The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has taken the definitive step to establish and modernize sea passenger transport in the port of Eivissa with the approval, by the Board of Directors, of the tender documents that will govern the public tender to manage the nautical bus. This service, which has been provided on a provisional basis since 2023 through temporary one-year authorizations, now enters a new phase of long-term consolidation driven by its great reception among residents and visitors. The new administrative concession, which will have a maximum duration of 15 years, will allow for the establishment of a clean, efficient transport alternative aimed at decongesting the municipality's road network.
This measure responds to the APB's sustainable mobility strategy, designed to reduce vehicle traffic on Avenida Santa Eulària des Riu and Paseo Joan Carles I, traffic that is especially dense during the arrival of cruise ships. Given the technical and space impossibility of coordinating multiple companies at the same docks, the APB has opted for a unified model that guarantees high standards of environmental quality and user service.
The concession will cover more than 2,000 square meters distributed between land and water surface. The boarding and customer service points will be located in key areas of the port such as the Botafoc maritime station, Marina Botafoc, Marina Ibiza, the Contramuelle de Es Martell at the foot of Dalt Vila, and the southern access to the inner dock.
The tender requires the mandatory provision of a daily regular line throughout the year, operational between 08:00 and 23:00 with departures at least every hour. As a priority, the service will be directly reinforced with the docking of cruise ships to offer a continuous transport flow capable of moving more than 600 passengers per hour to the city's historic center.
In addition, the concessionaire company must maintain the facilities, manage waste, guarantee accessibility, and have modern ticket sales and control systems. The service will include physical customer service points and ticket offices, as well as digital solutions for purchase and access.
Sustainable Fleet
In the environmental section, the vessels must be low-emission to guarantee a minimal polluting footprint in the port waters. The successful bidder will have a period of two years from the granting of the concession to start the service with the promised ecological fleet.
