Ibiza may be known for its party scene but the island also offers plenty of history, culture and breathtaking scenery says ELLA BUCHAN

MESS ABOUT IN BOATS
FEEL like a VIP and charter a boat with a bunch of mates. Then you can focus on sunbathing, swimming and sipping champagne. Surely life doesn’t get any better?

Ibiza Charter Direct, based on the west coast in San Antonio, has several boats including a 50ft yacht that can take up to 12 people, costing from around £75pp for the day, including a skipper and drinks for your party (but not tax and fuel).

See ibizacharterdirect.com for booking details.

Click here now for amazing offers to Ibiza!

Drop anchor: Check out Es Vedra, a tiny, uninhabited rock island associated with myths involving sirens and Argonauts – and the ancient quarry Atlantis. Stones from here were used to build many structures around the island, including the walls of Ibiza Town.

Stop for lunch, a swim and a snorkel at one of the stunning beaches or coves. Head up to the north to explore the cliffs and pine forest around Benirass and Port San Miguel, then return to the west coast to watch the sunset in real style.

Roman Abramovich, eat your heart out.

'AVE IT LARGE
UNTIL September, the bars and clubs of San Antonio (and a couple in Ibiza Town) will be teeming with revellers enjoying big-name DJs and even bigger beats.

Stay: Do classic Ibiza with a Club 18-30 break, flying from Stansted on July 7 for seven nights at the three-star Central City Hotel in San Antonio. The price of £338pp is based on four sharing on a self-catering basis.

Call 0844 800 7038, see club18-30.com or visit your nearest Thomas Cook or Going Places to book.

Party: F*ck Me I’m Famous at Pacha, in Ibiza Town, is one of the island’s hottest nights – have a breather on the
gorgeous roof terrace. Nearby El Divino is less manic, with a capacity of 1,500 and a huge terrace with views of Dalt Vila, the old town walls. You can even catch a boat to the club from Ibiza harbour.

Spanish DJ Wally Lopez starts a weekly night at Space on July 2.

Chill: On San Antonio’s Sunset Strip, try Sun Sea Bar. The bar’s resident DJ times his set to reach a crescendo as the
sun dips into the sea.

Want incredible deals to Ibiza? Click here now...

HIT THE ROAD
THE island is only 45km long and 25km wide, so nothing is ever more than an hour’s drive away – making it excellent for a mini road trip, especially as the roads are mostly wide, safe and relatively quiet.

Most visitors tend to skim around the edges, because that’s where the beaches and most bars are clustered. But there is culture to be found.

You’ll discover a world of villages with friendly locals and a chilled-out hippy culture that lollops alongside the mad club scene.

Visit: The peaceful almond farming village of Santa Ines, just north of San Antonio, which has a church, a supermarket and a few bars. Or the equally quiet and picturesque San Carlos, which has a weekly hippy market
selling clothes, jewellery, paintings and leather.

Whirlpool
Es Canar also has a huge hippy market every Wednesday (hippymarket.com) – worth a visit before relaxing on its crescent-shaped beach.

San Jose is perched on a hill south of San Antonio and has winding cobbled streets and white-washed houses.

Stay: Mirador de Dalt Vila is a luxurious boutique hotel in the heart of Ibiza Town – near the cathedral and museums – with a whirlpool tub in every room and sea views.

See ibizaboutiquehotels.com for details of this and similar hotels on the island.

Drive: A week’s car hire in July costs from £209 from Holiday Autos, picking up at Ibiza Airport. See holidayautos.co.uk or call 0871 472 5229.

CHILL IN A VILLA
IF you’re planning a holiday with a group of mates and aren’t up for clubbing every night, a villa is a great – and often cheaper – alternative to hotels. Look for one with a pool and sound system so you can have your own party.

Ownersdirect.co.uk has a selection of villas across the island.

Our picks: In the quieter north, which boasts some of the best beaches, check out property B1982 in San Miguel. Costing from £2,500 per week, it sleeps eight and has a teardrop-shaped swimming pool, above right, and fabulous views of the sunset over the sea.

If you would prefer to stay nearer to the clubbing action, property B3615, right, is a modern villa with an infinity pool overlooking Ibiza Town, five minutes from Salinas Beach – costing from £3,320 per week, sleeping ten people.

And if San Antonio is your destination, finca-style property B3447 sleeps you and 11 mates, is a ten-minute walk to the beach and has a private pool and outside kitchen.

Stock up: While the super clubs and bars can be extortionate for drinks (£10 for a beer is not unusual), supermarkets in Ibiza are inexpensive with cans of beer just 20p and decent bottles of local wine for less than £2. Oh, and then
there’s the food – crusty baguettes, cured meats and all kinds of cheeses will keep you going.

HOP TO IT
FORMENTERA – Ibiza’s pretty, chilled-out little sister – lies just off the east coast and is worth a day trip or even a holiday. It’s like Ibiza before the hordes. Chill on the white beaches, eat at the reasonably-priced cafés and restaurants, then hit the trendy bars.

Getting there: There is no airport, so fly into Ibiza and catch a ferry from the harbour in Ibiza Town (about an hour).

Stay: Hotel Cala Saona is 5km from the capital San Francisco and opens on to a half-moon beach surrounded by pine woods. A week’s half-board, including flights from Gatwick on June 23, costs from £550pp. See thomson.co.uk or call 0871 231 4691 to book.

Relax: On Playa de ses Illetes, with dunes and powder-fi ne white sand to dig your toes into. Take a pedalo out or try sailing, windsurfi ng or waterskiing.

Explore: Hop on a bike. Stop at Ca na Costa, a stone circle which marks a megalithic burial tomb from 2,000BC. On the cliff edge at Cap de Barbaria, on the southernmost tip, there is a lighthouse and Bronze Age remains. On a clear day you can see the coast of North Africa. Visit the disused saltpans in Las Salinas, where you might spot a flamingo.

Eat: Stylish La Barca has a terrace next to the beach in Es Pujols and serves delicious seafood at reasonable prices.