Ibiza has been highlighted among 14 Spanish islands featured in a new Condé Nast Traveler guide, with the publication's UK commerce editor selecting the island for its appeal during the shoulder season.

Published on 23 September 2026, the feature brings together choices from Condé Nast Traveler editors in Spain and the UK, covering well-known destinations including Ibiza, Mallorca and Formentera alongside lesser-known Spanish islands.

For Ibiza, the focus is notably broader than its international reputation for nightlife.

Ibiza beyond the party season

Condé Nast Traveler's Sarah Bannerman chose Ibiza specifically for “shoulder season escapism,” pointing to the island's coastline, beaches, pine-covered landscapes, food scene and wellness offering.

The article acknowledges Ibiza's famous club culture and describes the main season as running broadly from May through October, but places particular emphasis on the quieter side of the island.

That perspective comes as Ibiza enters the final part of its main summer season, when visitors can combine the island's remaining nightlife calendar with beaches, restaurants, countryside and cultural attractions.

Nature and the coastline

The feature highlights Ibiza's coastal landscape, including its contrasting cliffs, pine forests and Mediterranean colours.

The island's official tourism service similarly describes a coastline ranging from long sandy beaches to small coves surrounded by cliffs and pine forests. Beaches including Ses Salines, Es Cavallet, Cala d'Hort, Cala Bassa and Platges de Comte form part of Ibiza's best-known coastal landscapes.

The marine environment is also a central part of Ibiza's international heritage status.

UNESCO's World Heritage property “Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture” includes extensive Posidonia oceanica meadows, recognised for their ecological importance, alongside the island's major archaeological and historic sites.

A growing food identity

The Condé Nast Traveler feature also points to Ibiza's farm-to-fork dining scene, highlighting Juntos Farm and La Paloma in the centre of the island and Cala Gracioneta on the coast.

The wider shift towards local produce and island-focused cuisine has become increasingly visible across Ibiza, from restaurants working with nearby ingredients to hotels and farms developing their own food programmes.

It is another part of the island's identity that exists well beyond the traditional nightlife narrative.

Wellness is part of Ibiza's year-round appeal

The article also identifies wellness and connection with nature as important parts of Ibiza's appeal.

That is reflected in the island's current tourism offering, with outdoor activities, countryside experiences, spas, retreats and nature-based experiences available beyond the busiest summer months. The official tourism service promotes Ibiza not only as a beach destination but also for culture, heritage, nature and wellbeing.

The wellness scene is also represented by resorts in the north. Six Senses Ibiza, for example, currently operates at Cala Xarraca with accommodation, wellness programmes, nature-focused experiences and activities including sailing and snorkelling.

The hotels highlighted

For accommodation, Condé Nast Traveler includes three Ibiza properties in its discussion.

The article's writer says she stayed at Hacienda Na Xamena in 2025 and selected it as her personal hotel choice for the island. It also mentions Six Senses Ibiza and Nobu Ibiza Bay.

All three remain current properties.

Hacienda Na Xamena is located in Na Xamena, San Miguel, on Ibiza's northern side. Its own website describes the hotel as being surrounded by protected land and pine forest and confirms its current address in San Miguel.

Six Senses Ibiza is at Cala Xarraca on the northern tip of the island and currently lists 137 guest accommodations alongside residences, wellness facilities and nature-focused experiences.

Nobu Ibiza Bay remains located in Talamanca and is included in the current Nobu Hotels collection.

One location detail worth clarifying

There is a small geographical error in the Condé Nast Traveler feature that is worth correcting for anyone using the article as a practical guide.

It describes Hacienda Na Xamena as being near Santa Gertrudis and close to the new Soho Farmhouse Ibiza.

Hacienda Na Xamena is actually in Na Xamena, San Miguel, in the north of the island. Soho Farmhouse Ibiza is the property situated in Santa Gertrudis, where it occupies a nine-acre working olive grove.

The two properties are therefore in different parts of Ibiza and should not be presented as neighbouring locations.

Ibiza's wider cultural side

The feature's emphasis on a quieter Ibiza also reflects the island's substantial cultural heritage.

Dalt Vila, the Punic necropolis of Puig des Molins, Sa Caleta and the Posidonia oceanica meadows form the UNESCO World Heritage property known as “Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture.” UNESCO describes Dalt Vila as an outstanding example of Renaissance military architecture, while Sa Caleta and Puig des Molins provide important evidence of Ibiza's Phoenician and Punic past.

For visitors arriving outside the peak summer period, these sites offer an alternative itinerary centred on history and landscape rather than nightlife.

Why September suits this description

The timing of the new feature is notable.

With September marking the transition from the busiest summer period towards autumn, the island increasingly lends itself to a combination of beaches, restaurants, walking, cultural visits and wellness alongside the remaining events of the club season.

Ibiza's official tourism information promotes its beaches and outdoor experiences throughout the year, while its heritage programme extends well beyond the summer months.

That makes the shoulder-season description especially relevant for visitors considering Ibiza at this time of year.

Ibiza among Spain's island destinations

Condé Nast Traveler's new feature does not present a formal ranking of Spain's islands. Instead, editors select destinations according to different travel themes.

Ibiza's category is shoulder-season escapism, while other selections focus on themes such as leisurely exploration, going off-grid, nature or island history.

The result is a broader portrayal of Spain's island destinations, with Ibiza featured not only for its famous nightlife but also for its food, coastline, nature and wellness culture.

For Ibiza, the timing offers a useful reminder that the island's appeal continues well beyond the busiest weeks of summer.