Boat & yacht charter in Ibiza & Formentera
Two islands, one day's sailing apart, and water that turns the colour of a swimming pool the moment you leave the port. Ibiza is the easiest place in the Mediterranean to spend a day afloat — and the one where the boat matters most.
Almost everything that makes Ibiza worth a charter happens on the west and south coasts, and on the crossing to Formentera. The island is small — you can round it in a long day — so the real decision is not where to go but what to leave from, because the port sets your first two hours.
Leaving from the right side of the island
The bay of Ibiza town concentrates the large units: Marina Botafoch, Marina Ibiza and Ibiza Magna sit within a few hundred metres of one another, facing Dalt Vila. It is the natural base for anything over fifteen metres, and the shortest run to Formentera — roughly an hour under power.
Sant Antoni, on the west coast, is the other logic entirely: closer to the sunset coast, to Cala Salada and Cala Comte, and the departure point for most of the smaller boats and jet-skis. Santa Eulària, on the east side, is quieter, cheaper, and better placed for the east-coast coves.
The crossing to Formentera
It is the single most requested day out, and the one that separates a good day from a queue. Ses Illetes and Espalmador are extraordinary and crowded from mid-July; the same anchorages in June or late September are close to empty. A boat that cruises at twenty knots turns the crossing into a formality — under ten knots, it eats the morning.
What to know before booking
Without a Spanish boating licence you are limited to engines of 15 hp, which in practice means a small open boat and short distances. Anything beyond that needs a licensed skipper aboard — which most charters here include as standard, and which is the sensible choice in August traffic anyway.
Where to board
Marina Botafoch
~428 berths, 6 to 30 m. The densest concentration of charter operators on the island.
Marina Ibiza
~425 berths, up to 60 m. Superyacht services, restaurants at the foot of the pontoons.
Ibiza Magna
~85 berths at the foot of the old town. The most sought-after address in the bay.
Club Nàutic Sant Antoni
West coast. Small boats, jet-skis and sunset departures.
Puerto Deportivo Santa Eulària
The largest number of berths on the island, boats up to 22 m. Quieter and cheaper.
La Savina, Formentera
The arrival port on Formentera — Marina de Formentera and Formentera Mar face each other.
Where to drop the hook
Ses Illetes, Formentera
The reference anchorage. Go early or go late in the season.
Es Vedrà
The rock off the southwest coast — the island's postcard, best at dusk.
Cala Comte & Cala Salada
West coast, shallow turquoise water, twenty minutes from Sant Antoni.
Espalmador
The islet between the two islands — a lagoon at low water.
Cala Jondal
South coast, beach clubs and tender traffic. Lively rather than quiet.
May to October. July and August are the peak — and the only months when the anchorages genuinely fill up. June and September give you the same water with half the boats.
Fast day-boats and RIBs for the Formentera run, catamarans for a family day at anchor, flybridge motor yachts from twelve metres up for a week between the two islands.
Roughly €150–250 a day for a licence-free boat, €600–1,500 for a day-boat with skipper, and €3,000–7,000+ a day for a crewed motor yacht in August.
Orders of magnitude observed on the market, not quotes. The real price depends on the boat, the week and what is included.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to rent a boat in Ibiza?
Not for engines up to 15 hp, which limits you to a small open boat close to shore. Anything faster or larger requires a recognised boating licence, or a skipper aboard — which we can arrange with the boat.
How long is the crossing to Formentera?
About an hour from the bay of Ibiza on a boat cruising at twenty knots, noticeably longer from Sant Antoni or on a slower hull. It is a short crossing, but an exposed one when the wind gets up in the afternoon.
When should I book for August?
The good boats in the popular size range go early — several months ahead for the first half of August. Late September, on the other hand, can still be arranged within the week.
Request a boat in Ibiza & Formentera
Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and what kind of day you have in mind. We come back with two or three boats that actually fit — from our network of owners and vetted fleets.