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Ibiza means package holidays and Brits abroad, right? Wrong, says Clara Suess, as she goes in search of the hidden treasures of the White Island
l you‘re in search ol a re|a\ing holiday. then lbi/a probably isn't high on your list. Alter progrannues like [him ('ucoi'crn/
in the I‘Nlls lolloyy ed hoards ol
lootball shirt-bedecked British tourists throyy ing tip in the streets ol San Antonio's notorious West lind. mention ol the White Island still makes many people think ol 24— hour hedonism in the island‘s sey'eral cay’ernous superclubs.
Yes. lbi/a is still one ol the tnain clubbing hot spots in the \yorld. but lor lltUse able to ltmk beyond the bustle ol the main package-holiday resorts. it's also one ol the most beautilul islands in the Mediterranean \y ith numeroUs unspoilt beaches. secluded \yhite- yy'ashed Villages. rolling pine lorests and some ol the linest cooking in liurope. This is \yhy l‘\ e alyyays regarded it as such a special place: it really does oller the best ol both worlds. whether you‘re alter quiet escapism or non-stop partying. ()n my most recent \islt. I decided to lully' explore the island‘s hidden gems.
The bus sery'ice on the island is good. but to get to the less
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populated areas you really need to hire a car. and as many ol the island's best beaches and yantage points are olten doyyn dusty. \yinding roads. good suspension is also ady isable. lbi/a is certainly not short ol sand. btit il you really want to get ayyay lroln the croyyds and the pounding heats. there are sey'eral isolated areas around l’ortinatx in the lar north \yith some ol the clearest \y'ater l'ye eyer seen (making them ideal lor snorkelling). last look out lor the signposts on the road out ol l’ortinat\ and take your pick.
Although you \yon‘t be alone. Benirras beach. also in the north beside the sleepy resort ol San Miguel. has a rela\ed \ibe and is lramed by two steep clills. You can see Ibi/a‘s hippy roots here ~ local
‘IT OFFERS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLD'S, OUIET ESCAPISM OR NON-ST OP PARTYING'
musicians tend to stage impromptu drumming sessions to accompany the sunset. culminating in annual crusty celebration l)ay ol the Drums on 28 August. The hippy scene dates back to the l95lls. \y hen young beatniks first settled on the island haying lallen in loye with its beauty en route in Morocco. As a result. many artists. musicians and
Spanish lelties made lbi/a their
home and remain there to this day. One ol the lust landmarks you‘ll see as you fly in to the island is the
imposing. almost hypnotic island ol
lis Vedra. jutting out ol the sea in the south west. 11 will be lamiliar to lans ol the tnusical Soul/I Pacific. in yyhich it doubled as the backdrop lor Bali llai; it also appears on the coyer ol Mike ()ldlield's album 'I'u/m/ur lie/ls ll l()|dlield liyed nearby. and .\'oel (iallagher upped the celebrity count when he bought a home there in the l‘)‘)(lsi. lis Vedra is one ol the best places to yyateh the sunset in this part ol the world. Forget San Antonio‘s Sunset Strip. Torre des Say‘inar. a delence toys er accessed by a steep ascent lrom the dusty car park near the beach at ('ala d'Hort. ollers
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aIna/ing yieyys \yithout the clapping
you‘re leeling adyenturous. there‘s also a steep descent lrom the [my er to Atlantis. an ancient quarry that has long been a sacred site and retains a magical atmosphere.
Alter oyerdosing on scenery. yy e needed a bit ol lbi/an culture. lucked away on Salinas Beach. the Sa 'I‘rinya beach bar is a peilect e\aniple ol the sadly oyerlooked. laid back Balearic \ibe. It's all presided oy er by the eponymous .lon Sa 'l‘rinya. \yho has been the
masses. ll
l'L‘\itlL‘ltl beach l).l there ltll' years. long belore the British inyasion. As the website has it. ‘Sa 'l‘rinya is the