By Euronews Travel
Published on
The hugely popular Spanish island of Ibiza has started limiting the number of tourist cars and caravans that can visit.
From 1 June to 30 September, the number of vehicles used by non-residents will be capped at 20,168.
Only 16,000 of these vehicles will be allowed to be rental cars. The other 4,108 will be for tourists who want to disembark with their cars in Ibiza from the ports of Barcelona, Denia, Valencia, or Palma.
To visit Ibiza with your car, you’ll need to get a permit, which costs €1 per day. You can check if you need to apply for this yourself or if the ferry company will handle it for you, and apply for the necessary permit via anew official website set up by the Consell de Ibiza.
Caravans now also need to show that they have a booking at a campsite. They’ll no longer be able to enter the island if they plan to wild camp or park at the side of the road.
Motorbikes are currently exempt from the seasonal restrictions on vehicles.
Why has Ibiza imposed restrictions on tourist vehicles?
The move is intended to tackle overtourism on the island, which has around 160,000 residents but receives more than 3 million tourists a year.
The number of cars on Ibiza’s roads has quadrupled over the last 20 years, rising from 51,000 in 2002 to 207,000 in 2022. It is hoped the new cap will help ease traffic problems and support more sustainable tourism on the island.
In a bid to tackle the rising anti-tourism sentiment, the island’s government has also imposed limits on cruise ship arrivals and cracked down on illegal short-term rentals.
Will other Balearic Islands also start restricting tourist vehicles?
Each year, the Balearic Islands attract around 19 million tourists – a pretty sizable portion of Spain’s 94 million annual visitors.
The Council of Mallorca is also looking to apply restrictions on tourist vehicles from next year. It is set to publish a draft law very soon and will likely introduce similar rules from summer 2026.
The President of the Council of Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, has said a maximum number of vehicles will be set, with preference given to electric or non-polluting vehicles.
The small island of Formentera, around 20km south of Ibiza, already restricts the number of tourist vehicles during the summer months. Quad bikes, caravans and motorhomes aren’t allowed during this period.
From 1 June to 30 September, visitors, including those with their own vehicles or rental cars, need to apply for a permit on the Formentera Eco website.
The permit costs €6 per day, with a minimum amount of €30 regardless of how long you stay, for cars and €3 per day, with a minimum amount of €15, for motorbikes. Hybrid vehicles get a 50 per cent discount, while electric vehicles are exempt from the fee.
But, spanning only 19km from end to end, it is easy to explore Formentera without a car. Visitors can rent a bike or simply walk the island’s network of traffic-free rural paths and tracks.
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