10 Things to Do in Ibiza in October

From May to September Ibiza is one of the most important tourist destinations for foreign visitors throughout Spain. Many come to the island in search of partying and fun, but others are also excited by the natural beauty that defines it. So the best things to see and do in Ibiza are a balance of those two tourist focuses.

Just in this list of activities I have taken care to get the most important events and traditions of October so you can make the most of your budget and your time at the beginning of the low season of this island. So I invite you to continue reading this informative compilation, because thanks to them you can get a much clearer and honest idea of what it's like to live the charm of Ibiza in mid-October.

October 12 is a representative date for the entire Spanish-speaking world and specifically in Spain it coincides with a national fair that every year is celebrated with the intention of highlighting the patriotic feeling that the inhabitants of the country feel for their culture and history. If you are in Ibiza for this date you can not fail to celebrate it like the locals, who usually participate in some cultural activities in the center of the capital of the island.

It is possible that in the square near the town hall of the city there is a popular market or in the Mirador de Sra Pedrera some local artists gather to have an impromptu concert of popular Spanish music. The restaurants of the island usually offer representative dishes of the national gastronomy and sometimes there is a fireworks show in the port area of Ibiza town.

Every year in Ibiza there are music festivals for all kinds of tourists. Just in October there is one of the most important of the whole cultural scene of the Balearic Islands and it is the Jazz Point Festival. Basically, it is a multitudinous event of 4 days that usually occupies the second or third week of the month, from Thursday to Sunday, with the best of the musical scene of the contemporary jazz at European and world level.

Year after year the line up of the artists that are presented changes, but the most common thing is that they are some of the most important orchestras of this musical genre. As well as some soloists representatives of classical jazz and modern jazz that has undergone major changes in recent decades.

Different cultural establishments are selected throughout the island for each of the dates of the festival and the most common is that the Ibiza Theater and the Conservatory Catalina Bufi are some of the chosen ones. So attending one of the concerts or events of the festival is a very good idea if you are having a 5-day trip to Ibiza. As well as if you spend a whole season on the island and want to enjoy the cultural activities that most entertain the local population.

Ibiza is a world capital of the nightlife and really is a destination known for being the soul of the party in the Spanish Mediterranean. At the same time, the most profitable cycle of the year for nightlife establishments in Ibiza usually starts in May and ends by the end of September and mid-October.

In fact, most of the beach bars and the most famous nightclubs of the island make a big celebration in October to end the party season. This is actually a small vacation, because in mid-December some places will be reactivated for the Christmas and New Year's festivities.

So it is an excellent idea to attend some of these events if your visit coincides with the closing week of many of these commercial venues. Keep in mind that Ibiza Town and Platja d'en Bossa are where the most mythical establishments of the Balearic nightlife are located.

Ushuaia, Pachá, Amnesia and Privilege are some of the quality references in this party scene of the island and the truth is that attending the closing parties of the tourist season is something just as recommendable as going to some of these places in the middle of the summer. Actually, partying is also one of the best things to see and do in Ibiza during the month of August. Only in October you would be enjoying the farewell until next year or until the short opening for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

Besides discotheques and music festivals, in Ibiza there are also big and small cultural celebrations that have to do with the rural identity of this island. This is what the patron saint festivities of Sant Rafel, a tiny village in the center of the island that year after year organizes a calendar of events during the month of October. These range from academic seminars on the history of the Balearic Islands to photographic exhibitions as well as musical and artistic presentations throughout this picturesque community.

There is no specific date because throughout the month there are different activities to attract as many visitors as possible. However, the most important tradition is usually the theatrical presentation that is celebrated on October 24, which is the day of San Rafael. As well as the typical night walk through the rural fields near the village that offers its participants a different perspective of what is the night in Ibiza for the locals.

Annually, among the mountainous landscapes of the municipality of Sant Antoni , a hiking marathon is organized that runs through terrain ranging from fincas to dense forests and small villages. The route also passes by cliffs that give participants in the competition beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea.

There are three races that on some occasions have been competed simultaneously while in other years they have been divided over three days usually during the second or third week of October. The main hiking race is about 42 kilometers long, while the second is 21 kilometers long. The shortest of all and the favorite among those who participate for entertainment is about 10 kilometers.

It is also common for there to be a short race over favorable terrain for children or minors who do not qualify either by height or body mass to compete in the other modalities.

If unfortunately your October visit to the island does not coincide with the exact dates of this competition, then you can also participate in some of the best bike tours in Ibiza. And many of them also choose some very favorable mountain routes for those looking for fun that combines physical exercise with tourist exploitation of the natural beauty of this island.

