Where we stayed
We stayed at Invisa Ereso, which sits on the edge of town on a slight incline. There's a supermarket directly across the road and another a short walk away, so basics were never an issue.
What is Es Caná like as a family resort?
Everything is literally on your doorstep. The beach is a few minutes' walk and clean, with the usual sunbeds, parasols and some water sports on offer. It's a genuinely safe resort, suitable for all ages, and while it's very much a family resort, it also suits couples who don't want the San Antonio scene, and plenty of solo travellers choose it too. The staff in the bars and restaurants are mostly family run businesses, and they never forget you. Always smiling, helpful and friendly.
Things to do in Es Caná with kids
We took the land train, a three hour trip that stops at several beaches and gives some history of the island, which our nine year old grandson loved. There are three different routes the land train covers. We also visited Las Dalias market on the Saturday afternoon, which was a nice half day out, along with the hippie market on Wednesdays.
We took the bus into Ibiza Town for two euros each way and wandered around the harbour area, which was lovely. The glass bottom boat trip in Es Caná was ten euros, half price for kids, an hour out on the water that everyone enjoyed. We also walked to Cala Nova beach, which was nice, though worth knowing there's a nudist area nearby (the kids didn't notice, thankfully).
In the evenings, the little funfair from 7pm is great for kids and adults alike. We spent a lot of time at Popeyes, whose tribute acts are excellent, and Charlie's Bar was another favourite. Montimar's bar, a sports bar with pool tables, stays open until 4am. John and Sandra run the Kentucky Derby night, which is brilliant fun and they really get to know people.
Where to eat in Es Caná
We ate out a lot rather than at the hotel. Solima does a fabulous set menu for around 14 euros with reasonably priced drinks. Rio's curries were fantastic at a similar price. We also enjoyed Las Arenas, Parrot (the Es Caná restaurant), and Popeyes. For breakfast, the "belly buster" at Freddie and Julie's was excellent value at 10 to 12 euros. The Chinese, the Italian, and Marvent were all lovely and reasonably priced too. Jacaranda was a real treat, chilled music and proper table service, a bit pricier at around 30 euros for a double bed area, but worth it, though it's dearer now.
What went wrong: the hotel food issue
On this particular stay, the hotel's evening meals were disappointing, repetitive, and on one occasion the chicken was served undercooked. When we raised it, there was no apology and the same happened again the next evening, so we chose to eat out for the rest of our trip, which turned out to be one of the best decisions we made given how much good food is nearby.
The verdict
We've been visiting Es Caná for over 23 years, across most summer months, first with our children and now with our grandchildren too. Our favourite place to stay now is Mar y Huerta on a bed and breakfast basis, we wouldn't go all inclusive again. Food quality and prices across the resort are excellent and now roughly in line with what you'd pay in England.