Beautiful countryside family luxury villa near Santa Gertrudis

Santa Gertrudis. Med fusión menú, charming walled garden dining off the main church square in the popular Santa Gertrudis. Always solidly good food. There are some great boutiques very close by so we recommend a bit of retail therapy before your dinner!

San Lorenzo. Italian / Mediterranean / organic charming, campo restaurant with excellent food and ambience. Located in the pretty and tiny village of San Lorenzo, it’s one of the established classics in any Ibiza restaurant guide. About as rustic chic as it comes. Definitely worth the drive. In the day, eat at the La Paloma café (immediately next door) and in the evening enjoy the main restaurant. Both are excellent.

Carretera de San Juan, 8.5km.  Bambuddha has become an institution over the last 10 years. The restaurant and cocktail bar have stayed popular for years and have a loyal following amongst tourists. John Moon, the owner, has created a hugely atmospheric dining experience and his son John has partnered with him and improved it further. Bambuddha feels like a slice of the Orient and serves up good Thai and Asian food at a respectable price. Have a delicious cocktail first in the bar…and two or three more after dinner too!

Quintessential northern beach made up of grainy, rocky type sand. The bay is surrounded by pine trees and carved out by rocks on either side (often used as an extension of the beach by the more nude variety). Looking out from the beach is Cap Bernat, an interesting looking rock jutting straight out of the sea, adding a filmic quality during the beaches’ famous sunsets as well as providing a daring jump off point for the more adventurous in nature.

This beach maintains its popular appeal with locals, hippies (hippie chic) and tourists. Every Sunday the beach hosts a boisterous drumming circle that, during the peak months, packs the entire beach with listeners. Also popular on the weekends is the small market where there is an eclectic collection of all things hippie. Make sure you factor in breakfast or lunch at Elements (+34 971 33 31 36, www.elements-ibiza.com), a must for the full Benirras experience.

Tip: There is a very small parking lot near the beach that is almost always full. The restaurants have limited parking space as do the paid parking lots (3 euros fee). It is therefore recommended, especially on Sundays, to come early or to wear your walking shoes as people do end up parking very far up the road from the beach.

One of Ibiza’s longest and most famous beaches, las Salinas is also one of the closest beaches to the airport in the event you want to go straight there. The beach runs along the Parc Natural Ses Salinas d’Eivissa, a nature reserve lined with pine forest and pristine white sand dunes. The clear waters and copious amounts of seaweed (regularly cleaned in summertime) make swimming at this beach like a kind of natural spa experience.

Several chiringuitos line the beach spinning glitzy tunes in the summer months. This beach attracts a diverse crowd, jet set, hippy, families, nudists, everyone is there at some point during the summer. Enjoy some of the best food for all the family at Jockey Club, one of the original Ibiza beach clubs and still delivering after 30 years (+34 971 395 788, www.jockeyclubibiza.com).

One of the most stunning parts of the beach can be found when you walk to the far left-hand side past the sandy bit and onto the rocky path. As you walk towards the watchtower (Torre de ses Portes) you will discover a series of mini coves, like private little beaches (quickly snatched and closely guarded as such by eager sunbathers). Interesting rock formations can be seen interspersed among the coastal stones, carved into unique forms such as a dragon wearing a Mayan-style headdress. This stretch is also home to many nudists in the busy summer months.

Tip: The afternoons are busiest at this beach so the early risers are more likely to get a spot both in the various car parks and on the beach.

Attracting more of an exclusive crowd thanks to its well-known beach bars and restaurants. This crescent shaped bay provides for a most spectacular view and is a great sunset spot (although you only see the sun disappear into the water, as opposed to behind the hills, in mid winter).

An extremely lively shore where there is always entertainment to be had either from the beach side or from the private yachts bobbing on anchor in the bay. large smooth rounded stones provide a dividing belt between the white sand of the beach clubs sun-beds and the clear water. Once you are in the water and out swimming it’s truly lovely but getting there can be a bit tricky as the stones make an uncomfortable entrance.

The beach clubs normally have simple wooden jetties to make access much easier but because of this and the more adult focused restaurants we don’t rank Cala Jondal as particularly kid friendly. For a long lunch drifting into off-the-beach cocktails, music and fun, however it is a great spot.