Cala d’Hort car park unexpectedly reopens

The Cala d’Hort car park, currently the only facility available in one of Ibiza’s best-known and most visited areas, has unexpectedly reopened after remaining closed since mid-May.

The return of the car park, which has capacity for around 200 vehicles, has significantly eased traffic congestion in the area.

The privately owned site was closed after Sant Josep Town Council and the owner of the 7,000-square-metre plot failed to reach an agreement.

The dispute between the council and the landowner is nothing new. The car park, located just a short distance from the iconic Es Vedrà viewpoint, also closed at the beginning of 2025 and did not reopen until late June that year, when the tourist season was already well under way.

As Diario de Ibiza reported on 27 June 2025, the owner had blocked vehicle access several months earlier after becoming frustrated at having to assume responsibility for the use of the land without receiving any payment in return.

The council then temporarily took over management of the site and agreed to pay €8,000 for that season.

‘We currently have no meeting scheduled with the owner’

Speaking to Diario de Ibiza, Sant Josep mayor Vicent Roig said the reopening had been “the owner’s decision” and was “not the result of any agreement with the council”.

Despite this, he welcomed the news.

“We currently have no meeting scheduled with the owner, but I said at the time that the car park would have to reopen before we could sit down and negotiate”, he said.

Roig did not rule out the possibility of the plot operating legally as a car park again. He stressed, however, that any future agreement over the site would not affect plans to open two further car parks on separate plots nearby.

“Those projects are still moving forward”, he said.

After negotiations over the private site broke down, the council began looking for alternatives to prevent traffic congestion in an area that attracts large numbers of visitors, particularly during the summer.

Sant Josep subsequently reached an agreement to create two free car parks in Cala d’Hort on land separate from the privately owned site that has now reopened.

No opening date for Cala d’Hort’s two new car parks

Roig previously said the two new facilities could be ready within 10 to 15 days. Almost a month has since passed, however, and neither is yet operational.

The mayor has also been unable to give a firm opening date.

“There are still no dates”, he acknowledged.

Local businesses, particularly restaurants, are among those most keen to see more parking spaces made available, as easier access directly affects customer numbers.

One of the business owners most affected is Albert Marí, manager of El Carmen restaurant in Cala d’Hort.

Speaking to Diario de Ibiza in May, Marí expressed his frustration at the lack of parking.

“Either the Cala d’Hort car park opens or it will be chaos. It is absolutely essential”, he said.

Just over a month later, he remained pessimistic about the two new sites.

“I do not think the two new car parks will be operational this year”, he said.

Despite his earlier doubts, Marí is now cautiously hopeful that the situation may finally improve.

“It is behind schedule, but it looks as though we may finally see some progress”, he said, referring to the possible opening of the two new car parks.

While the future of those facilities remains uncertain, the private car park that had been closed since mid-May is once again in use.

Hundreds of vehicles have returned to the site since it reopened. Despite its size, it already appears to be struggling to meet demand, with few spaces left and some drivers attempting to squeeze into almost impossible gaps.

For now, the reopening has brought relief to residents, visitors and local businesses, but it does not provide a permanent solution to a problem that returns every summer.

With no confirmed date for the two new car parks, uncertainty remains in Cala d’Hort, where the volume of traffic continues to test the capacity of one of Ibiza’s most popular areas.