Ibiza

Ibiza. To me it conjures up visions of 17 year old sex-crazed British teenagers, sleeping on the beach in their own vomit after a night paying inflated prices, dancing to inane "music" and taking recreational Class-A drugs. This is, of course, what Ibiza is best known for, however there is another side, a beautiful, picturesque, tranquil side.

To enjoy the real Ibiza, away from the DJs and the glow-sticks, you need to do two things: 1) Avoid Ibiza Town. 2) Avoid San Antonio. The rest of Ibiza is a sun-drenched treasure trove or white beaches and, inland, pristine secluded hideaways.

There is unspoiled countryside teaming with wildlife and more picturesque little coves to discover than anywhere on Cornwall's coastline. It's just a matter of  finding them.

Ibiza's main pull for us less inclined to party, is of course, its pristine beaches. There is an excellent guide to Ibiza's beaches available here. However, personally, my most enjoyable visits to Ibiza have been spent traversing inland, the countryside is a beautiful hilly landscape, punctuated by quaint little "pueblos" (small Spanish villages). This more authentic Ibiza experience can really only be achieved by hire car - the pubic transport away from the bright lights and the questionable music is all but absent.

Ibiza has, believe it or not, in recent years attempted to attract more 'mature' tourists, which has resulted in the springing up of secluded resorts and private villas inland, if they are within your budget, and more relaxing experience is what you're after I can't recommend them enough.

The Hotel Hacienda Na Xamena (pictured above), offers views as breathtaking as you get, it is, perhaps, the most relaxing and beautiful hotel in which I have ever stayed, it feels a million miles away from the Ibiza the media laps up. It is perched almost 200 meters above crystal blue seas in the heart of one of Ibiza's under-valued nature reserves. 

These secluded hotels are springing up all over the island, as Ibiza try to appeal to the more discerning tourist as well as the obvious party goers. I avoided visiting Ibiza for many years as I held the view that it was just full of night clubs and cafes offering beans on toast and burger and chips, which in some areas is the case - but I missed out on the true beauty of this island for many years. The secluded (and sometimes secret) beaches are infinite and beautiful, the hotels are like staying in a dream and wildlife and nature reserves are a never-ending pleasure to explore. 

You don't have to be 21 to visit Ibiza, but I'd visit soon.