Because it is two islands in one: the world's most famous party destination and, at the same time, a serene Mediterranean island of pine forests, turquoise coves, white villages and a long bohemian soul. Beyond the superclubs lie the UNESCO old town of Dalt Vila, hidden beaches like Cala Comte, the hippie markets, the salt-flat flamingos and the white sands of Formentera — and water as clear as anywhere in the Mediterranean.

Is Ibiza only for partying?

Not at all — that is the island's biggest misconception. The clubs cluster in the south and west and are easy to avoid entirely; the north and the interior are quiet, rural and beautiful, full of slow villages, farm-to-table restaurants, yoga retreats and empty coves. Many visitors come for the calm, the beaches and the scenery and never set foot in a club. Ibiza repays whichever island you choose.

What is the best area to stay in Ibiza?

It depends on the trip. Ibiza Town and Dalt Vila suit those wanting culture, dining and a bit of everything within reach; San Antonio and Playa d'en Bossa are the party bases in the south and west. For calm, the north around Sant Joan and Sant Miquel and the inland villages like Santa Gertrudis are quietest and loveliest — the part of the island to choose for seclusion, scenery and the best of the coves.

How do you get around Ibiza?

A hire car is much the best way to explore, as the loveliest coves, villages and viewpoints are scattered and not all served by bus. The island's bus network is good and cheap between the main towns and beaches, and taxis run everywhere but get busy and pricey on summer nights. Ferries from Ibiza Town reach Formentera in about half an hour. The island is small — nowhere is more than about an hour's drive.

Is Ibiza or Mallorca better to visit?

They suit different trips. Ibiza is smaller, wilder and more bohemian, with the world's best nightlife alongside a serene, beautiful north and superb coves; Mallorca is much larger and more varied, with mountains, a grand old capital in Palma, and a gentler, more family-and-touring feel. For beaches, scene and a small island you can know well, Ibiza; for range, landscape and a longer touring holiday, Mallorca.

Boutique Hotels in Ibiza, Spain

Where to go in Ibiza

Start with Dalt Vila, the fortified old town rising above Ibiza Town behind sixteenth-century walls — a UNESCO site of narrow lanes, whitewashed houses, a cathedral and ramparts looking out to Formentera and, on the offshore islet of Es Vedrà, the limestone rock wrapped in legend. Ibiza Town and its marina are the island's lively, stylish hub; west along the coast lie San Antonio and the sunset strip, and the great beach clubs and superclubs — Pacha, Amnesia, Ushuaïa — that made the island's summer name.

The other Ibiza is inland and to the north. The interior is a landscape of pine, olive and almond and a string of slow white villages: artsy Santa Gertrudis with its galleries and cafés, sleepy Sant Carles with its hippie-era Anita's Bar and the Las Dalias market nearby, and the quiet north around Sant Joan and Sant Miquel. The coast here keeps the island's loveliest swimming — turquoise coves like Cala Comte, Cala Salada and Benirràs, where drummers gather at sunset — while south of the airport the Ses Salines salt flats draw flamingos to their pink lagoons. Offshore, the white-sand paradise of Formentera is a half-hour ferry away, and worth a whole day.

Eating, the sea and where to stay

Ibiza eats far better than its party reputation suggests. The island has a real farm-to-table movement — rural agroturismo restaurants among the fields, village squares full of slow lunches, fresh seafood and rice by the water, and a coffee-and-gallery culture in places like Santa Gertrudis. There are hippy markets to graze and browse, local wine under the olive trees, and beach restaurants for long afternoons; eat inland for the island's soul, by the sea for its glamour.

But the island's truest luxury is the sea and the space, and the way to feel it is from the water. For where to stay, the club's choice makes the point:Isla Sa Ferradura, a whole private island for exclusive hire in the quiet Bay of Sant Miquel on the north coast — a six-bedroom villa, two pools and a 750-square-metre rooftop, taken by a single party, with the famous south a half-hour's drive away when you want it. It is the calm, hidden Ibiza distilled — and entirely your own.

When to go

Ibiza's season runs from spring to autumn, and the month you choose changes the island completely. May, June, September and early October are the sweet spots: warm days of 24 to 28 degrees, a swimmable sea, blossoming or golden countryside and far thinner crowds, with the beach clubs open but the madness held off. July and August are the peak — hot, expensive and frantic, the island at full party tilt, wonderful if that is what you came for and overwhelming if it is not. Winter is quiet and many places close, though the almond blossom in January and February is a quiet pleasure and the island at its most local. For the best of both Ibizas — sun, sea and calm — come in the shoulder months, May, June or September.