| Destination: | Perhaps the world's most famous fantasy island. |
| Ibiza - Eivissa in Catalan - is invaded every summer by a multinational force of hedonistic sunseekers. It has fine beaches, relentless sunshine, good food and wild nightlife. Inland, the landscape is harsh, dry and rocky. Beachside, discos, clubs and bars ensure the place never stops buzzing. |
| Ibiza - Eivissa in Catalan - is invaded every summer by a multinational force of hedonistic sunseekers. It has fine beaches, relentless sunshine, good food and wild nightlife. Inland, the landscape is harsh, dry and rocky. Beachside, discos, clubs and bars ensure the place never stops buzzing. |
| Ibiza - Eivissa in Catalan - is invaded every summer by a multinational force of hedonistic sunseekers. It has fine beaches, relentless sunshine, good food and wild nightlife. Inland, the landscape is harsh, dry and rocky. Beachside, discos, clubs and bars ensure the place never stops buzzing. |
| Ibiza - Eivissa in Catalan - is invaded every summer by a multinational force of hedonistic sunseekers. It has fine beaches, relentless sunshine, good food and wild nightlife. Inland, the landscape is harsh, dry and rocky. Beachside, discos, clubs and bars ensure the place never stops buzzing. |
| Unlike many other glittering resort communities, however, Ibiza City is actually a living, breathing town with an interesting old quarter. But most people head for the throbbing disco complexes, vast temples to hedonism that you should really check out even if it isn't your scene. |
| Unlike many other glittering resort communities, however, Ibiza City is actually a living, breathing town with an interesting old quarter. But most people head for the throbbing disco complexes, vast temples to hedonism that you should really check out even if it isn't your scene. |
| Unlike many other glittering resort communities, however, Ibiza City is actually a living, breathing town with an interesting old quarter. But most people head for the throbbing disco complexes, vast temples to hedonism that you should really check out even if it isn't your scene. |
| Weights measures system: | Metric |
| Population: | 103000 de habitantes. |
| Overwiew: | | There are roughly a dozen public holidays peppered throughout the year in Ibiza, and numerous events to add to the party madness. |
| Ibiza's weather is perfectly suited to wearing not much at all. The winters are balmy - the average maximum in January is 14°C (59°F) - but beware of the summers, which can sear. July is statistically almost devoid of rain. |
| Intro: | | If you're looking to take a breather from the relentless party action on land, diving and sailing are good options. You'll find plenty of schools for both activities in the main resorts. Hiking and mountain-bike riding are also popular - the tourist office has information on both, including the Ibiza Illes Balears: Hiking Sederismo and Ibiza Illes Balears: Mountain Bike brochures. |
| Ibiza's airport is 7km (5mi) southwest of the capital. There are buses from the centre of town to the airport every 30 minutes (from 07:20-23:50) in summer. Buses to other parts of the island generally depart from a series of stops along Avinguda d'Isidoro Macabich, and operate hourly from 07:30 to 22:30. Coming into town, get off when you see the old city walls rather than waiting to reach the bus station.Boats for Formentera leave from a separate terminal about 300m (1000ft) north of the centre of town. | |
| Four bus companies operate services to different parts of the island. Many run night buses in summer for party-goers. Pick up a copy of Horario y Líneas de Autobuses (bus timetable) from tourist offices. The major car rental companies have desks at the airport, but smaller and often cheaper operators are scattered around the island. Cyclists should ask at the tourist office for route brochures. | |
| pre 20th history: | | Ibiza is part of the Balearic Islands, on which human habitation dates from at least 5000 BC. The Balearics were on Phoenician trade routes, and later the Carthaginians founded Ibiza City, which became one of the region's major ports. Then came, in turn, the Romans, Visigoths and Muslims - the latter leaving their imprint in the shape of the island's traditional costumes and architecture. They were turfed out during the Christian Reconquista in the 13th century. The islands became Catalan colonies but faded in importance, and Ibiza was under Bourbon control for much of the 18th century. |
| Modern history: | | The decline of the Balearic Islands had dragged on for centuries, and brief periods of recovery proved illusory. The advent of jet propulsion in the 1950s turned things around once and for all. Ibiza's beaches and laid-back attitude first became a major drawcard in the flower-power heyday of the 1960s. While North America's hippies were 'California dreaming', their European counterparts were heading for Ibiza to tune in, turn on and drop out. It's hard to believe that in 1956 the island boasted 12 cars! Initially hip and fashionable, Ibiza soon discovered the financial rewards of bulk tourism and started shipping in sunseekers by the thousand. |
| recent history: | | Nowadays the small island populace watches more than a million visitors a year - a strange blend of hippies, fashion victims, nudists, nightclubbers and package tourists - pour through their home. Construction and hotel mafias have made a killing on the costas while farming and most other pillars of the economy have fallen by the wayside. Islanders now enjoy a good standard of living, although property prices are so inflated many of them can't afford to buy an apartment, even in inland villages. |
 |  |  | | Aerial view of the coastline near Es Cubells | Cala Talamanca from D'Alt Vila | Night view across harbour of Elvissa and old walled town of D'Alt Vila | | Bill Wassman | Jon Davison | Bill Wassman | | | | |  | | Crowded outdoor eateries in Old Town | | Bill Wassman | | |
| Sa Penya | | | Keywordsquare/freaky/markets | | | |
| | | There's always something always going on portside. People-watchers will be right at home - this pocket must have one of the highest concentrations of exhibitionists and weirdos in Spain.Sa Penya is crammed with dozens of funky and trashy clothing boutiques and the intense competition between the locally made gear and the imports keeps a lid on prices. | | _________________________________________________________________________________ | | D'Alt Vila | | | Keywordgate/Unesco World Heritage | | | |
| | | D'Alt Vila is the old walled town; a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1999. The Romans were the first to fortify this hilltop, but the walls you see were raised by Felipe II in the 16th century to protect against invasion by French and Turkish forces. A ramp leads from Plaça de sa Font in Sa Penya up to the Portal de ses Taules gateway, the main entrance. | | _________________________________________________________________________________ | | Museu d'Art Contemporani | | | Direccion: Ronda de Narcìs Puget s/n | | | | | Horario: Oct-Mar: Tue-Sun 10:00-13:30; Apr-Sep: Tue-Fri 10:00-13:30 & 17:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-13:30 |
| | The Museum of Contemporary Art is in an 18th-century powder store and armoury. It features a constantly changing parade of exhibitions of contemporary art, much of it local. Behind the museum you can walk along the town walls and enjoy great views of the city, its harbour and the coast. | | _________________________________________________________________________________ | | Museu Arqueològic | | | Direccion: Plaça de la Catedral 3 | | | | |
| | The archeological museum is next to the 14th century catedral at the top of the hill in D'Alt Villa, overlooking the city. It houses a fine collection of ancient relics, with a particular emphasis on objects from the Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman periods. | | _________________________________________________________________________________ | | Cova de Can Marçà | | | | A turn-off to the right just before you enter Port de Sant Miquel, coming from the south, takes you around a headland to the Cova de Can Marçà, a collection of underground caverns spectacularly lit by background lights. Tours in various languages take 30-40min. | | _________________________________________________________________________________ |
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