Stand on a terrace at Marina Botafoch on a summer evening and the whole case for the address is in front of you: yachts on the pontoons below, the harbour beyond, and Dalt Vila across the water, the walls of the old town lit gold as the sun goes down behind them. It is the most recognisable view in Ibiza Town, and from here you are looking at it rather than standing in it.
Marina Botafoch is Ibiza’s best known waterfront address. It is the marina on the north side of the harbour, the promenade of restaurants, hotels and boutiques that runs along it, and the apartment buildings that look over both. Within a short walk you have the old town, the beach at Talamanca, the island’s only casino and its most famous nightclub. Very few places on the island let you live without a car. This is one of them.
It is also an address that is easy to misunderstand. It is an apartment market, not a villa market. It is lively for a reason, and in August that reason is very audible. And the rules on holiday letting here are different from what many buyers assume. This guide covers where Marina Botafoch sits and how daily life works, the buildings and what separates them, prices and tax, the questions specific to the marina itself, and the checks worth making before committing.
What Marina Botafoch actually is
Marina Botafoch takes its name from the Botafoc peninsula, the headland that closes the harbour of Ibiza Town to the north east, with its lighthouse and long breakwater. The marina itself was built under a state concession granted in 1984 and has been in full operation since 1987. It has 428 berths for boats from 6 up to 30 metres, a fuel dock, a boatyard with a travel lift, and it is an official port of entry into Spain. Since 2019 the marina itself has traded as Botafoc Ibiza, operated by Ocibar, although almost everyone still calls the whole district Marina Botafoch.
Around it grew a district. The marina is lined with commercial units: restaurants, cafés, bars, boutiques, yacht brokers and service companies. Behind and above them sit the residential buildings, most of them apartments with terraces facing the moorings or the harbour. The Paseo Juan Carlos I runs along the landward side, with Ibiza Gran Hotel and the casino at one end, and Pacha just across the road.
Three things define the address.
It is urban. This is part of Ibiza Town, the island’s capital, and it functions as a neighbourhood rather than a resort. People live here through the winter, which cannot be said of much of the coast.
The view is the product. The best apartments look west across the harbour to Dalt Vila, the UNESCO listed fortified old town. Others look over the marina, towards Talamanca bay, or inland. All of them are sold as Marina Botafoch, and the differences between them are worth a great deal of money.
It is a market of apartments and penthouses. If you want a garden, a private pool and a plot, you are looking in the wrong place, and the hillsides above Jesús, Can Furnet and Cap Martinet are ten minutes away. Marina Botafoch is for people who want the waterfront and the town on the doorstep, and are happy to trade land for it.
Where is Marina Botafoch
The marina occupies the north side of the port of Ibiza, between the town centre and Talamanca bay. Approximate times, worth testing yourself in August:
– Talamanca beach: around 10 minutes on foot
– Ibiza Town centre, the port and Vara de Rey: around 10 to 15 minutes on foot along the harbour front
– Dalt Vila: around 20 to 25 minutes on foot, or a short taxi ride
– Jesús village: around 5 minutes by car
– Ibiza Golf Club at Roca Llisa: around 10 minutes by car
– Ibiza airport: around 15 minutes by car
The practical argument is that almost everything happens on foot. Restaurants, the beach, the shops of the town, the market and the evening walk along the harbour are all within reach without moving the car, and in high summer, when parking anywhere in Ibiza Town becomes a project in itself, that matters more than it sounds.
The honest caveat is the same as the attraction. Marina Botafoch sits at the centre of Ibiza Town’s evening life. The marina terraces are busy late, the Paseo Juan Carlos I carries a steady stream of taxis through the night in season, and Pacha is a neighbour. For some buyers that is exactly the point. For others it is a reason to choose a particular building, a particular orientation or a higher floor, and it is something to experience on a Saturday night in August before buying rather than imagining from a viewing in March.
The buildings
The housing stock at Marina Botafoch falls broadly into three groups, and understanding which one you are looking at is the most useful thing to grasp before you start viewing.
The original marina buildings. Much of the frontline stock dates from the years in which the marina was developed, in the late 1980s and 1990s. These are apartments directly above or beside the moorings, many with excellent terraces and the best views in the district. Their condition varies widely. Some have been comprehensively renovated to a very high standard. Others retain original layouts, kitchens and bathrooms, and in some cases building systems that are showing their age.
The newer residential buildings. More recent schemes have brought a different product: contemporary architecture, communal pools and gardens, gyms, concierge services, underground parking and specification aimed squarely at international buyers. Several new developments have been marketed in and around the marina in the last couple of years, ranging from schemes of two and three bedroom apartments set back towards Talamanca to boutique frontline buildings designed by well known architects and interior designers.
