to Palma, Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia; check the ferry operators for current sailings. Sant Antoni de Portmany, 1.5 km off, also has mainland routes in season. Flights and ferries thin out in winter, so a stay outside the season needs some planning.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Cala Salada and Cala Saladeta are 4.3 km from Nautilus in a straight line, two coves reached by road or seasonal bus. Cala Comte, 6.3 km away, has shallow clear water and islets offshore and is the usual choice for a sunset; Cala d'Hort, 10.8 km off, looks across to Es Vedrà, the limestone islet about 380 m high that nobody lands on. All three reward a car or a seasonal bus.

The climb to Sa Talaia, the highest point on Ibiza at about 475 m, starts 5.7 km from the hotel in a straight line; go early in summer. Back on the coast, island cooking means fish: bullit de peix, the stew served in two courses with rice at the end, and arròs a banda, rice cooked in fish stock. Sant Antoni de Portmany and the bay have plenty of places to try both.

A day from Nautilus

Start with the climb to Sa Talaia, 5.7 km from Nautilus in a straight line, before the heat builds; the summit sits at about 475 m and the path up is the island's classic leg-stretch. Drive or take a taxi back down and spend the middle of the day at Cala Salada or Cala Saladeta, 4.3 km off. Eat late, in Sant Antoni de Portmany, 1.5 km from the hotel.

Late afternoon belongs to Cala Comte, 6.3 km away in a straight line, where the water is shallow and the islets sit offshore; arrive early enough to walk down at an easy pace. The sun drops into the sea on this west coast, and the north shore of the bay, the sunset strip, is 1.5 km from Nautilus for anyone who wants company with it. A hire car makes the loop simple, with a taxi back as the alternative.

Practical tips

Nautilus is busiest when the island is, roughly June to September, and much of the tourism business on Ibiza closes from about November to April; ask the hotel which months it opens before booking flights. July and August bring the peak crowds and sea temperatures of around 25-26 °C. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is charged per person per night at Nautilus: rates vary with the category of the accommodation and the season, so check the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about Nautilus