Hidden Coves Boat Rental: Self-Drive Boat from Sant Antoni, From $281

Boat rental without license

Explore Ibiza's Hidden Coves: No-License Boat Rental

★ 4.4 (38) · from $281

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains an affiliate link, explained in the booking section.

This hidden coves boat rental puts you at the wheel of a small motorboat on the west coast of Ibiza, and the coves you reach are the ones that coach-sized cruises skip. You pick a north or south route and decide where to drop the anchor.

The operator trades as "Boat rental without license" on GetYourGuide, and that name is the first thing I would question. A Spanish rule change that took effect on 1 October 2026 means the "no licence" idea no longer works the way the listing title suggests, and I explain the details in the licence section below.

If you are still comparing options, my Ibiza boat tours overview and the home page show every trip I track, including the boat rental Ibiza list this rental belongs to.

What is the hidden coves boat rental and what do you get?

You get a motorboat for up to 4 people, with fuel, insurance and a GPS tracker covered, and you steer it yourself after a short briefing at the pier.

• The boat: a compact boat with an electric-start 15 hp engine and a steering wheel, which the listing says is easy to handle.
• On deck: a folding canopy against the sun, a sunbathing area with mats, a bathing ladder and an anchor.
• Safety and extras: life jackets, safety kit, snorkelling gear and a cool box.
• Costs covered: taxes, fuel and insurance, according to the description.
• Costs not covered: food, drinks, ice for the box, and the deposit float.

Passengers under 18 may not travel without an adult, and luggage, large bags and pets are listed as not allowed. The listing also marks the trip as unsuitable for pregnant women.

19,053,592 tourists arrived in the Balearic Islands in 2025, 1.73% more than in 2024.

That volume is the reason a small boat appeals. On a hot August afternoon, the busiest beaches around Sant Antoni fill up, while a boat anchored in a quiet cove has room to spare.

Do you need a licence for this boat rental in Ibiza?

Ask the operator before you pay, because Spain changed the rule on 1 October 2026 and "no licence needed" can no longer be taken at face value.

Royal Decree 1188/2025 rewrote article 10 of Royal Decree 875/2014. The licence-free exemption for motorboats up to 5 m and 15 hp now covers private use only, and for a rental the renter must hold the matching title. The text is published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE-A-2025-27010).

The listing title and the operator name still say "no licence", and the text I have does not mention the new rule. I cannot tell from the listing whether the operator now asks for a licence, offers a skipper, or holds an authorisation of its own.

1. After booking, message the operator on the WhatsApp number printed in your confirmation (the listing asks every customer to do this).
2. Ask in writing which licence or skipper option applies to your group under the rule that took effect on 1 October 2026.
3. Keep the answer with your booking in case the harbour or the Guardia Civil asks.
4. If the answer is unclear, pick a skippered boat instead; see my private boat tour Ibiza list.

Where does the boat rental leave from?

The departure point is Carrer de Cantabria 2 in Sant Antoni de Portmany, next to Spins Hotel, and the operator sends the exact spot by WhatsApp after you book.

The listing pin sits at 38.9685, 1.2952, on the south-west side of the bay. That is not the main harbour: the walk from the pin to the Ports IB office at the port of Sant Antoni is 2.8 km, about 37 minutes on foot.

The includes list carries "hotel pickup and drop-off", yet the meeting point is a fixed address and the operator asks you to arrive at a set time. I treat pickup as not included. Arrive on time, bring the deposit in cash and bring your drinks, which the listing lists as the three things that speed up departure.

What is the route, stop by stop?

The listing prints a day plan of five coves with free time in each, and the minutes add up to 4 hours of stops plus 4 hours of sailing, which equals the 8-hour maximum.

Five stops will not fit into 4 hours. The description splits them into two routes: a north route towards Cala Salada, Cala Gració, Cala Gracioneta and Punta Galera, and a south route to Cala Bassa, Cala Comte and the caves. One 4-hour reviewer covered both the western and northern shores and found the length about right.

How long is the rental and when does it start?

You choose between 4 and 8 hours, and the start time is shown only when you pick a date in the booking widget.

The listing gives no departure times and no per-hour price. The $281 shown on the page is a starting price per boat, so select the length you want before you compare it with anything else. If the starting price covers 4 hours, it works out to $70 an hour; if it covers the full range, the hourly cost drops sharply.