Penthouses. At the top of every building sits a small number of penthouses with large terraces or private solariums. They are the scarcest product in the district, and the ones with an uninterrupted Dalt Vila outlook are among the most sought after apartments on the island.
Within any of these groups, the details that move value most are the same: the view and what exactly it faces, the size and orientation of the terrace, the floor, whether parking is included, and how exposed the apartment is to noise from the marina and the road. Two apartments in the same building, one facing Dalt Vila and one facing the street behind, are entirely different purchases.
The main buildings
Marina Botafoch is a small district, and buyers quickly learn its buildings by name. These are the ones that come up most often.
Las Boas. Designed by Jean Nouvel and the most recognisable residential building at the marina, with its colourful planted balconies. It has a very large central pool, a sauna, hammam and gym, 24 hour security and an underground garage with lift access to the apartments, and the best positioned flats look across the port to Dalt Vila.
Patio Blanco. In the heart of the marina, built around a central courtyard pool with landscaped common areas, with restricted access and 24 hour security.
Miramar. A frontline building on the marina with a large communal pool, and apartments looking over the port and the sea.
Aquatic Park. Also known as Acuático, at the Talamanca end of the marina a few steps from the beach, with communal pools, one of them on the fourth floor overlooking Talamanca, mature gardens and a concierge.
Fiesta. A group of blocks, Fiesta I, II and III, among the most traded buildings in the district and a frequent source of apartments to renovate.
In all of them, the position of the apartment, its floor and what its terrace faces matter more than the name on the door.
The White Angel. A more recent building, completed in 2014, with concierge, 24 hour security, a communal pool and a gym, and penthouses with terraces looking towards Dalt Vila. It is one of the buildings that set the standard for contemporary living at the marina.
Breeze. A new development of 84 two and three bedroom apartments in two buildings, set back from the marina towards Talamanca, with a communal pool, gardens and underground parking. Prices have started from around €850,000, and penthouses with private solariums sit at the top of the range.
N Residences. A new development on the marina front, currently under construction with delivery scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. It combines one and two bedroom apartments with a pool, gym, landscaped gardens, a restaurant and 24 hour concierge, with prices from around €830,000.
The Grand Marina Residences. A new development of 51 homes, from one bedroom apartments to duplex penthouses, with a central communal pool, gardens, a gym, private parking and the Nusr-Et restaurant within the complex. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2026, with prices from around €930,000 plus VAT.
The question that matters most here: letting
Many buyers arrive at Marina Botafoch assuming that an apartment in Ibiza’s busiest waterfront district must be an obvious holiday letting investment. On this island that assumption is usually wrong, and it is the first thing to settle.
Holiday letting in the Balearics requires a tourist rental licence, and without one a property cannot legally be let to holidaymakers, whatever you may see advertised online. For apartments in Ibiza the real question is whether a licence exists at all. The island’s tourism rules do not allow holiday letting in multi-unit residential buildings, and a 2025 Balearic decree confirmed that no new tourist places may be created in them. The European Commission has objected to that ban, but both the Balearic Government and the Consell d’Eivissa have said they will not change course. In practice, a typical apartment in a residential building at Marina Botafoch does not hold a licence and cannot obtain one. Fines for unlicensed letting can reach €400,000, and enforcement on the island is active.
What this means in practice:
Do not build your numbers on holiday income. If letting is part of your plan, model it on longer term rental, which is permitted and for which there is strong demand in Ibiza Town, including from seasonal professionals and families who want to live close to the centre.
Verify the licence itself, not the claim. Some units in the area do sit within buildings licensed as tourist accommodation, where the licence belongs to the establishment rather than to an individual flat. If an apartment is offered as licensed, your lawyer should confirm the registration, who holds it, what it covers, the number of places authorised and whether it is current and transferable. This is not a formality, and it is where the difference in value lies.
Understand what you are actually buying. The value of an apartment here rests on its location, its view and its use to you, not on rental yield from holiday letting. Buyers who understand that from the outset tend to buy better.
Expect the rules to keep moving. Balearic regulation on tourist letting has changed repeatedly and remains politically contested. Anything you are told about the future should be treated as opinion rather than fact.
