Can a boat day in Ibiza actually work with children? In our experience it can be the most relaxed day of the whole holiday — if you set it up right. An Ibiza boat trip with kids works best when three things come together: a private boat instead of a packed group tour, a professional skipper who takes care of everything on the water, and a sheltered stretch of coast that stays flat when the wind is blowing elsewhere. From our berth in Marina Santa Eulalia, on the island's calm east coast, we have all three on our doorstep — which is why families are among our favourite charters of the season.
Why a private boat beats the group tour with kids
The big catamaran excursions can be good fun for adults. With a four-year-old, they are a logistics exercise: fixed departure times, one scheduled swim stop, a queue for the toilet and dozens of strangers between you and the drinks cooler. On your own boat, none of that exists. The NAVAN S30 is yours for the day, our skipper is always included, and the schedule is whatever your children make of it. If the kids want to swim ten minutes after leaving the marina, we drop anchor. If the youngest falls asleep on the bow, we drift a little longer.
We wrote a full, honest comparison of a private boat versus the big party boats — but for families the short version is simple: with kids, the group format is a non-starter, and split between two families a private day costs less than most parents expect.
Calm water: an Ibiza boat trip with kids on the sheltered east coast
The most underrated factor of a family boat day is sea state. Children don't care about famous beach names; they care about a smooth ride and calm water at the swim stop. This is where our home port earns its keep. We depart from Marina Santa Eulalia on the east coast, and the coves on our doorstep — Cala Llonga just south of us, Es Canar a little to the north — are exactly the kind of sheltered, gently shelving bays you want with young swimmers. When the afternoon breeze builds on the west side of the island, the east often stays glassy.
Our skipper reads the forecast every morning and simply picks the calm side. Tagomago, the private island off the coast, is about twenty minutes from the marina — a short, exciting hop that feels like a proper expedition to a six-year-old without ever being far from home.
How we shape the day around the children
A full day runs eight hours, typically 10:00 to 18:00, but the timing is flexible — with young children, some families prefer to start earlier and be back for an early dinner. The real difference is in the rhythm: instead of one long crossing, we do short hops between coves, with a swim stop whenever someone shouts for one. Snorkelling gear is already on board, and the swim ladder at the stern platform lets smaller kids climb in and out by themselves — usually more times than anyone can count.
Two sounds define these days for us: the rattle of the anchor chain that makes every child look up from whatever they were doing, and the sudden quiet when the engines stop and there is nothing left but water slapping the hull. That is usually the exact moment the first one jumps.
Add the food package (€45 per person: a Mediterranean lunch board, fresh fruit and water) and you can skip the entire beach-picnic operation — no cool bags to carry, no sandy sandwiches; lunch simply appears on the teak table while you lie at anchor. An inflatable SUP (€50) keeps kids busy for hours in a calm cove, and for teenagers the Seabob underwater scooter (€250, briefing included) tends to be the highlight of the week.
What's on board that parents actually care about
- A professional skipper, always. You never drive, never navigate, never anchor. You watch your kids; he watches everything else.
- A private toilet below deck. The first question every parent asks — yes, there is one.
- A small double cabin below deck. Shaded, cool and quiet: the ideal nap spot for a toddler who crashes after lunch.
- Shade fore and aft. The black T-top extends with shade sails over both the bow sunpads and the aft bench, so nobody has to sit in the full midday sun.
- Snorkelling gear and a Bluetooth sound system. Their discoveries, their playlist.
Two families, one boat: how the numbers work
The NAVAN S30 takes up to ten guests, and our prices are per boat, not per person — which is where the family maths gets interesting. Two families of four or five fill the boat exactly, and the charter splits accordingly: from €999 in low season, €1,250–1,450 in May and September, and €1,600–1,750 in July and August, with fuel charged separately by actual use. Full details are on our prices page. Booking works online with a 30% deposit; the rest is settled on the day.
One honest piece of advice
If you can choose your dates, take June or September: warm sea, quieter anchorages and a rate noticeably below peak summer. And if your kids are past the buggy stage, ask us about the Formentera day — the shallow lagoon water off S'Espalmador is the closest the Mediterranean gets to a giant natural paddling pool. Tell us the ages of your crew when you book, and our skipper will step aboard with a plan — and a plan B.
