Historically the population has always been extremely diverse, which in turn has led to a multitude of styles and colours reflected in its buildings and culture. Writers, painters and poets flocked to the island in the mid 50s finding the perfect place to express themselves through what they wore and where they lived. The 1960s revolution is very prevalent within the island with visitors from San Francisco and across the world making their mark. A huge number of people from bohemian culture found roots here in the 60s and 70s, attracted to affordable housing and the rural, carefree lifestyle. Fashion trends emerged throughout this time and the island soon became awash with colours and patterns which are now reflected worldwide and also found in Highstreet stores with the tag ‘Ibizan Style’.

A fantastic example of Ibizan architecture is in Puig de Missa. Visit the fortified church, part of four fortress temples that were erected in Ibiza to protect against Turkish and North African invasion. Gaze at the whitewashed walls and gush at the beautiful views of the bay of Santa Eularia. Fusing ancient masonry with contemporary style is evident in many of the properties found on the island, including features such as grand stone entrances, fireplaces, staircases, and corridors with exposed interior walls. Its classic farmhouse charm meets luxurious living – which is iconic Ibiza. Ibizan house windows are often small and uneven, and can sometimes be mistaken for being unfinished. This imperfection serves as pure function (the exterior opening wider than the interior) to maintain the temperature of the house throughout the year. Very cleverly, due to the thickness of the whitewashed walls, excessive heat is avoided in the scorching Summer months and vice versa in winter. Another Ibizan style that inspires architects and designers worldwide today.

Hotel Montesol pays homage to the past. Ibiza’s first ever hotel established back in 1933, it was used by the army as a base during the Spanish Civil War. Now a listed building, its jaw-dropping (and ground-breaking at the time) yellow-and-white colonial-style facade is unmistakable. Unlike anything else in Ibiza Hotel Es Vivé in Es Figueretas is dripped in art deco design of the 1940s. It’s extravagant peppermint-coloured walls are like something out of a fairy-tale.

The island still to this day attracts a wealth of different nationalities who want to buy in Ibiza. The largest buying group being from Germany, followed by Spain, France, Switzerland, and the UK. A mixture of those seek to buy homes for all year round living or for use as holiday rentals. Compared to mainland Spain, Ibizan real estate has a higher average price due to such high demand.

Ibizan food draws on the island’s rich history and diverse culture to produce cuisine which is sure to suit all tastes, ages and budgets. As well as your typical tapas and paella dishes, Ibiza is fast making its mark on the culinary map.

With many decorated chefs both working and living on the island coupled with travellers from across the globe, its own Balearic style of food has emerged over the last few years. For the main courses, dishes are made using fresh locally sourced produce. Ibicencos dishes like ‘Bullit de peixa’ traditional Ibizan fish stew and ‘sofrit pages’ (its meat counterpart) can be enjoyed in many of the island’s finest eateries. For the sweet-toothed there’s ‘greixonera’ an Ibizan twist on the traditional bread and butter pudding.

Items to look out for include ‘Sobrassada’, the national sausage of the island, made from ground pork, paprika and other spices. ‘Hierbas Ibicencas’ is an herbal liqueur made in Ibiza with a variety of herbs and botanicals native to the island. It’s sold to you as a digestif after lunch or dinner although we’re unsure of its effectiveness! Many families have their own ‘special’ recipe that has been passed down the generations.