What it costs, and the tax nobody warns mainland buyers about
Asking prices at Marina Botafoch vary widely, driven by the building, the view, the floor and above all whether the apartment is original or finished. Recent marketing gives a sense of the range: two bedroom apartments in new schemes set back from the waterfront from around €850,000, renovated frontline apartments with Dalt Vila views at around €8,700 per square metre, new build frontline apartments of 100 to 150 square metres at €1.5 million to €2 million, and large frontline apartments and penthouses at €4 million and above. Live listings are the only reliable guide, and we would rather give you current figures for what is genuinely available than a range that ages.
The part that catches buyers out, particularly those who have looked at property on the mainland first, is the transfer tax.
The Balearics apply the most progressive transfer tax scale in Spain. On a resale, ITP is charged in bands rather than at a single rate:
| Property value | ITP rate |
| Up to €400,000 | 8% |
| €400,000 to €600,000 | 9% |
| €600,000 to €1,000,000 | 10% |
| €1,000,000 to €2,000,000 | 12% |
| Above €2,000,000 | 13% |
Each rate applies to the part of the price that falls within its band. On a €1 million resale that works out at €90,000 in tax, and on a €2 million resale at €210,000.
Add notary, land registry and legal fees of roughly 1% to 2%.
A new build bought from a developer is taxed differently, at 10% VAT plus stamp duty, which in the Balearics is 1.5%, a flat 11.5% whatever the price. That matters here more than almost anywhere else on the island, because so much of the current supply at Marina Botafoch is new build. At villa price levels the new build treatment tends to work out cheaper than the ITP scale. At apartment price levels it is often the reverse: on a €1 million purchase, a resale costs €90,000 in transfer tax and a new build €115,000. When you are comparing a renovated resale against a new scheme, model both properly rather than comparing asking prices alone.
Reduced rates exist for a first main residence, but only below a value threshold set for each island, which in Ibiza sits far below Marina Botafoch prices. In practice they will not apply here.
The cost of owning at Marina Botafoch
Beyond the purchase, budget for IBI, refuse charges, utilities, insurance and, for non resident owners, the annual non resident income tax, which applies whether or not you let the property.
The figure that varies most between buildings is the community fee. A 1990s building with a lift and a cleaner and a new scheme with a pool, gardens, gym, concierge and round the clock staff are very different propositions, and the fee reflects it. Ask for the exact figure, what it covers, the most recent accounts and minutes, and whether any major works, a facade, a roof, a lift replacement, have been approved or are being discussed. In older buildings a large approved levy is the check that most often turns something up.
Parking deserves its own line. In Ibiza Town in summer a parking space is not a convenience, it is part of the value of the apartment. Establish whether a space is included, whether it is deeded to the apartment or rented, and whether it is large enough for the vehicle you intend to keep.
Sea air is hard on buildings. Frontline apartments need more maintenance than inland ones: metalwork, glazing, air conditioning units and terrace finishes all suffer, and a building that has been well maintained is worth paying for.
The marina itself, and why its future matters
One point is specific to this address. The marina, its berths and its commercial units sit on port land, which belongs to the state and is administered by the Balearic Ports Authority. They are operated under a concession rather than owned outright.
Since 2019 the marina has been run under a series of short term authorisations, the most recent awarded to Ocibar in June 2025 for two years, extendable to three. The Ports Authority has said that a long term concession, of 20 to 30 years, can only be tendered once the Special Plan for the Port of Ibiza is approved, and that it is needed to fund a full renovation of facilities that are now close to four decades old. That plan received its third initial approval in June 2026 and still has to pass the regional environmental assessment. For the marina it keeps the boatyard, improves access from the Paseo Juan Carlos I and limits new buildings to two storeys.
For an apartment buyer this is not a reason to hesitate. Your apartment is private property and is not affected by the concession. But it is worth following, for two reasons. A comprehensive renovation of the marina, when it comes, should improve the setting considerably, and the works themselves will be disruptive for a period. And if you are also considering buying a berth or a commercial unit, which many owners here do, have your lawyer set out exactly what right you are acquiring and how long it lasts, because that is tied to the concession rather than to the deeds.
Renovation at Marina Botafoch: where the value is
The logic that applies to the island’s villa communities applies here too, on a smaller scale. The position and the view cannot be improved. The apartment can.
An original frontline apartment with a strong view, bought and renovated properly, is the most reliable way of creating value in this district, because the gap between dated and finished stock is wide and the underlying position is excellent.
Three things to establish before committing to that route.
What the building allows. Works inside an apartment are governed by the community’s statutes as well as by planning. Changes to the facade, terraces, glazing or anything affecting common elements will normally need community approval. Read the statutes and recent minutes before you buy.
