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Before you stick your toe into the golden sand of Ibiza, drop the hedonistic clich`E9s about this Spanish island. Yes, it has spectacular beaches and a pulsating night life. Yes, the rich and the famous come here to get their sculpted bodies tanned. Yes, its population swells to an incredible one million in summer. Yes, it has the world’s largest club that can hold 10,000 people. Wait, before you cling again to an oft-repeated clich`E9 about this Phoenician town. Well, yes, Ibiza is all this. But there’s more. In fact, much more to the town that was part of the ancient Phoenicians’ Route of the Sun in western Mediterranean and was settled by seafarers as early as 645 BC. There are churches as old as the sea; there’s a well-preserved necropolis; old andalusi walls still stand as testimonial to a forgotten era; in villages, locals still celebrate a peasants’ festival; posidonia still forms lush meadows underwater; and the walled city still basks in — and lives — its unforgotten past. If you think Ibiza is hedonistic, perish the thought. Yes, it is flamboyant, yet, very graceful, as if straddling two worlds with elegant ease. In Ibiza (also known as Eivissa), stories can begin anywhere — in its 72 beaches, in its 20 villages, a large one like San Jose, in San Francisco, the smallest village; in Privilege, the world’s largest club; in El Corsario, perhaps the only obelisk dedicated to a corsair; in the ancient salt pans; in El Hotel Pacha, where a 200-year old olive tree stands by the door like a sentry; in Pacha Discotheque where Mariah Carey and Mick Jagger have shaken a leg or two; or, in its Unesco World Heritage Sites — the 16th century walled town of Dalt Vila, the Phoenician-Punic Necropolis of Puig des Maina; Sa Caleta, the 8th century BC Phoenician settlement; and the posidonia seagrass meadows on the seabed of the Sea Salinas Reserve Nature. In Ibiza, there’s a clonal colony of posidonia – 8 km across and 100,000 years old. It is perhaps one of the largest and oldest clonal colonies on Earth. Now you know why you need to drop the sun/sand/sangria clich`E9s about Ibiza! Drive around Ibiza and it is a tad difficult to believe that it was once a cluster of fishing villages and a busy trading post; a port that made its living by producing salt, dye, wool and fish sauce. Ibiza is the larger of a group of Balearic archipelago which the Greeks tagged Pityuses (Pine Islands), deriving the name from the abundance of pine on the island. The pine is still ubiquitous, but packaged tourism metamorphosed Ibiza. The Mediterranean sun became the USP of a summer holiday. When the well-heeled Swedes, French millionaires, loaded Americans and rich Spaniards started swarming the golden beaches, Ibiza became the hottest place for the rich and the moneyed. Then, they all started coming. Not just DJs churning loud techno sounds, or, Vengaboys who sang "We are going to Ibiza." Ursula Andress, the first James Bond girl, bought a tony cottage and may have practiced walking out of the water for that famous Dr No scene. Or, so says guide Emilio Vergara. Grace Kelly came to curl up in El Corsario. So, did Aristotle Onassis with Greek soprano Maria Callas (Onassis’ granddaughter still has a home in Ibiza). Boy George hopped in last year. Don’t get startled if you find Penelope Cruz somewhere on the island. She has a home here. (You can see her handprint on cement outside El Palacio Hotel.) Or, P. Diddy’s yacht moored in the harbour. If you abhor being a star-gazer, begin where it all began — in the Old town, which is neatly divided into three distinct parts: the walls of Dalt Vila (high town); Sa Penya, the former old gypsy quarters, which is now a haunt of the gay community; and La Marina, the harbour quarters littered with vibrant pubs, eclectic restaurants, eccentric boutiques. The bars might not be living the past, the high medieval walls of Ibiza do. They narrate stories of conquest, of daring seafarers, of gallant knights, of valiant soldiers. Of the rulers that changed the fate of Ibiza — from Phoenicians to the Romans to Arabs and to the native Catalans after the victory of Guillem de Montgr`ED in 1235. As if beholden to history, the restaurants rustle up their own narrative. The dishes include blood sausages, or flao, a Mediterranean take on the classic American cheesecake, made with fresh cheese, mint, aniseed and honey, or scrumptious gat`F3 d'ametlla, an almond cake. There is also ensa`EFmada de mallorca, a light pastry dusted with sugar and dripping with chocolate. And of course, not to forget, sofrit pages, a truly Balearic stew made from spiced lamb, pork, chicken, sausages and potatoes. In Ibiza, stories can begin everywhere. In Ibiza, stories can end anywhere. A great place to write ‘The End’ is Puget Museum, which houses the water colours and drawings of father/son artist duo Puget Vi`F1as and Puget Riquer. Stare at the hurried bright strokes of Puget Vinas and an Ibiza of yore comes alive from the brown frames – women at the centre of Ibiza life, an abundance of flowers in the landscape, traditional rituals, hoopoes and sparrows. In the Puget Museum, Ibiza comes alive in all its glory — in all its varied hues, without the skin getting tanned. Fact fileGetting there: Ibiza is a 50-minute flight from Barcelona. What to see/do: Walk around the Old Town. Go to Puget Museum, Modern Art Museum, San Miquel Church, Hippie Market, Madina Yabisa, Sa Caleta, Bastion of Sant Pere. Do a day trip to Formentera. Do not miss Pacha Discotheque. Where to stay: El Hotel Pacha is one of the best options. Other options include El Corsario, Gran Sol. There are several budget service apartment and B&B options. Where to eat: Calma, Café Alfredo, S’Ametller, Blue Marlin, S’Escollera, El Hotel Pacha.
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A child dressed as
Lord Krishna poses for a photograph during a rath yatra.