Boutique Hotel Isla de Tabarca
Why we like it: Three-star hotel with 14 rooms on Calle Arzola, inside Tabarca village, open all year, with a café with sea views.
Duration1 night
From Alicante1 h by boat
From Murcia1 h 15 via Santa Pola (estimated)
Best timeMay – October
Budget€110–190 pp
DifficultyLow
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for a Saturday and Sunday. You take the morning boat from Alicante or Santa Pola, sleep on the island and return on Sunday afternoon. Before booking, check the boats and that your restaurant is open.
Saturday
- 110:45Boat from Alicante
Cruceros Kontiki leaves from the Paseo de los Mártires de la Libertad; in an hour you are at the quay. From Murcia or Elche, drive to Santa Pola and cross with Tabarbus.
- 212:00Museum and walls
The Nueva Tabarca Museum, free, and then the San Rafael Gate and the streets of the 18th-century walled town. Leave your luggage at the hotel.
- 314:00Caldero
At Los Pescadores, on the central beach: rice cooked in rockfish stock, with the fish served separately with alioli. Book ahead.
- 416:30Snorkelling in the marine reserve
With Tabarca Snorkel, 1 h 20 min with instructor and equipment, or on your own in the inner waters.
- 519:00Sunset and stars
The island, now without boats. Dinner in the village and, at night, walk to Punta Falcón, the eastern tip, a Starlight site.
Sunday
- 109:00Breakfast and lighthouse
Breakfast at your accommodation and a walk to the San José Tower and the lighthouse before the heat.
- 211:00Church and a swim
The church of San Pedro and San Pablo, at the far end of the village, and a swim at the beach before the first boats arrive.
- 316:00Return
Kontiki boat at 16:00 or 17:00; Tabarbus leaves every hour.
Tabarca by day is an excursion; at night, it is another place. Around five the last Kontiki boat leaves for Alicante and the island is left to its residents and to those sleeping on it. It is an hour by boat from Alicante and a quarter of an hour from Santa Pola, so one night is enough to watch the sunset from the harbour, look for stars at Punta Falcón and swim in the morning with nobody around.
What is in the getaway?
| What | Time | Price in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Kontiki boat from Alicante | 1 h each way | €24 return |
| Tabarbus from Santa Pola | about 15 min | check when booking |
| Snorkelling with an instructor | 1 h 20 min | €21 |
| Nueva Tabarca Museum | 30 min | free |
| Caldero on the island | meal | €20–35 |
Where to sleep
There are three checked options in the village. The three-star Hotel Boutique Isla de Tabarca, open all year, with a panoramic café; it does not accept pets. The Hostal Masín, with quadruple rooms for families and one with a sea-view balcony in its annexe. And Cala Tabarca, six rooms with breakfast, four with a sea-facing terrace.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Tabarca Island, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Tabarca Island
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Without a car, by boat from Alicante harbour
Tabarca is an island without cars, so travelling without a car is the natural way: you walk to Alicante harbour from the centre and an hour by boat later you are at the island's quay. There, everything is done on foot.
60–110 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepBoutique Hotel Isla de Tabarca…
- Getting aroundCruceros Kontiki boat from Alicante…
- EatCaldero at Los Pescadores, La…
- ServicesInformation point in summer
Sleep
- Boutique Hotel Isla de Tabarca, on Calle Arzola
- Hostal Masín, on Carrer d'Enmig
- Cala Tabarca B&B, with sea terraces
Getting around
- Cruceros Kontiki boat from Alicante, €24 return
- On the island, on foot: from the village to the lighthouse, less than a kilometre
Eat
- Caldero at Los Pescadores, La Almadraba or Mar Azul
- Bring water for the walk to the lighthouse
Services
- Information point in summer
- Lifeguards on the beach from 15 June to 15 September
By car to Santa Pola and a short boat trip
If you are coming by car from Murcia, Elche or the south, drive to Santa Pola harbour and leave the car there: the crossing to the island takes about 15 minutes and leaves every half hour. From Alicante, the direct boat saves you driving.
60–110 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepBoutique Hotel Isla de Tabarca…
- Getting aroundCar to the Santa Pola…
- EatCaldero on the island's central…
- ServicesInformation point on the island…
Sleep
- Boutique Hotel Isla de Tabarca, open all year
- Hostal Masín, with quadruples for families
- Cala Tabarca B&B, six rooms
Getting around
- Car to the Santa Pola quay
- Tabarbus to the island, about 15 minutes
Eat
- Caldero on the island's central beach
- Book in summer and confirm hours in winter
Services
- Information point on the island, in summer
- Lifeguards on the beach in season
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hostal Masín
Why we like it: One-star guesthouse on Carrer d'Enmig, with doubles and quadruples with air conditioning and its annexe Nuevo Masín, with a quadruple with a sea-view balcony.
Cala Tabarca B&B
Why we like it: Six-room bed and breakfast on the island, with breakfast included; four have a terrace and sea views, two of them suites.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Tabarca Island
Los Pescadores Restaurant
What to order: the caldero, which serves the rice first and then the fish with potato and alioli.
Playa Central, no number · book in season
La Almadraba Restaurant
What to order: caldero or a fish rice dish; ask about the fish of the day.
C/ Virgen del Carmen, 29 · confirm hours by phone
Mar Azul Restaurant
What to order: the soupy rice with lechola, or the chopped tomato with capellán to start.
Playa Central, unit 9 · confirm hours by phone
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Bring a head torch for Punta Falcón: outside the village there is no light, which is why you can see the stars.
We'd skip it
A Saturday in August without accommodation booked: the island has few beds and they fill up.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Boat, €24; accommodation depending on the season; lunch and dinner, €40 to €70; snorkelling, €21.
Can I go in winter?
Yes: the Hotel Boutique opens all year and there are boats. Check which restaurants are open.
Can I take my dog?
Kontiki accepts pets, but the Hotel Boutique does not; the others do not say. Ask beforehand.
What should I bring?
Snorkel goggles, water shoes, a cap, water and a torch for the night.