Ibiza

Ibiza, the smallest of the main Balearic Islands, has one of the most powerful and contradictory identities of any destination in the world — simultaneously the global capital of electronic music and all-night club culture, and one of the most tranquil, beautiful and spiritually significant places in the Mediterranean, with a UNESCO World Heritage old town, pine-scented rural interior and crystalline turquoise waters. Dalt Vila — Ibiza Town's Old Town, the UNESCO World Heritage site — is a 16th-century walled city on a hilltop above the harbour, its cathedral, medieval lanes and ramparts providing extraordinary views at sunset. The harbour area and the Marina are excellent for the evening paseo and people-watching. The beaches of the south coast (Es Cavallet, Ses Salines) are beautiful, relatively calm and excellent for swimming and snorkeling. The northern and eastern coasts offer a completely different Ibiza — rural, quiet, with hippie market culture (Las Dalias market is excellent), artisan studios, yoga retreats and the bohemian village of San Carlos d'es Peralta. The club scene — Amnesia, Pacha, Ushuaïa, DC10 — is the global benchmark for electronic music events if that is what you seek. Sunset at Café del Mar in San Antonio is an Ibiza tradition. The best months for beaches and natural beauty without full summer madness are May–June and September–October.