Ibiza with Kids: A Family Holiday in October

When you think of Ibiza, family vacations probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. The island is internationally known for its nightlife, beach clubs, and summer parties, but there’s another side to Ibiza that makes it a surprisingly good destination for families.

We spent four nights in Ibiza during the last week of October with our four kids, ages 11, 8, 5, and 16 months. We stayed in Es Canar, on the northeast side of the island, where we enjoyed some late-season sunshine, plenty of pool time, kids’ activities, and evenings exploring the local restaurants.

After a fairly adventurous trip to the Italian Alps earlier in the year, the kids had requested a “proper vacation” – somewhere with a pool and activities rather than lots of sightseeing and walking! Ibiza turned out to be just what we needed.

Getting to Ibiza: Finding Affordable Flights for a Family of Six

One of the biggest expenses when traveling as a family of six is flights, especially when traveling during school holidays. I usually start by looking at flights before deciding on a destination, as finding an affordable route can make all the difference to our travel plans.

October half-term is one of my favorite times to travel around Europe. The peak summer crowds have gone, and although the weather is becoming cooler in many destinations, there are still plenty of places enjoying some sunshine. It’s also a great opportunity to escape the increasingly dreary weather in London!

The flights that caught my attention were a one-way ticket from London to Ibiza for just £165 for all six of us. That’s less than £28 per person!

The problem was finding an affordable flight home. Rather than paying the expensive return fares from Ibiza, I started looking at other destinations we could visit before flying back to London. Barcelona, Valencia, and Geneva were all possibilities, but we eventually settled on Valencia.

The flight from Ibiza to Valencia cost just £84 for all six of us (£14 per person), and our return flight from Valencia to London was £677.

Our total flights came to £926 for the family, which I thought was a pretty good deal for a week away during one of the busiest school holiday periods.

We also traveled with our family backpacks, which meant no additional luggage costs.

Where We Stayed: Hotel Leonardo Royal Ibiza Santa Eulalia

Finding accommodation for six people can be a challenge. Most standard hotel rooms don’t accommodate a family our size, and even when they do, spending the entire vacation in one room isn’t always ideal.

Our toddler still wakes up occasionally during the night, and the last thing we need is for everyone else to be woken up too!

I looked at several options on the more family-oriented side of Ibiza, around Es Canar Beach, and was pleasantly surprised by the prices.

We eventually booked the Hotel Leonardo Royal Ibiza Santa Eulalia, which cost us £581.46 for four nights. This included breakfast and two connecting rooms.

I was initially a little skeptical about how good a four-star resort could be at that price, but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived.

The connecting rooms were probably my favorite part of the accommodation. We had one double bed in each room, with a single sofa bed in one room and a travel crib in the other. We put the three older kids in one room and had the toddler with us in the other.

Having two bathrooms was particularly helpful, and we could leave the connecting door open so that we had plenty of space to spend time together. It also meant that if our toddler was napping, the rest of us could hang out in the other room without disturbing him.

After staying in hotels with separate, non-connecting rooms on previous trips, I can say that connecting rooms are something I’ll definitely look for in the future!

The rooms were a little dated, but they were clean, the beds were comfortable, and we had balconies with partial ocean views.

Breakfast and Dining

We opted for the breakfast package rather than all-inclusive. The hotel had a buffet restaurant, snack bar, and full bar, but as we don’t drink alcohol, the all-inclusive package didn’t offer much value for us.

There were also several restaurants within walking distance in Es Canar, which gave us plenty of options for dinner.

Breakfast was excellent, with freshly made omelets, pancakes, fresh fruit, and plenty of other choices. It was a great way to start the day before heading out to the pool.

The hotel also had a kids’ club, children’s activities, and evening entertainment, which made it particularly appealing for families.

What to Do in Ibiza with Kids

We spent most of our time enjoying the hotel facilities and exploring the nearby town. We weren’t looking for a packed sightseeing itinerary, and after our previous trip, everyone was happy to have a few days to relax.

1. Enjoy the Pools and Splash Park

The hotel has three swimming pools, but our favorite was the children’s pool and splash park.

There was a shallow pool with two slides, a small playground with swings, and a splash pad with sprinklers and water features. Our toddler particularly loved the alligator that sprayed water from its nose!

It was actually his first experience in a swimming pool, and although he wasn’t particularly interested in getting into the water, he could have spent all day playing in the splash park.

The weather was around 25°C (77°F) during our stay, which was lovely for spending time outside. However, the pool water was definitely on the chilly side in late October, so the kids didn’t spend quite as much time swimming as they might have during the summer.

If you’re visiting Ibiza this late in the season, it’s worth keeping in mind that sunny weather doesn’t necessarily mean warm swimming pools!

