Dalt Vila, Sunsets and Island Style
Ibiza is an island in the western Mediterranean and part of the Balearic Islands of Spain, known for its walled old town, turquoise coves, sunset culture and a world-famous music scene. Its capital, Ibiza Town, or Eivissa, is crowned by Dalt Vila, a Renaissance fortress town that, together with the island's Posidonia seagrass meadows and Phoenician site of Sa Caleta, forms the UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1999 as Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture. Phoenician settlers arrived in the seventh century BC, and the island has been a crossroads ever since.
Away from town, the island is surprisingly rural. Pine-covered hills, white-washed farmhouses and almond and fig trees fill the interior, and the rocky islet of Es Vedrà rises from the sea off the south-west coast to give one of the Mediterranean's most photographed silhouettes. Santa Eulària des Riu has a gentle riverside promenade, and Sant Joan de Labritja in the north has quiet beaches. These contrasts are why the Balearic Islands are such a rewarding region, and why Ibiza appeals to far more than the clubbing crowd.
Where to Watch the Sun Go Down
Sunset is practically a local sacrament. Cala Comte on the west coast faces straight into the evening light, Benirràs in the north is known for its Sunday drumming at dusk, and the Sant Antoni sunset strip gathers music-led bars along the bay. The hippy markets at Las Dalias and Punta Arabí keep alive the bohemian spirit of the 1960s and 1970s, with handmade clothes, jewellery and live music. Nearby Ses Salines, a natural park of salt flats and dunes, shows the island's quieter, wilder side.
Food follows the sea and the land: bullit de peix, a fisherman's stew served with rice, flaó, a mint-scented cheese tart, and the local herb liqueur known as hierbas ibicencas. Boutique stays, converted fincas and beach clubs give a hotel group plenty of ways to position style and wellness alongside music. A short ferry crossing leads to Formentera, and the larger neighbour Mallorca offers a contrasting island experience for a two-island trip.
Read the full Ibiza guide on Visit Travel Group, or see YourIbiza.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.