Back in the 1960s, Ibiza was the hotspot for all hippie in the Mediterranean and THE place to be for flower people, dropouts and bohemians, who settled on this paradisiac and mystical island to live a life full of self-determination, freedom and peace.
Far away from today’s hustle and bustle you can still find spiritual and magical places on the island. The earlier hippie culture has left its marks and parts of its traditions have been preserved on the island. In the following article we summarized Ibiza´s best hippie spots for you.
Hippie markets
Due to that the most hippies are creative minds they trade in objects that they crafted according to their needs of their lifestyles. Over the years the so called hippie markets became very popular and a ramble across these markets is almost mandatory. They are one site where the hippie culture lives on and disperse over the entire island offering a wide range of fashion, jewelry, art and handicrafts. From crockery to wind chimes, from flower power accessories to antiques, Ibiza likes it color- and playful.
The oldest and most popular one is Punta Arabi in Es Canár.
Every Wednesday from 10:00 am to 06:00 pm artisans from all over the world offer anything a hippie heart desires. Once founded in 1973 by a few local artists it grew over the decades to the largest hippie market of the island with more than 500 booths. Besides the selling stands you’ll find many restaurants with diversified food. At the so called “Calle de los artesanos” you can watch artists manufacture their products and enjoy live music and performances at the “La carpa” – tent. Street performer, musicians and also workshops for children complete the program.
Another institution is Las Dalias in San Carlos. This market was born in 1985 and opens its gates every Saturday all year round. Besides shopping and a range of culinary spots that will satisfy your cravings, you can enjoy a massage or get a little future sight. Musical accompaniment will be provided by the dj’s of Las Dalias at the “Soul Bar” in the afternoon. In addition to that there is a night market in the summer season, which takes place every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am. It is less big and feels more cozy and a kind of mystical through the different lights and colors of the illuminated booths. Here you’ll find local arts exclusively featured on these night markets.
A very special event for all the hippie era lovers is definitely the Namasté Festival every Wednesday. The combination of oriental decoration, sounds from all over the world, good energy and lots of Ibiza vibes makes it that special.
Boho fashion and Ibiza Styles
World Family Ibiza is a family business selling handmade boho fashion. With now 3 stores on the island, they offering accessories from materials of different cultures, a combination of leather and embroidery which they have collected on their family trips. The store “In The Campo” is located in the middle of the nature nearby San Carles.
Ashalak Ibiza is a boho fashion brand with a little store in San Carles. They represent the free spirit of Ibiza with their colorful and unique creations made with love and from fabrics they have collected from all over the world.
Hippie bars
Anita’s Bar is located in the north-east of Ibiza, in Sant Carles. This little historical bar was an important meeting point in the hippie era including rentable mail boxes and a telephone booth which the people could stay in touch with the outside world
or just come together and have a chat. Nowadays Anita’s Bar has not lost its charme and is very popular for its homemade herbal liqueur and good tapas to reasonable prices.
A visit at Bar Costa brings you to Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera, a picturesque village in the upcountry of Ibiza, where a lot of artists have been settled, such as musicians, sculptors and painters. Their art spread throughout the village and decorate also the walls of Bar Costa where they were formerly used as an instrument of payment. Bar Costa is well-known for their ham specialities, like Serano or Iberico bocadillos.
The lovely Comidas Bar San Juan is located in Ibiza’s old town. It is named by the birthplace of the owner and comes from the original idea to bring together the indigenous people with the hippies to get to know each other better. The atmosphere is relaxed and lively and the food is simple but super fresh.
Hippie beaches
The most famous hippie beach on Ibiza is Cala Benirrás on the northwest side of the island. This place gained fame because of its stunning sunsets and the drum sessions hosted by local artists celebrating the end of the day. The highlight happens every sunday evening when the session is attended by hundreds of curious spectators. Fire and performance artists of any kind are joining the spectacle. You can also find a little hippie market at the nearby beach restaurant Elements. Make sure to arrive early because it can get very crowded, especially in high season.
In Ibiza you can also find a few beaches, where nudism lovers find their right spot, such as Aguas Blancas in the northeast with its adorable Chiringuito. This family owned location looks almost the same like in den 1970s. It belongs to a little hostal above the beach, the Hostal Sa Plana which is a homely hideaway. Another naturism beach you’ll find near Playa d’en Bossa named
Es Cavallet, nearby the reserve Ses Salines. If the weather is good you can even see Ibiza´s sister island Formentera.
Magical & spiritual places
In search of magic and spirituality the hippies have found their places on the island.
The area around Es Vedrá and the so called Bay of Atlantis are the most significant spots. Located in the southwest of the island, the two rocks of Es Vedrá rises majestically out of the sea and you can feel its magic especially during sunset.
The rock is known for a lot of myths such as that it is the last visible part of Atlantis.
Sa Pedrera (Atlantis) is another magical spot and became a meeting point for gypsy souls and free spirits from all over the world. The square rock formations along the bay were created in the 16th century by stone mining, but for the hippies these stones are part of the sunken city Atlantis to which they felt very attracted.
Es Amunts is a nature reserve in the north of Ibiza which occupies a quarter of the island area. A wild beauty with fields, torrents, mountains and cliffs where landscape, customs and traditions of the island are best preserved.
It is the right place for getting in contact with nature and a magnet for free spirits.
