Fun facts about Ibiza

Many people know Ibiza for a few famous elements like Ushuaïa or hippie markets, but they don’t know much about the island itself. That’s why I love to share a blog with you, full of fun facts you need to know about Ibiza!

Fun facts about Ibiza

How old is the island?
Ibiza arose 8 million years ago, because the land was pushed up above sea level by nature. And for a very long time it was just… raw nature!

When did the first people come?

The first signs of humans go back to 3000 years before Christ. Only in 654 before Christ the island was officially named Ibiza by the Phoenicians, as one of the first cities of Europe!

What is the size of Ibiza?

The island is about 571 km² with just 20 km of width and 35 km in length. From East to West it’s +- 30 minutes by car and from North to South on the longest route maximum 60 minutes.

How many people live on Ibiza?

In 2025 there’s about 160.000 people who actually live on the island. Ibiza town and Santa Eulalia are the two cities with the most residents.

How many tourists visit Ibiza per year?

Knowing how small the island is, this will be a shock… Around 3 million tourists come to Ibiza per year! And that’s mainly in high season, so you can imagine that it gets busy during the peak of July and August.

What is the famous animal of Ibiza?

There are two animals that are very connected to Ibiza. One is a type of dog called ‘Podenco ibicenco’. This breed is quite tall, thin and meant to hunt.

But the real ‘spirit animal’ of Ibiza is the ‘Podarcis pityusensis’ lizard. Usually beautifully green/blue and on Formentera they shine even brighter.

Also cool to know: you can spot flamingo’s on the island in the Salinas area.

What is the most famous Ibiza product?

From early on Ibiza is famous for salt – ’the white gold’. In the area where you find the flamingo’s there are salt mines (which is protected nature) and it’s being sold in turquoise packaging, that you can’t miss in sourvenir shops!

Which drink is the most famous for Ibiza?

If you drink alcohol you must try ‘Hierbas de Ibiza’. It’s a kind of liqueur made with herbs that grow on the island. And if you don’t drink alcohol like me: they also have perfume and skincare products 😉

What about famous dishes on Ibiza?

Ofcourse you’ll find many Spanish dishes on the island like paella, tapas and squid. Two desserts that are famous for Ibiza are Flaó (something like cheesecake) and Greixonera (something like a pudding).

Is there traditional dance & music?

There’s a famous traditional dance called ‘Baile Payés’ where the man courts the woman. The sound that you hear during this dance is from ‘castanets.’

And what about the language?

As Ibiza is very international you can usually just speak English, as most people do. But there’s still locals who don’t speak English. With them you’ll need to communicate in Spanish (or sometimes they speak Catalan).

Because of all tourists, you’ll often hear Dutch, German and Italian too.

What is the most common religion on Ibiza?

The most common religion on Ibiza is Catholic, but spirituality has also always been a big factor on the island. Famous gods connected to the island are Tanit and Bes (they are seen of the protectors of the island).

Last but not least: Ibiza = Unesco

Many people don’t know that Ibiza is actually on the Unesco world heritage list. They mention the posidonia (seagrass), Sa Caleta (settlement), Puig des Molins (necropolis) and ofcourse the Dalt Vila (old town).

The island has many protected areas, thankfully. And did you know that Es Vedra is the third most magnetic place in the world!? You can imagine why so many people love to come to the island.

If you come, please respect the people and the nature, so we can all keep enjoying it with consciousness!

Love Mariëlle