Ibiza

Balearic Islands

Ibiza has been portrayed as a clubber's paradise, a charmless island of booze and excess. But, as the The Rough Guide Ibiza and Formentera points out, the island still has many attractive aspects:

"Ibiza’s scenery is captivating - dotted around its dazzling shoreline are more than fifty beaches, ranging from expansive sweeps of sand to exquisite, miniature coves beneath soaring cliffs. Many of the best beaches were insensitively transformed into functional holiday resorts in the 1960s, but plenty of pristine places remain. Ibiza’s hilly, thickly wooded interior is peppered with isolated whitewashed villages and terraced fields of almonds, figs and olives. The cosmopolitan capital, Ibiza Town, has most of the island’s architectural treats, including the spectacular walled enclave of Dalt Vila, and a historic port area with hip bars, stylish restaurants and fashionable boutiques. Within easy reach are the small beach resorts of Talamanca and Figueretes, pleasant enough places to spend a day by the sea."

Ibiza's interior is largely pine-covered, dotted with small villages with their whitewashed churches.

The 'season' is tightly focused on the May-September summer visitors - July and August are particularly hot and crowded. The island can be a delight to visit in winter but many (most?) of the bars and restaurants are shut.

• Balearic Islands
• Mallorca (Majorca)
• Menorca
• Ibiza
• Formentera