Travels Along the Edge:
40 Ultimate Adventures for the Modern Nomad
From Crossing the Sahara to Bicycling Through Vietnam
by David Noland

Ibiza is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands. Major cities are Ibiza, Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Antoni de Portmany.

Eivissa is the official Catalan name, but the name in Spanish is Ibiza. The Island of Ibiza is well-known for its summer parties, with thousands tourists visitng for the big summer club nights. Noted clubs include Space, Pacha, Privilege (ex Ku), Amnesia, DC10, Eden and Es Paradis. It is also home to the 'West End' party district of Sant Antoni, a popular stop for many tourists.

Ibiza is considered a popular tourist destination due to its legendary and, at times riotous, nightlife centered around two areas: Ibiza Town, the island's capital on the eastern shore and Sant Antoni to the West. Well-known nightclubs have become the centre of the worldwide electronic music movement. During the summer, well-known DJs perform at the various clubs on weekly schedules, in between touring to other international destinations. Many of these DJs use Ibiza as an outlet for presenting new songs within the house and trance genres of electronic dance music[citation needed.

The season traditionally begins at the start of June with Space and DC10's opening parties and finishes on the first weekend of October with the Closing Parties. A typical schedule for clubbers going to Ibiza includes waking at noon, early evening naps, late night clubbing, and "disco sunrises". Due to Ibiza's notable tolerance toward misbehavior from young adult tourists, it has acquired the sobriquet "Gomorrah of the Mediterranean".

Though primarily known for its party scene, large portions of the island are registered as U.N. World Heritage Sites, and thus protected from the development and commercialization. However, any time other than summer, the whole island is empty of tourists and most clubs are not open. Tourists who plan to travel to the island prior to June or after September should expect a quiet time with plenty of rain. The island is still considered to be beautiful, but tourists coming for the night life may be disappointed, though it's arguably a better time to explore the island. El Vedrà can be seen from all over the island, and some claim it is the third most magnetic point on Earth, after the North Pole and the Bermuda Triangle.

Thinking of exotic locations...?
Why not treat yourself?
Travel Deals