Ibiza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza Town, Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Antoni de Portmany. Its highest point, called Sa Talaiassa, is 475 m/1,558 ft above sea level.
The island is well-known for its summer club parties which attract large numbers of tourists, but the island and the Spanish Tourist Office have been working in order to promote more family-oriented tourism. Though some dispute the island’s ability to attract higher income families in large numbers, due to a lack of professionalism in the hospitality and service sector, the island is keen to dispel its image as merely a destination for young clubbers. Probably the most famous bar on the island is Café del Mar. This bar is significantly connected with the music genre of chill-out music. The other notable player in the entertainment world in recent years has been Ibiza Rocks who feature more live acts than the established clubs. The brand now runs the most famous youth hotel on the island, Ibiza Rocks Hotel. Ibiza is also home to the legendary “port” in the district of Ibiza, a popular stop for many tourists and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ibiza is the larger of a group of the western Balearic archipelago called the “Pityuses” or “Pine Islands” composed of itself and Formentera. The Balearic island chain includes over fifty islands, many of which are uninhabited. The highest point of the island is Sa Talaiassa, 475 meters.
Ibiza is considered a popular tourist destination, especially due to its legendary and at times riotous nightlife centred around two areas: Ibiza Town, the island’s capital on the southern shore and Sant Antoni to the West. Well-known nightclubs are Privilege, Amnesia, Space, Pacha, Eden, Es Paradís, Underground, Gala Night and DC10. During the summer, the top producers and DJs in dance come to the island and play at the various clubs, in between touring to other international destinations. Some of the most famous DJs run their own weekly nights around the island. Many of these DJs use Ibiza as an outlet for presenting new songs within the house, trance and techno genres of electronic dance music.
Since 2005 live music event Ibiza Rocks has helped to redefine the Ibiza party landscape. Bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The Prodigy, WasteMan Tobola and the Kaiser Chiefs have played in the courtyard of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel. For the last 3 years the UK’s BBC Radio 1 has focused its Ibiza Weekend broadcast from the venue.
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.” The island’s government is encouraging a more cultured and quieter tourism scene, passing rules including the closing of all nightclubs by 6 a.m. at the latest, and requiring all new hotels to be 5-star. The administration is wanting to attract a more international mixture of tourists.
Though primarily known for its party scene, large portions of the island are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and thus protected from the development and commercialization of the main cities. A notable example includes “God’s Finger” in the Benirràs Bay as well as some of the more traditional Ibicenco cultural sites. Because of its rustic beauty, companies and artists alike frequently use the island for photographic and film shoots. A monument (“The Egg”) erected in honour of Christopher Columbus can be found in Sant Antoni: Ibiza is one of several places purporting to be his birthplace.