It’s the ravers’ hot spot with its mega clubs, superstar DJs and hedonistic nightlife.
It’s the millionaire’s paradise with yachts costing millions of euros lined up in the marina of the island’s capital.
And in recent years it’s become the British politico’s retreat of choice with David Cameron, Ed Miliband and even Chuka Umunna all spending time on the island, basking in its warm sunshine and suggestions of street cred.
For an island of 220 square miles, that’s roughly the size of the Isle of Man, Ibiza has many faces.
But for those in the know, September is when the ‘White Island’ is at its most magical.
The summer crowds have gone but the weather is still glorious – expect temperatures in the mid-20s.
Nightclubs that had been charging up to 100 euros admission reduce prices or scrap admission charges altogether to get the crowds in and luxury hotels and villas, which are some of the most expensive in Spain, slash their prices to off-season rates.
Timing in Ibiza is everything and going now is one way to ensure that you’ll hear top DJs in sophisticated surroundings without being surrounded by a gaggle of ‘Inbetweeners’ downing lurid shots and causing mayhem.
Another caveat – if you want to avoid the worst of the ‘Brits Abroad’ excesses steer clear of San Antonio, the island’s package resort Mecca.
The town, which I’ve visited several times, is a double-edged sword for Ibiza tourism – on the one hand it has corralled the worst of the tourist excesses into one corner of the island, making it a hot bed of drunkenness and cheap package hotels, reminiscent of its Balearic neighbour, Majorca’s notorious Magaluf.
But on the other it has left the rest of the island relatively unspoiled and preserved that cool, understated, stylish Ibiza vibe – an almost indefinable strand of cool that began in the 1960s when the island became a retreat for hippies and hedonists, fleeing the strictures of General Franco’s military dictatorship on the Spanish mainland.
We find ourselves at the chic and stylish Blue Marlin Ibiza, a beach club that oozes style and sophistication, listening to a soul singer called Peyton belting out some incredible dance music underpinned with a hint of gospel.
Hotly tipped for big things and an Ibiza institution, the American singer-songwriter electrifies the audience with a powerful performance that has the whole crowd dancing on the beach. It feels like I’ve been let into one of Ibiza’s best secrets, and I’m loving it.
Next day we’re exploring the Unesco heritage site of D’Alt Vila (the Old Town).
The thick fortress walls built in the 16th century to repel Ottoman and French attacks give the pretty squares and narrow cobbled streets a protective embrace and let off a gentle heat as dusk starts to fall.
It’s a world away from the package tourism terrors we’ve seen on our screens in shows like Ibiza Uncovered.
Locals say as a rule of thumb never to eat in D’Alt Vila as restaurants are usually of dubious quality.
But the exception is El Olivio,which offers a stylish Balearic menu and has a great terrace from which to watch the world go by.
Later on we make our way to Beach House Ibiza where a uniquely Ibizan fusion of great music and food and a relaxed grown-up beachside atmosphere convinces me that this is where a reformed 1990s clubber like me can feel at home, rather than stumbling out, bleary-eyed from one of the island’s legendary but exhausting nightclubs like Amnesia, Pacha or Space.
Long relaxed lunches melding into cocktail hour and finished off with some chilled out dancing on the beach. Everyone seems to have gone by 10pm. What’s not to like?
Was Ibiza always this chilled and grown up or is it me who’s changed?
Taking in the sunset that seems to have suddenly synchronised with the beats of the music, I raise my glass.
When something’s this good, don’t question it, just enjoy.
