IFIRST visited Ibiza in 1995, a little later than many British DJs, so I'd heard a lot about it.

I went to play a club called Ku in San Rafael, which is now called Privilege. It had a roof that opened up and let the morning sun flood in to the dance floor and pool area - a most amazing introduction to the island.

Ibiza really reminds me of the Dominican Republic, where my parents come from, in that it feels like a tropical island. What makes the place special is not the clubbing side - it's the tranquillity and spirituality juxtaposed with the excitement of the nightlife.

In recent years, Ibiza has been much maligned and has received misleading press about being a den of drunk or drug-crazed youths.

Essentially, the press has narrowed down the entire scope of the island to four blocks in San Antonio. It's insane - like rubbishing the entire state of Florida because of the antics of the kids who go on spring break to Daytona.

For most visitors to Ibiza, if you don't know where the half-dozen superclubs are you won't necessarily come across them. Especially if you head for the northern side of the island towards Portinatx and Cala Jondal, which tend to be very chilled and family oriented. There are so many places like that.

Ibiza for me is about visiting tiny coastal villages and exploring the densely wooded and hilly interior. Drive from Ibiza Town to San Antonio along the San Josep road and you're surrounded by lush vegetation and mountains - it's almost like being on a nature retreat.

Get off that road and you'll drive through lots of tiny pueblos, or hamlets, with their small terracotta lowrise houses and fincas.

At the opposite end of the scale, head towards the east to find a tiny beach resort called Es Xarcu, with its amazing millionaires' villas.

One of my favourite places is Cala D'Hort, the small beach that overlooks Es Vedra, a huge rock that juts out of the sea off the west coast. The local legend says it's the most magnetic point on earth. It has great beach restaurants with sensational freshly caught seafood.

Sa Talaia is the highest mountain on the island.

Drive up to the top and you'll find a beautiful, secluded wooded area - a great place to have a picnic. You can almost see the entire island from up there - it's stunning.

If you want to get away from it all, one of the best beaches is Atlantis, near Cala Vedella. It used to be a stone quarry. You can either get there by boat or take the hard route and climb down this insane cliff to reach it.

From Torre des Cap des Jueu, the old pirate watchtower at the top, there are great views of Es Vedra.

In Ibiza Town I like La Torre del Canonigo (0034 971 303 884; www. elcanonigo. com), an intimate hotel above the medieval ramparts in Dalt Vila, the Unesco-protected old town.

The tower dates back to the 16th century - it's a fabulous spot for lunch even if you're not staying there. Dalt Vila is reminiscent of such medieval places like Eze in the south of France. There are some stunning old houses that have been converted into lofts you can rent. Up at the top is a magnificent cathedral: it's humble on the inside but gorgeous on the outside.

The best place for seafood is Es Xarcu (0034 971 187867), which is on the beach in a kind of shack. It serves the most amazing gallo de San Pedro, a white fish that tastes like it's melting in butter and comes with a white wine sauce. Everything is made on the spot from what they've caught that morning. The view is phenomenal. Again you have to book ahead.

For the finest Italian food in the world - and I'm including Italy - I go to a restaurant called Trattoria del Sole (0034 971 800 006). It's on the Ibiza-San Josep road just before you get to San Josep.

What makes this place unique is that it's run by a bunch of Neapolitans. They are my favourite people; they are so madly passionate about everything. These guys fly over their ingredients weekly from Italy. They make the pasta onsite and one of my favourite dishes is paccheri di crostacei - pasta with lobster, prawns and homemade tomato sauce. It's fantastically fresh. I love it. They also do great carpaccio. My favourite Moroccan restaurant on the island is called El Ayoun (0034 971 198335). It has a wonderful garden. The signature dish is lamb couscous.

Just before you get to San Rafael, on the San Antonio road, you'll spot a sign marked Km5 (0034 971 396 349; km5-lounge. com). Don't be fooled. It's not a road sign but the name of one of the coolest bars on the island.

It's a bar-cum-lounge and it has this wicked tented area where you can chill out on day beds. The owner, Patrick Soks, and his partner, Philip, are great hosts and put on interesting events, such as art shows. There's a small club that's enclosed if you want to dance and a restaurant that does great steaks.

Outside San Antonio, there's a wonderful place on a cliff called La Torre (0034 971 342 271; hostallatorre. com). It has a sublime restaurant on a terrace. The sun sets directly in front of it.

One of my happiest memories of the island is sitting there with two of my very close friends talking about life. The owner put on some sunset music. We stopped talking and just sat there listening. It was pure magic.

My dream drive This runs from Ibiza town towards the cliffside end of Talamanca beach. As you motor up to the cliff 's edge it becomes more secluded. You can drive right up to the top with someone you are in love, or in lust, with sit and just watch the sunset.

My favourite view In January, the cherry blossom blooms in San Mateo, a small town near the north coast surrounded by mountains. It has a 14th-century church and there is a huge field of cherry trees with these beautiful pink and white petals. The scent is intoxicating.

My favourite shopping I love going to the hippie market on Saturdays at Las Dalias. It's set within the grounds of an old manor house. You can find incredible bargains. There's everything from arts and crafts to homemade jewellery, leather goods, tie-dye hippie gear, hats and a million different kinds of incense and burners.