San Jose is a village on the main road between Ibiza Town and the west, and it gives its name to the largest municipality on the island. That covers everything from the airport round to Cala Comte, taking in the salt flats, Es Vedra and most of the good beaches. The village is the practical middle of it rather than a destination in itself.
It has an eighteenth-century church, one main street, a good run of restaurants and a Saturday morning market, and it is about fifteen minutes from the coast in three directions. We have set out the village and then what sits below it, because the second is usually why people stay here.
The village
The church is the landmark, white with a covered porch, and the square in front of it is where the village happens. Along the main street there are a handful of kitchens, a bakery, a couple of shops and the town hall.
The Saturday morning market is an ecological food and craft market, roughly 10:00 to 14:00 from April to mid-October, and it is the small, local end of the island's market scene.
Below the village
The west coast is the reason. Cala Vadella, Cala Molí and Cala Tarida are all within fifteen minutes, with Cala Comte and Cala Bassa a little further north. South, the road runs down to Cala d'Hort and the view of Es Vedra, which is the best sunset on the island.
The other direction, towards the airport, brings you to the salt flats and the two beaches at the end of them, which we cover in our guide to the salt flats and flamingos.
Sa Talaia
Behind the village, Sa Talaia is the highest point on Ibiza at 475 metres, and a track climbs it from the edge of the village. It takes about an hour up, and the view runs the length of the island and across to Formentera. This is the standard walk here, and it is best done early.
Good to know before you book
Inland means driving to the beach. Nothing is far, and nothing is walkable either.
The village sits on a main road. It is a working village rather than a quiet one, and the through traffic is part of it.
The airport is fifteen minutes, which is the shortest transfer of any of the inland villages.
Quick answers
Where is San Jose? In the south-west, on the main road between Ibiza Town and the west coast.
What is it known for? Being the base for the west coast beaches, and for Sa Talaia behind it.
Is there a market? Yes, an ecological food and craft market on Saturday mornings, April to mid-October.
How far is the airport? About fifteen minutes.
How far are the beaches? Ten to twenty minutes, in three directions.
Is it walkable? The village is. The coast is not.
Who it suits
San Jose suits people who want the west coast without staying on it, and anyone who would rather be fifteen minutes from several beaches than sitting on one. It works for groups splitting their days, and it is the easiest inland base to reach from the airport.