10 Things to Do in Ibiza in August

Most of the best things to do in Ibiza take place in the summer and it's in August that there's a very interesting cultural agenda that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to this beautiful Spanish Mediterranean destination. It is the epicentre of summer partying across the country and a benchmark for what a northern hemisphere holiday can be like in a southern European destination.

So the best thing to do is to familiarise yourself with the activities you could enjoy and the places you could see during this month. For your convenience, I have compiled 10 plans that can offer you the best of this beautiful island from the beginning of August until the last week of the most touristy month of the year.

The calendar of traditional August festivities in Ibiza begins with the celebrations of the Day of Our Lady of Las Nieves, the patron saint of Ibiza and Formentera for the Catholic religion. As you can imagine, it's quite a busy event, starting with a 7pm mass at the island's cathedral and usually ending with a concert in the Parque Reina Sofia.

This day is celebrated on the 5th of August every year and traditionally those attending both the mass and the concert wear white to represent the purity of the Virgin Mary. This can be a good opportunity to start the August tourist itinerary in Ibiza, as it represents the best combination of the traditions of this community with the festive character that now defines the island for international tourism.

Both the mass and the concert are completely free activities and you can be sure that in Parque Reina Sofia you will find some food stalls as well as alcoholic drinks. These will help you get in the mood to continue the night in some of the famous clubs in the south of Ibiza such as Pachá or Ushuaia.

Three days after the celebration of Our Lady of the Snows, on the 8th of August, there is another traditional religious evening of even greater size and importance among the local population. This is the Fiestas de San Ciriaco and it differs in that the activities usually start from mid-morning until late in the evening.

The first thing that takes place on this special date is a concert by a local band, which is usually one of the Ibiza City orchestra. This is followed by a procession to the Sant Cirac hermitage that starts the holy mass and then a series of traditional dance performances that captivate all the tourists who join in this beautiful tradition.

In the afternoon, there is usually a public snack in which almost always hundreds of paellas are prepared and offered free of charge to anyone who is present in the area around the archaeological site of Puig des Molins. The celebration continues well after dark with all the participants drinking and singing in the best street party style and at around midnight over the port of Ibiza a fireworks display is set off to close the evening.

This event is so entertaining that it should not be missed on your itinerary if you are having a 3 day trip to Ibiza during the week of the 8th of August. Nor should you miss the opportunity to enjoy it if you're staying on the island for the whole month.

Art can be proactive and immersive, and it's under this philosophy that a festival called BLOOP is held in Ibiza year after year, from the first of August until the penultimate weekend of the month. It's a circuit of events that take place both in Ibiza Town and San Antonio de Abad and usually includes photographic exhibitions, lots of live music performances, contemporary art shows and lots of street and conceptual art.

The festival also often organises educational workshops for children and adults that aim to bridge the gap between modern art and the average consumer. There are discussion forums and all kinds of parties that revolve around these art exhibitions. These aim to democratise this aspect of culture for all the tourists who flood the streets of Ibiza throughout the month of August.

Keep in mind that the schedule of events changes every year, so the best way to be sure which activities coincide with your visit to the island is to check the festival's official website.

San Antonio de Abad also has traditional fiestas like those held in Ibiza Town and the celebrations of the patron saint of this community, San Bartolomé, are also worth a visit. Basically, this is an extensive itinerary of activities and events that usually begins in the second week of the month and extends beyond the 24th of August, the day of Sant Bartomeu itself.

The most important of all are those that take place on the 24th of August itself, as theatrical performances, traditional dances and street parties are organised throughout the city, following a procession that marks the beginning of the solemn mass for the festivity.

At midnight there will also be a fireworks display that will light up the entire bay. Visiting the area that same week is a good idea if you want to party in traditional Ibiza style, but didn't get the chance to do so during the patron saint festivities earlier in the month.

Every year between July and August there is a meteor shower that has extremely favourable visibility from Mediterranean Europe, and the clear skies over Ibiza are an excellent opportunity to enjoy this cosmic event during your tourist visit to the island.

There is no specific date on which you are guaranteed to see this meteor shower, but it is traditionally believed that between the 11th and 13th of August is when you have the best visibility of the event. In turn, its popular name of Tears of Saint Lawrence has to do with the fact that the 10th of August is the day of this martyr of Catholicism.

Clearly, this is one of the best activities to do with children in Ibiza due to the fact that it is a safe, family-friendly and completely free plan. There are different ways to enjoy the event, but I would advise you most enthusiastically to have an evening picnic in a field in one of the inland villages of the island or you could also go and spend the night in a cove close to your hotel accommodation.

August 28th marks the end of the cycle of folkloric celebrations in Ibiza with the Fiestas de Sant Augusti, which take place in the picturesque village that bears the same name as its patron saint. As with all the other events of this style that I've mentioned in this list, the Fiestas de Sant Augusti usually last for a whole week. It is characterised by local bands playing the folk music of the Balearic Islands as well as a vibrant gastronomic offer that is maintained throughout the week of events.