2. Take Advantage of the Kids’ Club and Hotel Activities

One of the things I appreciated most about this hotel was that there always seemed to be something happening.

The animation team organized daily activities for children, including face painting, games, and other entertainment. There was also a dedicated toddler room with playhouses, a slide, giant Connect Four, and large building blocks.

This was particularly nice for our youngest, as it gave him somewhere safe to run around and play.

The older kids enjoyed the kids’ club, which had soft play, climbing walls, and plenty of activities to keep them entertained.

3. Don’t Miss the Mini Disco!

The evening entertainment was one of the highlights of our stay.

Most evenings, the hotel organized a mini disco, which started at 8:30 PM. My kids are often a little hesitant to join in at first, but once they got onto the dance floor, they had an absolute blast.

The animation team was fantastic. They had so much energy, getting the children dancing, laughing, and eventually even encouraging the parents to join in!

One evening, the mini disco was followed by a magic show with a magician called Alexis Magic. I wasn’t expecting much, but it was surprisingly good and lasted over an hour.

There were some impressive tricks, including making a child appear to float in the air, and both my five-year-old and husband got involved as volunteers.

We enjoyed it so much that we stayed until the end, even though it was getting quite late for the kids!

4. Explore Es Canar

Es Canar is a relatively small town, but there are several restaurants and shops within walking distance of the hotel.

We enjoyed taking evening walks along the promenade and down by the beach. It was also a nice opportunity to let the kids choose a few small souvenirs.

There was a little funfair operating in the evenings, with bumper cars, a mini roller coaster, and a bungee trampoline.

The older kids particularly wanted to try the bungee trampoline, where they were strapped in and could jump high into the air. It was a fun little addition to our evenings!

I also managed to get out for a run one morning while the others stayed at the hotel. I always try to fit in a run when we travel because I find it’s a great way to get a feel for somewhere and cover more ground than I would walking with four kids.

Es Canar is quite small, and once you leave the town, the surrounding area is mostly made up of small farms. I had hoped to find a longer seaside promenade for my run, but the one along the beach was quite short, so most of my route ended up being on the roads.

5. Enjoy the Local Restaurants

Although we had breakfast at the hotel, we ate out for dinner each evening.

There were several restaurants to choose from in Es Canar, and we enjoyed having the flexibility to go out rather than being tied to the hotel buffet.

One of our favorite meals was at Restaurante La Perla, a casual Spanish restaurant where we ordered vegetable paella. It was excellent, and we were practically scraping the tray clean by the end!

Another evening, we ate at Il Carrettino Siciliano, a lovely little Italian restaurant with outdoor seating. The food was wonderful, and the staff were particularly friendly.

We also tried Restaurante Las Arenas, which was probably our least favorite meal of the trip. The food was fine, but nothing particularly memorable.

Overall, we were happy with the restaurant choices in Es Canar and enjoyed being able to walk to dinner each evening.

What About Ibiza’s Famous Nightlife?

Of course, Ibiza has a reputation as one of Europe’s biggest party destinations, and if you’re looking for nightlife, the island certainly delivers.

However, much of the famous club scene is concentrated around Ibiza Town and the southern part of the island. We stayed in Es Canar, on the northeast coast, which has a much more relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.

This wasn’t actually our first time visiting Ibiza. We first came about eight years ago, when we had a two-year-old and I was expecting our second child. We stayed at the Grand Palladium in Playa d’en Bossa and really enjoyed that trip too.

That was our first experience of an all-inclusive resort with a child, and we visited in April, during the first week that the hotel opened for the season.

We usually prefer visiting new destinations rather than returning to the same places, but we had such a good experience the first time that we were happy to give Ibiza another visit. Staying in a different part of the island also gave us the opportunity to experience somewhere new.

Is Ibiza Worth Visiting with Kids in October?

Absolutely!

We had four nights in Ibiza, and it was exactly the kind of break we needed. The kids had plenty of activities, we enjoyed some sunshine, and we had time to relax without feeling like we needed to be constantly sightseeing.

October is a particularly appealing time to visit if you’re looking for some late-season sunshine. We had temperatures around 25°C, although the swimming pools were a little chilly.

It’s also worth remembering that many hotels in Ibiza close for the winter, generally from November through April, so you’ll want to check that your chosen hotel and the facilities you want are open when you visit.

For families traveling during October half-term, Ibiza is definitely worth considering. You can enjoy a quieter side of the island, family-friendly accommodation, and some lovely autumn sunshine.

And for us, Ibiza was only half of the trip! We flew onward to Valencia for the second part of our Spanish getaway, which I’ll be sharing in a separate post.

Have you considered Ibiza for a family vacation? I think it’s a destination that deserves a little more recognition beyond its party reputation!