When the works can happen. Ibiza Town and many communities restrict noisy works during the summer months, and in a building full of people on holiday the community will enforce it. Skilled trades on the island are stretched, particularly in spring. The sensible window is to start in autumn and finish before Easter.
What is behind the surfaces. Plumbing, electrics and waterproofing in older buildings are frequently original. Have a proper survey and budget a contingency.
Who Marina Botafoch suits
It suits buyers who want the waterfront and the town without a car, the Dalt Vila view from the terrace and a short walk to dinner. It suits boat owners, for obvious reasons. It suits buyers who want a lock up and leave property: an apartment in a well run building is far simpler to own from abroad than a villa with a garden and a pool. It suits people who want to be in Ibiza out of season, because Ibiza Town keeps living through the winter in a way most of the coast does not. And it suits buyers who like the energy of the place in summer rather than tolerating it.
It suits less well anyone who wants space, privacy and a garden, which is a different Ibiza ten minutes away. It suits less well light sleepers in the wrong apartment. And it suits less well anyone whose plan depends on holiday letting income, which in most apartments here is simply not available.
What to check before you commit
– The view, and exactly what the terrace faces. The difference between a full Dalt Vila outlook and a partial one, or a marina view and a street view, is substantial. View at the time of day you would actually use the terrace.
– Noise. Visit on a summer weekend night, not only on a quiet weekday in spring.
– The tourist licence, verified rather than asserted, if holiday letting forms any part of your plan or your valuation.
– Parking: included or not, deeded or rented, and the size of the space.
– The community: the fee, what it covers, recent accounts and minutes, and any approved or proposed works.
– The building’s condition, through a proper survey, particularly in older frontline blocks.
– The tax treatment: resale or new build, modelled properly for your price.
– For a new development: the stage of construction, the licences, the bank guarantee on deposits and the delivery date.
– Your own independent lawyer, acting for you alone and not introduced by the seller or the developer.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is Marina Botafoch?
On the north side of the harbour of Ibiza Town, between the town centre and Talamanca bay. The town centre and Talamanca beach are both around ten minutes on foot, and the airport around fifteen minutes by car.
What kinds of property are there?
Mainly apartments and penthouses, ranging from original buildings of the late 1980s and 1990s directly on the marina to new developments with communal pools, gardens, gyms and concierge services. Villas are not part of this market.
Can I let my apartment to holidaymakers?
Only with a valid tourist rental licence, and apartments in residential buildings in Ibiza cannot obtain one. A small number of units sit within buildings licensed as tourist accommodation, and those should be verified by your lawyer before you rely on them. Longer term letting does not need a tourist licence and is in strong demand.
How much tax do I pay when buying?
On a resale, Balearic transfer tax is charged in bands from 8% up to 13% on the part of the price above €2 million. On a €1 million apartment that comes to €90,000, and on a €2 million apartment to €210,000. A new build carries 10% VAT plus 1.5% stamp duty. Add 1% to 2% for fees.
Is it noisy?
In summer it can be, depending on the building, the floor and the orientation. Out of season it is a calm and pleasant residential district. Visit at the time you are most concerned about before buying.
Can I buy a berth as well?
Berths and commercial units at the marina sit on port land operated under a concession, so what is sold is a right of use rather than freehold. Have your lawyer confirm exactly what is being acquired and for how long.
Is it a good investment?
The fundamentals are strong: a waterfront position in the island’s capital, an outlook that cannot be reproduced and limited supply of frontline apartments. The clearest value has come from buying original frontline apartments with strong views and renovating them properly, and from penthouses, which are always scarce.
Our view about Marina Botafoch
Marina Botafoch is the address people name first when they think of Ibiza Town, and unlike many famous addresses it earns it. The view of Dalt Vila across the water, the marina below and the town on foot is a combination that nowhere else on the island offers.
What we would say to anyone considering it is to be precise. Do not buy the address, buy the apartment: the view, the floor, the terrace, the building and the parking. The difference between a frontline apartment facing the old town and one at the back of the same building is enormous, and both are sold as Marina Botafoch.
And before anything else, settle the two island specific questions: what you will actually be allowed to do with the apartment, and what the tax will actually be. Buyers arriving with mainland assumptions routinely get both wrong, and both are knowable before you make an offer.
Discover Marina Botafoch
If you are considering buying here, the useful conversation is about specific apartments rather than the district in general. We know which buildings are well run and which have works coming, which apartments hold the real Dalt Vila view, which original flats are worth renovating, and how the new developments compare once tax is taken into account.
Get in touch and tell us how you would actually use the apartment, whether that is year round, summers, a base for the boat, or a long term let when you are not here. The answer changes which buildings we would show you.