Halloween is celebrated on October 31, but the truth is that this date represents several weekends of parties and fun for young people from the penultimate week of October. In fact, it is very common for all the events associated with this celebration imported from the United States to fall on a weekend, while the official date of Halloween is left for a weekday in which people will clearly be busy.

At the same time, although the island's largest discos will have closed their doors for the dates around October 31, it is true that the beach bars will remain open uninterruptedly for the rest of the year. That means that you will have the opportunity to celebrate Halloween both in the island's capital city and in other communities further afield. San Antonio is one of them, as it has O Beach or there is also the Nassau Beach Club in Playa d'en Bossa.

Keep in mind that by attending a Halloween beach party you will be experiencing one of the best things to do in Ibiza. For the island' s luxurious and fun beach bars are institutions as famous as the nightclubs themselves that focus on mass entertainment.

The Ibiza Lights Festival is an annual two-day event that attempts to combine the technical use of artificial light to highlight the beauty of the architectural gems of the island's capital. All this is combined with live music performances and also with some lectures by academics and local personalities on the importance of preserving the Balearic identity in an island as touristic and interconnected with the rest of the world as Ibiza.

There are also street art exhibitions and some performing arts presentations that try to attract the attention of the locals and the visitors that still remain on the island to these cultural spaces.

This festival is part of the best things to see or do in Ibiza with kids during the month of October due to the fact that it is a free, open-air activity that can perfectly entertain the whole family for a whole evening of the trip.

San Antonio Bay is one of the most important tourist destinations in the south of Ibiza, as it has the best of an abundant hotel offer along with everything you can expect from a community that focuses on what maritime and beach tourism make available to its inhabitants.

In turn, staying in the area or visiting it to participate in water activities or a simple day at the beach is an excellent idea during October. And it will be the first time in several months that this area of the island will be empty enough of tourists so you can enjoy it as you deserve.

Keep in mind that it is a coast with virtually non-existent waves and therefore is a good place to practice activities such as kayaking or paddle surfing. Also, keep in mind that many of the boat trips to the southeast coast of Ibiza depart from this port and therefore it is favorable that you visit it during the dates that interest you to organize a trip to Es Vedrà or to the Illa Sa Conillera.

Dalt Vila is the historic quarter of Ibiza Town and is characterized as a site of such significant historical and architectural importance that together with other corners of the island it represents a World Heritage Site declared by Unesco. Therefore it is a good idea to dedicate a day of your trip to walk the streets with tranquility, because the low tourist influx in October makes this one of the best times of the year for an activity like this.

I can highlight the Castle of Ibiza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria, the remains of the walls and the Plaça del Parc as some of the sites that can not miss in this urban tour of the city of Ibiza. Which is characterized by preserving a significant amount of medieval buildings in the best Mediterranean style.

The Old Market is another place that can not miss in this itinerary. In fact, touring this center of artisan commerce is one of those plans to see or do in Ibiza during the winter or the rest of the months of the tourist low season. This is due to the fact that you will be able to get good discounts due to the lack of demand of many of the businesses that year after year make most of their profits in the summer.

The gastronomy of the Balearic Islands is one of the most interesting in Spain due to the fact that its geographical isolation has allowed the local culinary world to develop its own peculiar identity.

At the same time, the month of October is a good time to experience the island of Ibiza through its gastronomy, as many of the summer dishes are still being prepared regularly, but also most of the flavors that define winter in the Balearics are beginning to appear.

Sobrasada, greixonera, coca de patatas and apricot sponge cakes are just some of the most basic and elementary elements that you should try in order to start familiarizing yourself with the culinary scene of the most traditional and authentic Ibiza. It is therefore a good idea that on a three-day trip to Ibiza during the month of October you propose that at least two of your daily meals are recipes known within the local gastronomy.

October temperatures on this Balearic island are more favorable than the hot summer months, as highs usually reach 23 degrees, while the minimum temperatures are around 15 degrees at night. That means that autumn in Ibiza is a good time for those who want to enjoy the island without having to endure too much heat and without having to adjust to the cold winter winds.

In October there is a drastic decrease with respect to the amount of visitors that there are during the whole summer and even with the amount of people who still remain on the island for the last week of September. That means that you will be able to choose freely among the hotel offer of the island as well as in any other tourist, commercial and gastronomic service.

October is a significantly cheap month when compared to what you pay for a vacation during some of the summer dates or what you would spend if you visit the island during the Christmas holidays. In fact, you will start to notice the savings from the moment you buy your airline tickets and it will be even more noticeable when you book your accommodation.

I recommend that you take sunscreen and that you prioritize comfortable clothes. Footwear that is favorable for long walking sessions is important and it is preferable that you also bring some clothes that are elegant enough for a special occasion. That's because you never know when a plan comes up that requires a certain degree of aesthetic presence and it is preferable to be cautious in such situations.