Ibiza

1.8 million Brits, French, Italians, and Germans travel to Ibiza every year and inhabit its beaches, and other islands would probably lose all their appeal over this kind of mass tourism. Not Ibiza. In an immensely wise move the island’s administration introduced strict regulations

for building development and tourism when tourism first picked up in the 70s. What first seemed restrictive to a booming industry retrospectively shows enormous foresight, as it gave the industry the kind of longevity only authenticity can provide. Traditional housing never had to make way for large concrete hotels, and the locals have not grown tired of international visitors.

The international airport is located in Eivissa, the island’s capital and international clubbing center. Famous DJs provide music in posh nightclubs, and the live music venues are regularly booked by the biggest stars in the music business. This is also where you find the best boutiques and international fashion lables, and where you can board ferries to Formentera, the smaller neighbor of Ibiza.

Apart from Eivissa, the other two tourist centers are San Antonio and Santa Eulària.
San Antonio is famous as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, to whom it has dedicated a huge egg-shaped monument containing a model of the Santa Barbara. If he really was born here, the world’s most famous explorer probably found some pleasure in San Antonio’s harbour, the most beautiful natural harbour in Europe, and a seriously romantic location for a candlelight dinner.
San Eulària is best-known for the touch of luxury, reflected in the yacht marina and a number of first-class art galleries.

Should you desire a little more peace and quiet, spend your vacation in smaller towns like Es Canar or Portinatx, where you stay in traditional fincas and do not have to worry about dressing up when going to the restaurant at night. Cala Benirras is another small town in the north, where at night traditional drummers perform on the beach, and during the day, the underwater world around the rocks off shore attracts snorkelers.
There is no need to spend your days tanning on the beach, there are plenty of opportunities to be active. Hiking and biking trails crisscross through unspoiled hilly landscapes, past juniper trees, cacti and carobs, through pine forests, with lavender scents in the air.

The best time to travel to Ibiza is off-season, when you will have a good chance to find a remote bay all to yourselves. Even during the winter temperatures don’t drop below 12°C, while the average summer temperature is 26°C. The Mediterranean is warm enough for swimming pretty much all year-round, since even in winter it does not cool down to less than 15°C.