Ibiza🇪🇸

The walled upper town of Ibiza Town is the most complete coastal fortress in the Mediterranean — Renaissance bastions built by Italian engineer Giovanni Battista Calvi for Felipe II in the 1550s wrap a labyrinth of cobbled lanes, the 13th-century Catedral de Santa Maria, the Castell d'Eivissa, and the Phoenician necropolis at Puig des Molins. Enter through the marble Portal de ses Taules (a Roman triumphal arch repurposed in 1585), climb to the cathedral terrace at sunset, and the view across the harbour to Formentera is the most photographed in the Balearics.

The most photographed beach on Ibiza — a series of small turquoise coves on the west coast, framed by the rocky islets of S'Illa des Bosc and Sa Conillera, with the clearest water on the island and a westward orientation that makes it the prime sunset beach. Sunset Ashram on the cliff above is one of the most famous beach bars in Europe; arrive by 18:00 in summer or you will not get a table. Park in the upper lot and walk down 5 minutes.

A 400-metre limestone islet rising vertically from the sea off the southwest coast — Greek mythology placed the sirens that lured Odysseus here, and the rock is reputedly the third most magnetic point on earth (a claim physicists dispute but locals love). The viewpoint at Mirador des Savinar above Cala d'Hort is the classic photo spot; the beach below has two restaurants serving Ibiza's best bullit de peix (Ibizan fish stew with rice).

The original Pacha opened in 1973 — making it not only the oldest superclub on Ibiza but the original of the global Pacha brand (Buenos Aires, Munich, NYC all came later). The cherry-shaped facade in the port district is iconic; the Sunday Solomun residency is the must-see night for house music heads, while Flower Power Mondays celebrates Ibiza's 1960s hippie roots with disco/funk. €60–80 entry, dress smart, doors at midnight, music until 06:00.

A pair of small north-coast coves — Cala Salada is the larger and more accessible (with a small beach restaurant), Cala Saladeta is reached by a 5-minute scramble over the rocks to the north and rewards with possibly the most beautiful water on the island, ringed by pine forest dropping straight to the sea. No development, no music, no DJ — just translucent water and umbrella pines. Arrive before 11:00 for parking.

The salt flats at the southern tip of the island have been worked continuously since Phoenician times (2,700 years) and still produce 70,000 tonnes of sea salt annually. The pink-tinged ponds attract flamingos and over 200 bird species; the white salt mountains at Sant Francesc are surreally photogenic. The park encompasses the southern beaches (Salines, Es Cavallet — the latter Ibiza's nudist and gay-friendly beach) plus the channel to Formentera.

Every Saturday since 1985, the Las Dalias finca on the road to Sant Joan hosts the Ibiza hippy market — over 200 stalls of handmade leather, jewellery, textiles, and Ibizan craft. This is the survivor market — others (Es Canar, Punta Arabí) have become more touristic. Las Dalias retains the bohemian roots: live music in the courtyard, mojitos at the bar, and stallholders who have been there for decades. Saturdays 10:00–20:00 (winter to 19:00); also Mondays and Tuesdays in summer.

The beach directly opposite Es Vedrà — a small pebble-and-sand cove with two beach restaurants (Es Boldadó being the famous one, where you book the upper terrace for sunset over the rock). The water is deep and clear; the view is unmatched. Combine with the Mirador des Savinar viewpoint (10-minute drive uphill) for the panoramic photo, then descend for dinner.

The sunset strip in Sant Antoni runs along the western coast cliffs — Café del Mar (founded 1980, where the chillout music genre was effectively invented by DJ José Padilla), Café Mambo, and Mint Lounge line up bar after bar with the sun dropping over the bay. Café del Mar still does the original sunset session — get there by 19:00 in summer for a chair, order a sundowner, and listen to the music genre that defined Ibiza's second identity (the chill side, not the rave).

A small red-cliff cove on the southern coast where the Phoenicians built their first settlement on Ibiza in the 7th century BCE — the archaeological remains of stone foundations are visible on the headland (UNESCO listed alongside Dalt Vila). The beach itself is a working fishermen's cove; the restaurant Sa Caleta serves the most famous bullit de peix on the island, a slow-cooked fish stew with rice that is the island's signature dish.

A 100,000-year-old limestone cave on the north coast at Port de Sant Miquel, accessed via a cliff-side staircase with dramatic sea views. Inside, an underground river, stalactites, and a 1990s sound-and-light show that is dated but charming. The headland walk before or after the cave is worth the trip in itself for the vertical cliffs and Mediterranean panorama. €11.50 adult, 10:30–18:30.

The smallest Balearic island sits 30 minutes by ferry south of Ibiza Town and is the antithesis of its big sister: no clubs, no high-rises, just 12 miles of dirt-track island, white-sand beaches that match the Caribbean (Ses Illetes, Llevant, Cala Saona), and a slow rural pace. Rent a scooter or bicycle on arrival in La Savina port. Boats every 30 minutes from Ibiza Town in summer (Trasmapi, Balearia, Aquabus); €30–50 return.