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If ever there was a dramatic place to site a restaurant, it’s up on the cliff west of Santa Agnès. Here, a modest eatery has the privilege of commanding views out to a couple of rocky islets, with some monstrous rock pillars looming up to the left and right.

 

After a reviving drink here, I walked along the edge of the sudden drop-off, past the remains of an ancient Moorish settlement, to find the ultimate place to observe Ibiza’s famous sunset. Unfortunately I was about six hours too early — and I never got the chance to return later.

 

I did, however, follow a dramatic path beneath the ledge to get a closer view of the mighty vertical face of Sa Penya Esbarrada. There are many inviting places in the district of Sant Antoni from which to watch the sunset. For an accompaniment of cocktails and chillout music, the in-crowd flocks to Ses Variades near boisterous Sant Antoni town (also known as San Antonio); if you’re more interested in the golden glow across the sea than that of the sunworshipper set, then head for one of the beaches or capes to the north.

 

Visit Sant Josep and Ibiza's mystery rock Es Vedrà 

At any time of day, the coves of Cala Gració and Cala Salada are alluring, especially in the morning before the clubbers arise and set off for the beach. Cala Salada has a gorgeous patch of soft sand and sky-blue water, plus another strand, Cala Saladeta, a short walk away over the rocks. Dinner in a bayside tavern as the sun says goodnight must be one of life’s true pleasures.

 

If you choose the cliffs as your front-row seat, look out for Eleanor’s falcons swooping around for prey as twilight falls.

 

There’s another natural phenomenon for which Ibiza is known, but it occurs annually rather than daily. Several island folk insisted that I had to return in early spring to witness the almond blossom in the Corona valley around Santa Agnès. It has become almost a pilgrimage to come here at night when both the moon and the blossom are in full bloom, a spectacle described by a new friend as “like walking through snowflakes”.

 

This area of peaceful farmland and the neighbouring valley of Sant Mateu are the secret Ibiza. As well as the fruit trees there are songbirds, wild herbs and, especially in spring, a sea of wild flowers. Another plant is the vine, for this is where much of the island’s acknowledged wines are produced at traditional country bodegas.

 

Holidays in Ibiza hold big surprises 

Sant Antoni district makes a fine multi-faceted day out wherever you are staying on the island.

 

While up near the cliffs, you could locate the cave of Ses Fontanelles, which contains wall art thought to date back to the Bronze Age. A little further south, close to Sant Antoni town, another cave is now used as a natural aquarium, Cap Blanc, hosting flora and fauna from Ibiza’s seas in a lake and open tanks.

 

Previously a watery store for live lobsters, it has been a tourist attraction since the late Eighties, but the staff also carry out important conservation work such as rehabilitating turtles.

 

Don’t forget to stop at the district’s villages. Santa Agnès and Sant Mateu both have good examples of old rural churches, with charming restaurants next door, while from the church of Sant Rafel — the village famous for its pottery — there are outstanding views down to the capital.

 

After driving around the quiet lanes, through a timeless landscape, the sudden sight of Sant Antoni’s tall hotels and bright lights comes as a shock. But that, to me, represents the special essence of Ibiza. You can come for hedonistic revelry or to lose yourself in a landscape that is just as wild in its own way.

 

Telegraph