If you read the word “Ibiza” and mentally run screaming from the travel section, then you’re making a big mistake. Although we regularly hear about the horrors of foreign youths on the notorious Balearic island, my trip to Ibiza made me realise this island retains a great deal of dignity and harmony beyond the drink-fuelled shenanigans it is famous for.
Travelling in the off-season probably helped, for spring in Ibiza reveals orchards, rustic restaurants, empty beaches and sunny days, making it perfect for a relaxing, peaceful break.
The craggy coast leaps and dips like a dolphin until it stops at a bar or restaurant. When I went trekking, it was no different. I knew my ship had come in when I stumbled across Es Boldadó.
To the south-west of the isle near San José, Es Boldadó is on a cliff-edge opposite an imposing rock stuck in the sea like an iceberg. It is a stunning view that hypnotises all comers and the al fresco lunchtime crowd point their seats in its direction like sunflowers to the sun.
Eating seafood by water might panic the fish, but it’s reassuring for a diner. At the restaurant entrance, you find a pool for crabs and lobsters that put on a short-lived show before dinner.
My rambler’s appetite soon polished off a salad, then a typical Ibizan paella with crab, mussels, cod and langoustine.
For dessert, I indulged further. Flaó was a sweetened goat’s cheese flan, while Gaixonera was a cinnamon-spiced bread pudding – which here is surprisingly light and fluffy. Both were delicious.
To work off the food, I travelled north along the coast to San Antonio, usually the island’s capital of vice. I found it quietly relaxed until I came across a surging crowd of about 100 at the tourist office, armed with sticks.
That proved to be a new initiative from the San Antonio Tourist Office (located on Passeig de ses Fonts), which gives you free hire of Nordic walking poles so you can traipse along the coast.
Although walking with two poles usually receives hoots of derision, Nordic walking is one of the most beneficial all-round workouts.
The teenagers I met on my walk were convinced this kept them in shape for the podium-dancing season.
It doesn’t take long to climb above San Antonio and find yourself on wide beaches or, if you go inland, be surrounded by an abundance of flora.
During a short stroll, you can find aloe vera, wild asparagus, varieties of cacti, wood sorrel, wild spinach and many sturdy juniper trees. Sunlight warms the pine needles to scent the breeze.
But the first things you notice on any winter stroll in Ibiza are the orchards. Rows of lemon and orange trees, their fruit haloed in pristine light, fill valleys to bursting point. Put their colours against a rich blue sky and it warms the heart.
Surprisingly, if you arrive in late January or early February, the beauty of these fruits is eclipsed by the white blossom of the almond trees. Whole valleys are devoted to these fluffy white clouds and the locals love them like old saints. Walking through these orchards is truly magical.
It was all very pretty, and after all the vegetation I’d seen en route I went straight to San Antonio’s meatiest meatery. Everything is simple at the Can Pilot – the restaurant has plain tables and chairs and is filled with locals and running children.
The waiters place a trough of burning coals on your table, followed by a large tray of beef flecked with sea-salt. You simply take your meat and slap it on the coals to sizzle.
There is a homely, rustic nature to the island that is charming.
Old family photos adorn the walls of restaurants and bars. Lobster pots – which have actually seen lobsters – hang from the ceiling and the beams over your head are roughly hewn from local juniper.
The late 20th century brought money and people to Ibiza, but those with generations in the graveyard remember a poorer island and like to reflect on a time when things were much more simple and honest.
The next day I visited Can Curreu, one of the cutest boutique hotels on the island, equipped with a tidy gym. But after all the exercise, my feminine side caught up with me and I opted for the spa.
On the way home, I met a lovely young couple from Sussex, Zac and Vanessa, who were due to wed at Can Curreu. I think they will have a lovely wedding and happy life and I’ll leave you with Vanessa’s thoughts.
She said: “Most people have one idea of Ibiza, but you can find this glorious old Ibiza in the manners of the people, in the beauty of the landscape. That’s why we want our most special day here.”– Daily Mail
l For more information, visit ibiza.travel.