Five Best: Beach bars on Ibiza

Chiringuito, Benirras

This rustic bar at the far end of the beach is the best place to witness the Benirras phenomenon. Benirras is an idyllic deep-blue bay with a rock shaped like a giant fist 30 minutes off the shore. By day, it's a family beach, with safe swimming in the shallows; by late afternoon, hippies and drummers descend for the sunset. The beat of the bongos, dancers swaying against the sun and surroundings - this is as intense a Balearic experience as it gets.

Chiringuito, Benirras, north-west coast (00 34 971 333 557). Open noon till late.

Sa Trinxa, Ses Salines

The coolest bar on the coolest beach, Sa Trinxa is where the beautiful people hang out by day. DJ Jonathan plays lazy beats in the late afternoon sun (nobody gets up before 3pm) as the tanned and slender of limb recover and refuel on the water's edge, basking in the atmosphere like exquisite seals. The seabed is rocky, and the jetty for accessing the very clean water - right in front of the bar - doubles as a catwalk. The palm frond-strewn, shack-style restaurant serves excellent salads and shellfish - the gambas a la plancha (grilled prawns) is a particular favourite.

Sa Trinxa, Ses Salines, south coast (00 34 67 036 8019; www.satrinxa.com). Open 10am-10pm.

Kumharas, Port des Torrent

Improbably situated next to the tourist-trap hell that is San Antonio, Kumharas is a welcome refuge from marauding holidaymakers. A bar/restaurant/gallery/café with several terraces offering magnificent sea and sunset views, it is home to the weird and wonderful, including a Shiva fountain, fire shows, jugglers, art exhibitions and live performance artists. Time your visit to coincide with one of the owner's regular open-air parties in the old zoo garden.

Kumharas, Port Des Torrent, west coast, near San Antonio (00 34 971 805 740; www.kumharas.org). Open 10am till midnight.

PK2, Playa de s'Estanyol

A laid-back bar on an unspoilt beach, PK2 serves simple, delicious food (try the Iberian ham or seafood) at pared-down prices. Cushions are scattered on stone seats while Arctic camouflage material floats overhead, casting dappled sunlight on those lounging below. Ambient tunes hang in the breeze as you swim out to the rocks of the cove, surrounded by hilly pine forests. The road leading up to the cove is unpaved so the bar remains a well-kept secret - for now at least.

PK2, Playa de s'Estanyol, off the road from Jesus to Talamanca, east coast (00 34 971 187 034; www.pk2-ibiza.com). Open noon till late.

El Bigote, Cala Mastella

El Bigote ("the moustache") refers to the proprietor of this most Ibicencan of beach restaurants - a shack overlooking a small bay with crystal-clear water and first-class snorkelling. You have to make a reservation in person a day in advance before being allowed to eat fish caught that day, washed down with jugfuls of local wine. It is rumoured that King Juan Carlos once arrived and was turned away because he hadn't booked.

El Bigote, Cala Mastella, north-east coast, near San Carlos. Open noon-6pm.

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