There are padel courts in every part of Ibiza, and you can generally get one at a few hours' notice outside the early evening. Most clubs take bookings through the Playtomic app, which is how the island books courts, and several also match you with players if you arrive without four.
Padel is the standard Spanish racket sport rather than a holiday novelty, so the courts here are used by people who live on the island. That is worth knowing: the 19:00 to 21:00 slots are the hard ones to get.
Where the courts are
Club de Campo, just outside Ibiza Town, is the largest: thirteen courts, indoor and outdoor, with a restaurant, a gym and a pool on the same site. Indoor courts matter more than they sound, both for August afternoons and for the occasional wet week in spring.
The Bubble Club at San Antonio has six padel courts and two tennis courts, with a gym, a shop and food on site.
Beyond those, Can Padel is also in San Antonio, Punt Groc is at Santa Eulalia, Punto d'Oro at Es Canar, Padel Club San Jose in the south-west, and Bfit in Ibiza Town. Between them there is a court within twenty minutes of anywhere you are likely to be staying.
How booking works
Download Playtomic and book the slot directly. Courts are booked by the hour and you pay per court rather than per person, so four players is the sensible number.
Rackets are hired at every club, which means you do not need to travel with one. Balls are usually included or sold at the desk.
If you are two rather than four, the app's open-match function puts you into a game with players of roughly your level. That is the normal way people play here and it is not awkward.
When to play
Early morning or after eight in summer. Outdoor courts in the middle of a July afternoon are hard work, and this is the argument for the indoor courts at Club de Campo.
Spring and autumn are the good seasons for it: the courts are quieter, the temperature is right all day, and the clubs are not competing with the beach.
Quick answers
Do you need to book ahead? A few hours is usually enough, except for 19:00 to 21:00, which goes early.
How do you book? Through Playtomic at most clubs on the island.
Can you hire a racket? Yes, at every club.
Can you play if you are only two? Yes, through the app's open matches.
Are there indoor courts? Yes, at Club de Campo, which is the answer for August afternoons and wet days.
Is it good with children? Padel is easier to pick up than tennis, so yes from about eight upwards.
Worth knowing
Padel is a good answer for the parts of a week that the beach does not cover: a wet morning, a day when the wind is up, or the afternoon when nobody wants more sun. It is also one of the few things on the island that costs the same in August as it does in March.
If you are here out of season and looking for the rest of what still works, our guide to Ibiza weather by month sets out what each month gives you.