IBIZA, SPAIN
Visit Ibiza before the last weekend in May – when most big clubs throw their opening parties – and you’ll find temperatures in the high teens but its beaches much quieter than usual, and its restaurants largely filled with locals. New hotel Hostal La Torre, on the rocky promontory of Cap Negret, is an ideal place from which to enjoy the quieter side of island life. Seventeen simple whitewashed rooms cluster around a plant-filled courtyard garden, but you’ll likely spend most of your time on its sunny terrace. Though a great breakfast spot it’s particularly alluring at dusk, when fashionable couples and friends gather for cocktails and tapas as the sun disappears into the shimmering Balearic Sea. Spend your days reclining on the many lovely stretches of sand, or making the most of the fine climate with alfresco meals served by Ibicenco kitchens. Beachfront Can Pujol makes the best rice and seafood dishes on the island (Carretera Port des Torrent; paella from £21), while in Ibiza Old Town the top choice is Comidas San Juan. Tucked down one of the atmospheric city’s stone-flagged alleyways, this family-run tavern is fantastic value and always full of friendly Ibizans (mains from £6).
Hostal la Torre sits on secluded Cap Negret, and many of its rooms have balconies. The west-facing terrace offers sea views – particularly fine at sunset – plus an inventive menu of cocktails and Mediterranean food
PHOTOGRAPHS: MATT GREEN, HOSTAL LA TORRE