Ibiza is the third largest of the Balearic Islands and lies 53 miles south west of Mallorca. It is 24 miles long and 12 miles wide at its furthest points, with an area of 221 square miles it is slightly smaller than the Isle of Man. The island is generally hilly with the highest point being at Atalayasa, near San Jose, at 1562 ft.

The permanent population of the island is 65,000 with the principal town being Ibiza (Eivissa) with 30,000, followed by San Antonio and Santa Eulalia, each with 13,500. However, these figures swell many times over during the peak holiday season.

Ibiza's prosperity rests almost exclusively on tourism. Traditional industries like fishing and salt production run a very distant second. The Santa Eulalia to San Carlos area of the island is very heavily cultivated with many market gardeners growing abundant produce for the island's markets and hotel restaurants.

Language

Many locals speak Ibicenco, which is a dialect closely related to the Mallorqui (Mallorcan) branch of the Catalan language. Castilian (official Spanish) is also used by many and is understood by all.

Driving

Driving on the island poses few problems as Ibiza's roads are generally kept in very good condition and well signed. Even in the height of the summer season most roads are reasonably quiet, the notable exception being Santa Eulalia. In the evenings during high season the port area of Ibiza Town is congested, mainly due to the very narrow streets and lack of parking areas.
Worth noting is that all road signs on the island are written in the local language of Ibicenco, whereas on most most tourist maps towns are indicated in Spanish!

Below are the island's principal towns with their Ibicenco names in italics:

Ibiza Town = Cuidad de Eivissa,  Santa Eulalia = Sta Eularia,  San Carlos = St Carles,  San Juan = St Joan,  San José = San Josep,    San Jorge = San Jordi,  San Miguel = San Miquel (also signed as Balanzat),  San Antonio = Sant Antoni (also signed as San Antoni de Abad and San Antoni de Portmany).

Beaches of Ibiza

One of the joys of being on this beautiful island is that, no matter where you are you are never far from one of the many splendid beaches with their fine white sand. Even in the crowded months of July and August determined loners can find a private paradise in one of the many secluded coves. Ibiza's waters are among the cleanest and clearest in the Mediterranean, with many beaches having been awarded Blue Flag status.
Beach restaurants expect you to cover up for a sit down meal though bare boobs are not taboo at most beach bars. Ibiza's official nude bathing beach is at Playa Es Cavallet, about 5km south of Playa d'en Bossa. Nude bathing is widespread at Agua Blanca near San Carlos, and is also common at the southern end of Playa d’en Bossa's beach.