It is an excellent idea to stop by the area for a visit for these patron saint festivities as this village is on your way to the beaches and coves that are located on the southeastern tip of the island. So planning a snorkelling excursion in Ibiza for the same date that you intend to stop by for the Sant Augusti celebrations is logistically favourable.

Bear in mind that the viewpoints near Es Vedrà can also be an ideal place to enjoy the sunset after lunch or watch a show in the schedule of events of this picturesque island tradition.

All over Europe, it's very common to take advantage of the summer to do as many outdoor activities as possible. Going to the open-air cinema is one of them, as all sorts of projection screens are set up to give tourists and locals alike the chance to enjoy a starry night of cinema in some of the most iconic corners of the city.

That's just what happens all over Ibiza, as each town usually organises a couple of classic and Spanish film screenings to show a more interesting side to visitors to the island. If you find such a plan captivating, I can highlight the screenings that are usually held at the Baluarte de San Pedro in the historic centre of Ibiza Town.

This is due to the fact that the selection of films is usually of the highest quality year after year and also because it is an excellent opportunity to enjoy this part of the city in comfort in a month like August. August is usually full of tourists and therefore there are not as many opportunities to intimately enjoy one of the island's architectural treasures.

Keep in mind that most of the film screenings tend to be allocated for those weeks in August that do not coincide with traditional celebrations such as the ones I have mentioned. But at the same time this is still one of those things to see and do in Ibiza during the summer, from mid-June to mid-September.

It's a bit curious that one of the best things to do in Ibiza during August is to leave the island for a couple of hours to visit neighbouring Formentera. However, there are very specific reasons that make this trip an ideal plan during this month, and one of them is the same influx of tourists that defines Ibiza throughout August.

At no other time of the year is there as much shopping and accommodation on offer in Formentera as in August. This means that you can experience the island to the fullest for a couple of days or even for a few hours.

At the same time, a trip to Formentera from Ibiza is also advisable in August because of the fact that prices on the island can be a favourable gap between the pace of spending in Ibiza. Formentera's accommodation and transport rates within some of the package tours that abound throughout the season can be seen to be thrifty. Boat trips and similar activities fall into the same category.

During the month of August, the town council organises dramatised visits with guides dressed in medieval costumes who show you the most important points of the old quarter of Ibiza Town, which is known as Dalt Vila. They are usually organised on Saturdays at dusk, but during the summer season, specifically in August, the schedules are usually doubled and tripled in order to meet the tourist demand.

This is one of the best activities to do in Ibiza because it combines the history of the island with its architectural beauty and a bit of entertainment. At the same time, it is a very different plan to the type of tourism that is handled in August on the island. The focus is more on the party-till-dawn world of Ibiza's famous nightclubs.

Bear in mind that this is not a free activity, as you have to pay a fee of around 10 euros for non-resident adults and 5 euros for children between 7 and 16 years of age. There are family group rates and the best way to book a place on this experience is through the Ibiza Town Hall website.

One of the activities that tourists enjoy most during the month of August in Ibiza beyond the party circuit or the island's beautiful beaches is the opportunity to have a completely free mud bath in the best style of a luxurious and exclusive spa.

It's not too difficult to find somewhere that allows you to soak in a mud lagoon, as the cove of Aigües Blanques and Cala Xarraca are two corners of the island that are known for attracting visitors looking to take advantage of the rejuvenating and therapeutic properties of clay. These range from preventing skin diseases to relieving the inflammatory processes of osteoarthritis.

If you find the idea interesting, you also have the option of getting to these sites on some of the best bike tours in Ibiza, as long as they form part of the route planned by the guide. If that doesn't seem feasible, don't worry, as both of these places are accessible by car.

August is the hottest month of the summer in Ibiza and that means that the average temperature every day will be around 30 degrees Celsius. In the evenings it may drop to 21 degrees Celsius, but don't be surprised if your mobile phone tells you that the temperature has reached 38 degrees Celsius at midday, as this is more common each year than the previous one.

August is the busiest month of the year for tourists and that means that everywhere you go you will have to deal with waits for service. In fact, the best recommendation I can make to ensure you make yourself comfortable with your tourist itinerary is to book as many plans as possible in advance, whether it's a simple restaurant visit or something more important like a hotel room.

July and August are also the most expensive months of the year to visit Ibiza. Which is logical, as this is the season of highest demand on an island that seems to be created exclusively for mass tourism.

That's why opting for alternative and traditional plans like the ones I've recommended that are closer to the lifestyle of the community living on the island is a good idea to save money. Buying your plane tickets well in advance and also booking your hotel at the same time are essential.

As August is the hottest month of the year and heat waves seem to be the order of the day for this time of the summer, it's best to pack versatile, durable and highly breathable clothing. The idea is that you can spend your whole trip knowing that you have clothes for both a sporty and informal context as well as for an elegant dinner in a closed venue.

Don't forget the sunscreen and the comfort of your shoes is another key factor to keep in mind when packing your suitcase for your trip to Ibiza in August.