When the yachts start leaving after the summer season and the summer tourists pack their suitcases to go home, people assume that Ibiza becomes an empty island of a few locals until the next high season.
But Ibiza has much more to offer than just the summer vibes with packed beach parties and clubs.
Celebrating Christmas is probably the last thing that comes to mind when thinking of Ibiza, but the island is full of surprises, traditions, and celebrations during that time of year.
Along with traditional holiday festivities, you can find an extraordinary range of activities that you won’t find anywhere else for a truly unique experience.
Due to Ibiza’s warm and stable climate, there are numerous vineyards sprinkled across the island.
If you’re a wine enthusiast, a great destination is the charming town of San Miguel on the Northern side of Ibiza.
During the Christmas season, vineyards will welcome you and let you taste the finest wines produced on the island while getting into the Christmas spirit.
Most vineyards will most likely welcome you warmly to take a look at their wine-making processes, take a walk through the vineyard, taste their wines paired with local cheeses and delicacies, and perhaps even offer a tasty meal.
If you arrive with a group of friends, we recommend booking a wine party at a vineyard where you can spend a delightful day or evening in the company of good friends surrounded by Christmas decorations and beautiful views.
The wines produced in Ibiza are red wines from grapes like Monastrell, Tempranillo, and Syrah. White wines are made from Malvasia, Macabeo, and Xarel-lo grapes. Rosé wines are also produced along with the growing trend of organic and biodynamic wines from wineries concentrating on more sustainable practices.
Sluiz is probably one of the wildest shops in Europe with eccentric artifacts collected by a Dutch couple that initially started out with a roadside shop near Santa Gertrudis. Today, it has a surface area of around 6000 m2 packed with eye-catching and carefully curated products.
The owners sure like to have fun, and Christmas time is one of the highlights of the year and not to be missed. This is a spare-nothing type of season for Sluiz where the decorations are abundant, even though one would think it’s hard to decorate this shop further.
During the holidays the shop turns into a market full of quirky and unique souvenirs, clothing, home décor, and fascinating objects.
This is also the season for special events so they may host workshops, art exhibitions and you can also take a break with a warm hot chocolate or mulled wine to get into the Christmas spirit. Their flying cows surrounding the shop will be one of the first things you see before entering what could be one of the most unforgettable Christmas activities you’ve ever experienced.
One of the most energizing ways to enter the new year is attending the much-anticipated Circoloco New Year’s Day parties at DC-10. This bar-turned-nightclub was supposed to be named “U2”, but because of eventual copyright problems, it was named “DC-10” which was the biggest aircraft at the time. Why? Because the venue is located at the end of the airport runway with airplanes taking off right above the club!
Their New Year’s party always involves top DJs from around the globe creating an electrifying atmosphere with techno and electronic beats pulsating from one year to the next.
A special tradition of the party is a unique countdown before midnight. Instead of saying “three, two, one” like most parties, at DC-10 it’s backwards—or perhaps rather forwards. Right before midnight the partygoers chant the famous “one, two, three” which has become known as the 1/123 tradition. Start the new year the right way in one of the most iconic clubs on the island.
Get ready to party for twelve hours in one of the most legendary clubs on Ibiza for an extravagant New Year’s celebration with spectacular shows, DJs, lights, and smoke. This is one of the biggest parties on the island and you’ll feel like you’re in a surreal bubble surrounded by hundreds of dancing people.
For the Christmas festivities, Amnesia makes sure to go all in with the decorations, and famous DJs making sure that you are ready to enter the new year with a great vibe.
Amnesia has been around since the 70s when a young philosopher named Antonio Escohotado first named the place “The Workshop of Forgetfulness”. The theory behind this was that people would enter and leave their worries outside, but he later discovered the word “amnesia” which he preferred.
The night club has not only attracted famous DJs, but also celebrities like Leonardo di Caprio, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bono, Mick Jagger, and many more.
There are several Christmas markets sprinkled all over Ibiza in different towns and villages. They will definitely spark that Christmas feeling with lovely decorations, activities for adults and children, performances, sales of local delicacies and a chance to nibble on some Christmas snacks or a warm drink.
Enter one of the island’s cathedrals or churches to experience the Midnight Mass and the Caramelles de Nadal which are musical compositions played on Christmas Eve. These compositions are executed by a choir accompanied by a drum, a flute and an “espasi” which is a metal instrument with a sword-like appearance.
Join the locals in an unconventional New Year’s Day tradition which is a group swim that takes place around the island. Imagine running into the water with hundreds of people to start the year. You can find group events like this that also include festivities with champagne and food after the refreshing dip.
Get that warm Christmas feeling by participating in a cooking class. The holidays are about sharing and caring, especially around a delicious meal. You can learn how to make Mediterranean dishes and their Christmas delicacies.
One of them is the Salsa de Nadal which is a sweet soup accompanied by a biscuit. The soup’s ingredients are quite surprising for a dessert though and it may be an acquired taste. The recipes go far back with each family and consist of eggs, chicken and lamb broth, almonds, sugar, saffron, salt, and pepper. You can also hire a private chef to your private villa to teach you how to make traditional Ibizan Christmas treats.
Head to a venue that shows Flamenco shows where you can be enticed by the rhythmic tapping of shoes combined with the extravagant, swift, and elegant movements of this traditional Spanish dance. Or immerse yourself even more by taking Flamenco classes so that you can join one of the many Flamenco dance events that take place across the island.
Participate in activities that are relaxing yet engaging like learning how to make local handicrafts in one of the island’s many workshops. Perhaps you can make the souvenirs for your loved ones at home instead of buying them. You can find workshops that propose classes in pottery, ceramics and many other local arts which can be fun for travelers of all ages.
Enjoy a delectable Ibizan Christmas feast! We recommend booking your Christmas dinner in advance as restaurants can be booked up quite early. You can find restaurants and hotels serving Christmas menus online so that you can celebrate around a wonderful meal. Other options are finding Christmas festivals or markets that serve traditional dishes or buying local produce and cooking in the comfort of your own holiday home.
Take part in the cava and grape tradition for New Year’s Eve! The Spanish have a special tradition at midnight, and it is eating 12 grapes. If you manage to eat all of them, you will have good luck for all of the twelve months ahead. In several towns around the island, you can celebrate this tradition with festivities, cava, dancing, party hats, and a great atmosphere.
The Christmas spirit is all about giving, caring and being grateful for what we have. This time of year, there are many fundraisers in Ibiza that will help the locals in many ways. As Ibiza and its locals give so much to visitors, they would probably be grateful for a little bit of help to sustain the friendly, generous, and welcoming Ibizan lifestyle.
The more you engage with locals during your trip, the more inside tips you will get. Like for example which villages have a giant paella to share in their town square? Where can the bonfires be found and where’s a good spot to enjoy fireworks on New Year’s Eve? If you stop by small coffee or tea bars, the owners are usually very happy to share their knowledge with you. Enjoy your holidays!
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