Ibiza’s cultural offerings are centred around the fortified upper town (D’Alt Vila), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprised of narrow streets, hulking Renaissance parapets and stern watchtowers.

The most dramatic approach to Ibiza is across the drawbridge and through the Portal de Ses Taules (Gateway of the Inscriptions). This opens on to the elegant Plaça de la Vila, peppered with shops, restaurants and the small but interesting Museum of Contemporary Art (Ronda Narcís Puget, 971 302 723, closed Mon).

A climb up steep cobbled streets is rewarded with wonderful views from the castle complex and the Gothic-baroque Catedral de Santa María (Plaça de la Catedral s/n, 971 312 774), which is dedicated to Holy Mary of the Snows – a surprising choice in an island that accumulates no more than a snowball’s worth of flakes every decade.

To the west of the walls, the Archaeological Museum (Plaça de la Catedral 3, 971 301 231, closed Mon) and the Puig des Molins necropolis (Via Romana 31, 971 304 102, closed Mon) display relics left by the island’s many past residents, from the Carthaginians to the Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs. By the 1960s, though, the main invaders were hippies, known locally as peluts or ‘hairies’, securing Ibiza’s reputation as a haven for counterculture. These days it’s the clubbers who have taken over the streets of the Sa Penya district with booming bars, nightly parades for the big clubs and a non-stop display of flesh. A deep tan is the main accessory and sunbathing is a spectator sport in Ibiza. The nearest beaches to Ibiza Town are the family-friendly Talamanca and Figueretes, but the party beaches get as crowded as the dance floors. For no-holds-barred decadence head south for Platja d’en Bossa or Ses Salines, while Platja Cavallet is for those who want to let it all hang out. Literally.

• Tourist information: C/Antoni Riquer 2 (971 301 900, www.visitbalears.com).