Enlarge Photo

There’s something mysterious and irresistible about Ibiza. Some say this strange draw is due to Es Vedrà, a mound of limestone that rises out of the sea just off the island’s southwestern shore and is supposed to emanate an extraordinary magnetic pull. Others point to the astonishing sunsets or the red-clay earth, which the ancients believed warded evil spirits.

Whatever the complete explanation, over the past half-century Ibiza’s image as a morally tolerant agricultural paradise in the middle of the sea has been at least partly responsible for attracting artists, writers, actors, anarchists and drifters, colonial-minded aristocrats, Beat Generation free spirits and draft dodgers. And more recently, along with an influx of supermodels, European royalty and film stars, came musicians and DJs, who in turn brought to the island an all-night-party scene and with it the young club crowd. In summer it’s known as the ultimate rave.

But Ibiza has still another side, which lies just beyond the giant concrete blocks of the discos and the garish billboards near Sant Antoni and past the fortified walls of Ibiza town (Eivissa). Inland you’ll find tranquil rural landscapes: lush valleys with groves of olive, lemon, fig and almond trees and sun-wizened farmers on their tractors. On the wild, craggy northern shore, you can explore dozens of small deserted coves of translucent blue and emerald, either by boat or by hiking down the rocky slopes. You’ll also want to visit the timeless, quiet country villages in the island’s hilly northern region and drop in at a roadside café there for some local barbecue. With any luck, you may even catch one of the village festivals, where ancient flamenco-like fertility dances are still performed in honor of the pagan Carthaginian goddess of fertility Tanit, Ibiza’s first protector.

All you need to know for a visit to Ibiza coming by the end of the week.