Ibiza

Ibiza Town's crowning glory — a UNESCO-listed hilltop citadel of massive Renaissance walls, cobbled lanes, a cathedral and sweeping views over the sea and marina. Climb up through the Portal de ses Taules gate at golden hour; the calm, historic heart that most clubbers never see, and the best of the island's soul.

This is what put Ibiza on the map — the temples of dance music: Pacha in town, Amnesia and DC-10 out on the San Antonio road, Hï on Playa d'en Bossa. World-famous DJs, all-night sets and a serious price tag. Buy tickets online ahead, pace yourself, and go at least once — there's nothing like it.

The island's clubbing beach — Ushuaïa's poolside open-air parties by day, Bora Bora's free beach sessions on the sand, and the whole strip humming from noon till dawn. The place to feel the full Ibiza machine without leaving the beach; sunburn, house music and a very light wallet guaranteed.

Some of the Mediterranean's most beautiful water — Cala Comte (Cala Conta) and nearby Cala Bassa are shallow, impossibly turquoise coves that glow at sunset, backed by low cliffs and a couple of beach bars. The postcard Ibiza; get there early for a spot, and stay for the light as the sun drops.

The island's mystical icon — a sheer 400m rock rising from the sea off the south-west coast, wrapped in legend, best seen from the beach or cliff-top bars at Cala d'Hort. Come for sunset when it glows; the most magical, most photographed view on Ibiza, and a reminder there's more here than the clubs.

The original chill-out sunset — Café del Mar, Café Mambo and the bars along the San Antonio rocks, where the day winds down to Balearic beats as the sun sinks into the sea. Get there an hour early for a wall seat with a drink; a proper Ibiza ritual, even if it's more crowded than in its Balearic-beat heyday.

The chic beach south of the airport — golden sand and clear water backed by pine and the old salt pans, with trendy beach bars and a see-and-be-seen crowd. The salt flats behind are a nature reserve where flamingos stop over; come for a stylish beach day close to town.

Ibiza's counter-culture lives on at its hippie markets — Las Dalias in Sant Carles and Punta Arabí at Es Canar — stalls of leather, silver, tie-dye and crafts, with live music and food. A colourful, only-in-Ibiza morning that nods to the island's 60s roots; Las Dalias also runs a magical night market in summer.

The tangle of narrow lanes below Dalt Vila — La Marina and the old fishermen's quarter of Sa Penya — packed with boutiques, bars, white 'Adlib' fashion stalls and buzzing restaurant terraces, the heart of Ibiza Town's nightlife-before-the-clubs. Wander it in the evening; dinner, a drink and the pre-party crowd.

A pine-fringed cove in the north where, on Sunday evenings, a loose circle of drummers still beats the sun down over the sea — an old hippie tradition that survives the club era. Come early with a picnic; the most soulful sunset on the island, and the north's quiet answer to the strips.

The best beaches are best from the water — day boats and party boats leave Sant Antoni and Ibiza Town to hop the west-coast coves and cross to Formentera's white sands. Charter a small boat with a group to escape the crowds, or join a sunset cruise; the island looks its finest from the sea.

The boho heart of the interior — a tiny whitewashed village square ringed with galleries, tapas bars and the famous Bar Costa, full of a moneyed-hippie crowd. A lovely, laid-back lunch stop that shows the chic, arty side of rural Ibiza; pair it with a drive through the pine hills.

The far north's calm, family-friendly bays — Portinatx's sheltered coves of clear shallow water, and wilder gems like Cala Xarraca and Aguas Blancas nearby. Quieter, greener and gentler than the south's beaches; the place to base a relaxed, un-clubby island week with kids or a book.

Beyond the beach clubs, Ibiza has a proper local table — 'bullit de peix', a two-course fisherman's dish of poached fish followed by rice cooked in its broth, is the island classic, best at an old seafront restaurant. Seek out a traditional spot away from the strips; hearty, delicious and very Ibicenco.

The island's most civilised town — a palm-lined river-mouth promenade, a marina and a good restaurant scene, watched over by the whitewashed hilltop church of Puig de Missa. Climb up for the view, stroll the front, and enjoy the calmest, most family-friendly corner of Ibiza's coast.

A dramatic old smugglers' cave in the cliffs above Port de Sant Miquel in the north — a lit walkway past stalactites, an underground waterfall and a balcony over the sea. A fun, cool hour out of the sun and a good one with kids; combine it with a swim in the pretty bay below.

Sant Antoni's rowdy budget-nightlife strip — a dense knot of bars and cheap drinks that's the polar opposite of the superclubs: young, boozy and unpretentious. Not for everyone, but if you want a loud, low-cost night out before or instead of the big clubs, this is where the resort crowd goes.