Ibiza

Ibiza is a Balearic island in Spain that began attracting dropouts and hippies in the 1960s and has since grown into one of Europe's most popular summer destinations. More than two million tourists visit every year, and the island's population has more than quadrupled since the 1960s to around 150,000, roughly a third of them in the capital, Eivissa (Ibiza Town). Catalan and Castilian Spanish are the official languages. The first visitors arrived back in the 1930s, among them Walter Benjamin, Raoul Hausmann, Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, who drew inspiration from the cubic, single-story old farmhouses. The island's best-known sight is the old town of Ibiza Town, where the upper part, Dalt Vila, with its 14th-century cathedral and 16th-century Renaissance fortress walls, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The lower old town is quiet by day but comes alive each summer night, drawing thousands of people to its small shops, restaurants and bars.

Ibiza became a mecca for party tourists from all over Europe in the 1970s, and in summer international star DJs and newcomers play here. The house and techno scene, together with the island's hippie and dropout heritage, has helped make Ibiza a particularly gay-friendly destination for decades. The charming old town has a range of queer-inclusive bars, and some of the major clubs hold explicitly LGBT-friendly weekly parties. There are also several gay hotels on the island that welcome straight guests, and for some time now Ibiza has hosted an annual Gay Pride in June.