Ibiza is an island in the Mediterranean Sea located off the coast of the Iberian Peninnsula. Ibiza is part of a chain of islands known as the Balearic Islands that belong to the country of Spain.
Together, Ibiza and Formentera form the Pityuses or Pine Islands. This name for the two islands comes from the Greek pitys, meaning pine, since both Ibiza and Formentera feature a large number of pine trees. Ibiza is the Spanish version of the islands’ name, whereas in Catalan, another language spoken commonly in Spain, the island is called Eivissa.
Over the course of history, the island of Ibiza has been home to Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Assyrians, and Moors. Although today, part of the country of Spain, Ibiza and the other three Balearic Islands of Formentera, Mallorca and Minorca are known as the Balearic Autonomous Community, and are therefore considered autonomous in terms of administration and governance.
As might be expected, Ibiza has a Mediterranean climate, meaning that temperatures generally range between 60° Fahrenheit (15° Celsius) in the winter months and about 85° and 90° Fahrenheit (29°- 32° Celsius) in the summer months.
Ibiza is known world wide for its energetic nightlife, and is an important locale in the electronic music scene. The popularity of Ibiza’s nightlife might be indicated by the fact that Ibiza is home to the largest club in the world, called Privilege. Other clubs in Ibiza feature fun events such as water and foam parties, where club-goers mingle and dance under a shower of water or while wading through foamy bubbles.
Electronic music is played in clubs, at pre-party bars, and even outdoors in large festival-style venues. DJ’s, well-known or otherwise, treat partiers to a mixture of house music, trance music, and electronic dance music, among others. The height of the party season usually lasts from June to October.
Although Ibiza’s popularity among tourists lies primarily in its identity as a music and party destination, there are other tourist attractions to be seen on the island. A large portion of the island is protected from commercialization and development, including Benirras Bay, which is a U.N. World Heritage site. Another popular attraction is a monument honoring Christopher Colombus, known familiarly as ‘The Egg.’