Explore Balearic Islands

Comprising an archipelago to the east of the Spanish mainland, the four chief Balearic islands - Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca and Menorca - maintain a character distinct from the rest of Spain and from each other. Ibiza , firmly established among Europe's trendiest resorts, is wholly unique with an intense, outrageous street life and a floating summer population that seems to include every club-going Spaniard from Sevilla to Barcelona. It can be fun, if this sounds like your idea of a good time, and above all if you're gay - Ibiza is a very tolerant place. Formentera , small and a little desolate, is something of a beach-annexe to Ibiza, though it struggles to present its own alternative image of reclusive artists and "in the know" tourists. Mallorca , the largest and best-known Balearic, also battles with its image, popularly reckoned as little more than sun, booze and high-rise hotels. In reality you'll find all the clichés, most of them crammed into the mega-resorts of the Bay of Palma and the east coast, but there's lots more besides: mountains, lovely old towns, some beautiful coves and the Balearics' one real city, Palma. Mallorca is in fact the one island in the group you might come to other than for beaches and nightlife, with scope to explore, walk and travel about. And last, to the east, there's Menorca - more subdued in its clientele, and here, at least, the grim modern resorts are kept at a safe distance from the two main towns, the capital Maó, and the highly scenic, pocket-sized port of Ciutadella.

Access to the islands is easy from Britain and the rest of northern Europe, with charter flights and complete package deals dropping to absurd prices out of season or with last-minute bookings. From mainland Spain, too, there are charters, though believe it or not these can often cost as much or even more. Ferries - from Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia - are slightly less expensive: the single passenger fare from Barcelona to Ibiza will, for example, set you back around ?34, with vehicle rates starting at around ?113 one-way. Catamarans , which run from the same mainland ports in the period mid-June to mid-September, are even more expensive - Valencia to Palma, for instance, costs ?50. Likewise, rates for inter-island ferries are also high, and for journeys such as Ibiza-Mallorca or even Mallorca-Menorca it can actually be better value to fly. The catch here is availability: in the high season tickets are snapped up fast, so it's a good idea to book ahead of time - a few days beforehand is usually sufficient.

Expense and over-demand can be crippling in other areas, too. As "holiday islands", each with a buoyant international tourist trade, the Balearics charge considerably above mainland prices for rooms - which from mid-June to mid-September can double in cost, and are in very short supply. If you go at these times, it's sensible to try to fix up some kind of reservation in advance or at least get a bag of small change and phone round before tramping the streets (though many places accept only agency bookings). If you plan to rent a car , note that these can also be in short supply in season. Mopeds, scooters and bicycles are a good option on the islands but be sure to check your insurance policy: it should definitely include theft as well as accident. To avoid the latter, store most of your baggage somewhere before setting out - riding with a pack is both exhausting and dangerous. Without your own transport, the bus network is reasonably comprehensive - and services are detailed in "Travel details" as well as the text for the specific islands.

As elsewhere in Spain, the Balearics have revived their own dialects since the death of Franco. Throughout the islands a dialect of Catalan is spoken, a result of their capture from the Moors by the thirteenth-century king of Catalunya and Aragón, Jaume I. Each of the three main islands has a different sub-dialect, and indeed many inhabitants object to their language being called Catalan at all, though generally the islanders speak their native language and Castilian (Spanish) with equal fluency. For the visitor, confusion arises from the difference between the islands' road signs and street names - which are almost exclusively in Catalan - and many of the maps on sale, which are in Castilian. In particular, note that Menorca now calls its capital Maó rather than Mahón, while both the island and town of Ibiza are usually referred to as Eivissa. The influx of tourists also means that you'll find no shortage of people with fluent English, German or sometimes French. We give the Catalan name for towns, beaches and streets with the Castilian name in brackets where helpful, except for Ibiza and Ibiza Town which are not widely known by their Catalan names outside Spain.

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