The last column does not change because the price is per boat: four people pay $70 each whatever the length, if the base price holds. Read the final total in the checkout before you pay.

What is included and what do you pay extra?

The base price covers boat, fuel, insurance, taxes and equipment, and you pay for food, drinks and the cash deposit yourself.

The deposit is the detail that surprises people: it is cash, not a card hold, so you need EUR 300 in notes at the pier. That is about $338, and cash machines around Sant Antoni are a short walk, but not at the meeting pin.

How does this hidden coves boat rental compare with other Ibiza boats?

It is the cheapest self-drive boat in my Ibiza set per boat, but it carries only 4 people and has fewer reviews than the shared cruises.

For two people who like to drive, the Daydream boat and this one cost about the same, so the deciding factor is the licence answer you get from each operator. For two people who do not, the 3-hour snorkel tour with a guide costs $134 for the pair and removes the licence question altogether.

Is the hidden coves boat rental worth it versus a guided trip?

It is worth it for groups of 3 or 4 who want to pick their own coves, and it is not worth it for anyone who dislikes handling a boat.

• Freedom: you choose the anchorage and the swim time, which a fixed cruise never offers.
• Cost per head: $70 each for four people for a full day is below most guided boat tours in my set.
• Effort: you navigate, anchor and watch the wind. Reviewers describe the boat as simple, but you are still responsible.
• Risk: the licence rule, the cash deposit and the lack of a published start time are open questions you have to settle yourself.
• Evidence: 38+ reviews at 4.4 is a decent sample, though the written reviews I see are all positive.

For a group of four with someone calm at the wheel, I'd book it, after getting the licence answer in writing. For two nervous first-timers, I'd choose a skippered trip from my boat rental Ibiza page and skip the paperwork.

When is the best time for a hidden coves boat rental?

June to September gives the warmest sea, 22.7 to 27.3 °C on average, and the most settled weather, with 0.4 to 2.7 rain days a month in June to August.

Wind decides whether a small 15 hp boat is comfortable. The long-term mean daily maximum is 17 to 24 km/h, higher in winter and spring. A light boat bounces more in a stiff breeze, so pick a morning slot when the sea is flatter.

Check the marine forecast from AEMET, Spain's state weather agency, the evening before. The next public holiday is 1 November, and holiday weekends fill the small boats first.

Where can you anchor, and why does it matter?

Balearic law prohibits anchoring on Posidonia oceanica seagrass as a general rule, and the clear sandy patches in the coves are where you should drop the hook.

Article 7.1 of the Balearic Govern's Posidonia decree states the ban, and article 7.2 allows the meadow to be used only with low-impact systems such as buoys; see the Govern's decree page. Dark patches on the seabed are the meadow, and light ones are sand.

Because you are the skipper here, the anchoring decision is yours. Ask the operator at the briefing which coves have buoys or sandy bottoms, and keep a second option in mind for a crowded day.

What do passengers say?

Ten recent reviews are visible and nine score 4 or 5, so the sample leans positive and is too small for strong claims.

• Handover: the staff member at the pier, named David in several reviews, explains the boat clearly and makes first-timers feel safe.
• Ease of use: the boat is called simple to operate.
• Scenery: reviewers anchored in clear water and swam without needing a beach.
• Length: one booking of 4 hours covered the west and north coasts and felt right.
• Gaps: two of the ten reviews show only a photo or a three-star rating with no text, so I have no complaint pattern to report. Sub-scores are 4.8 for the guide and 4.5 for value.

Who should skip this boat rental?

Skip it if you are travelling alone, with more than 4 people, with a pet, or if you cannot get a clear licence answer from the operator.

• Groups of 5 or more: the boat takes 4, so a larger party needs a bigger vessel from my Ibiza boat tours list.
• Pregnant women: listed as not suitable.
• Anyone who wants food and drinks supplied: nothing is served on board.
• Anyone without EUR 300 in cash: the deposit is cash only.
• Travellers staying far from Sant Antoni: pickup is not included, and the pin is 37 minutes on foot from the port.

How do you book the hidden coves boat rental?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing 505009 and its reviews (2026-10-17); BOE, Real Decreto 1188/2025; Govern de les Illes Balears, Posidonia decree; IBESTAT (tourist arrivals); AEMET; Open-Meteo, sunrise-sunset.org, Frankfurter and Nager.Date APIs (fetched 2026-10-17).