Ibiza: World Heritage walls, turquoise coves and the Mediterranean's most famous sunset

Dalt Vila, Ibiza's upper town, is surrounded by sixteenth-century Renaissance walls built to defend the island from pirates. It is part of the ensemble listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also includes the seagrass meadows offshore and Phoenician sites.

You enter through the Portal de ses Taules, with an old drawbridge, and climb stone streets with white houses, bougainvillea and small squares. At the top are the cathedral and the old castle, with views over the port, the sea and, in the distance, Formentera.

In the late afternoon Dalt Vila turns golden and peaceful, and the restaurants in its squares fill for dinner. Below, the La Marina quarter by the port has shops, bars and a lively waterfront.

Ibiza's real treasure is its calas, small coves of sand or pebbles with water so clear you can see the bottom several metres down. The meadows of posidonia, a protected seagrass, help keep it this transparent.

Cala Comte, in the west, has water in many shades of blue and is famous for sunsets. Cala d'Hort looks out on Es Vedrà, a huge, mysterious rock in the sea full of legends. Cala Salada, Cala Tarida with its boathouses and Cala Benirràs in the north complete a list that could go on for a long time.

Many coves have a simple beach restaurant, a chiringuito, serving fish and rice with your feet almost in the water. In summer, arrive early: parking is limited and the small coves fill fast.

In Ibiza, watching the sunset is a social event. In Sant Antoni, the strip of sunset bars fills every day with people who come to see the sun drop into the sea to music, and there's applause when it disappears.

For a calmer sunset, Cala Comte and Cala d'Hort, with Es Vedrà in front, are unforgettable. At Benirràs on Sundays, drummers gather to bid the sun farewell, a tradition inherited from the hippy days.

Bring a drink, arrive in good time and get your camera ready. But keep a few minutes just to look.

In the sixties Ibiza drew hippies from all over the world, and the spirit lives on in its markets. Las Dalias in Sant Carles and Punta Arabí in Es Canar sell clothes, jewellery, crafts and all sorts of objects, with music and food.

The interior is surprisingly rural, with almond and carob fields, stone walls and white villages with fortified churches. Santa Gertrudis, Sant Joan and Sant Miquel are among the prettiest, with quiet terraces and design shops.

For food, try bullit de peix, a fish stew with rice, sofrit pagès, a dish of meats and potatoes, and flaó, a mint-scented cheesecake. To finish, a glass of hierbas ibicencas, the island's herbal liqueur.

About half an hour away by fast boat is Formentera, a small, flat, peaceful island famous for beaches with Caribbean-coloured water, such as Ses Illetes, on a tongue of sand between two seas.

In Formentera you rent a bike, a scooter or a small car and go from beach to beach. The pace is much slower than in Ibiza, and that is exactly what makes it special.

Boats leave Ibiza port several times a day. A day in Formentera is one of the best ways to round off the trip, especially if you want to rest from Ibiza's nights.