A day trip to San Rafael

You’ll spot San Rafael’s most attractive feature straight away, the pretty stone church that tops the village. This 18th century church is built in a classic Ibizan style and is a lovely simple building topped with a bell tower, whitewashed a brilliant Balearic white it stands out proudly from the small summit of the village and at night time is no less beautiful when floodlit from below.

Admission to the building is free and it’s a lovely cool calm place to wander around although it is not always open to the public, if it is make sure you take the time to venture inside. If it’s closed however all is not lost, the small hill you walk up to reach the church will afford you a beautiful view out over the fertile land of central Ibiza and all the way over to the fortified walls of Dalt Vila and the port of Ibiza Town.

Once you descend back into the village it’ll be time for a refreshment stop, every street corner in San Rafael holds a café or restaurant and you could easily waste several hours coffee drinking and terrace hopping as you watch the world go slowly by in this quiet little town. Sa Creu restaurant has a great terrace for this, or try Es Tanco Restaurant for elegant pizzas, pastas and paellas or chill out in La Belle Ibiza for bohemian chic and French fusion cuisine.

Food aside the other reason to visit San Rafael is its ceramic history; you’ll see the faded sign as you drive into the village that proclaims San Rafael to be an Artisanal Zone and Pottery Village and indeed you’ll find several ceramic shops dotted around the village and stalls selling San Rafael pottery all over Ibiza.

The stores are well worth perusing and in some you can see the craftsman at work in the attached workshops. The shops are filled with pieces large and small; bowls, plates, ashtrays, lamps, vases, jewellery, mirrors, statues, and name plates there’s plenty to search through and at prices that will not break the bank - around €35 for a nice sized ornate plate or vase, they’ll be a nice souvenir and addition to your home. Check out Can Kinota for beautiful Balearic blue and white plates depicting the local area and a display of the old fashioned tools of the trade around the walls as well as family photos of the artists at work and many certificates proclaiming their proficiency at the trade, the old fashioned duck egg blue till is also a vintage gem.

Driving to San Rafael couldn’t be easier it’s well signposted from all directions and there’s plenty of parking dotted around when you arrive. The number 3 bus also runs between San Antonio and Ibiza town and San Rafael is midway between the two, it’ll cost you €1.55 from either end of the route and there are several stops close together at which you can get off the bus. I recommend getting off as close to the Repsol petrol station as possible or if you fancy checking out the clubs by day light carry on until you see them and then walk back to the village, don’t forget to ring the bell to stop the bus because the driver wont stop of his own accord. There are ATM’s supermarkets, tobacconists and anything else you’ll need right there in the village.

Visit San Rafael for a mellow day of sightseeing, ceramic shopping and dining out in a relaxed and rustic atmosphere that is a whole lot more than just a club hub.