When philosopher Antonio Escohotado fled Madrid’s rat race to open a hippie discotheque in an old Ibizan farmhouse in 1976, he couldn’t have guessed the memories he’d be seeding. Eventually christened Amnesia, the club has witnessed Ibiza’s evolution from the early days of Balearic beat to the 21st century’s house, techno, and EDM. Its huge main room and glass-roofed terrace pair spectacular production values with full immersion in the throng, while upstairs VIP spaces offer some remove.

Ricardo Urgell launched the first Pacha in the Catalan seaside town of Sitges in 1967, but it was Pacha Ibiza, which opened in 1973, that made the brand with the flirty cherry logo famous. In the early days, its mix of bohemians and celebrities (plus its swimming pool) came to symbolize the elegantly hedonistic Balearic spirit. These days, powerhouse lineups helmed by acts like Solomun, Diplo, and Marco Carola continue to make it the place to rave and be seen.

The nightlife titan made its name in the late 2000s as a series of free beach-shack day parties with DJs like Luciano and Ricardo Villalobos. In 2011 it set up shop in a 415-room hotel, where the poolside setting paved the way for massive Vegas-inspired day raves headlined by EDM’s biggest names: Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Calvin Harris. Techno diehards come for ANTS, a long-running Saturday series featuring regulars like Boris Brejcha and Andrea Oliva.

For three decades, Space Ibiza was often dubbed the world’s best nightclub. After it closed in 2016, Ushuaïa’s deep-pocketed founders took over the space and opened Hï the following year. It has since taken up the celebrated mantle, with three dance floors, lush gardens, cutting-edge technology, and an 80-person production crew. Bookings balance populism with the island’s bohemian spirit: Afro-house star Black Coffee, Burning Man mainstay Damian Lazarus, and NYC house legend Danny Tenaglia.

For clued-in clubbers, DC10 has been a secret hiding in plain sight. Directly in the path of landing planes, the club’s sign is visible from the air, yet lineups favor underground techno and house. Founded in 1989, it entered the Ibiza nightlife canon a decade later with Circoloco, which began as a Monday morning after-party, then became a global club brand. Unlike most Ibiza hot spots, DC10 rarely publicizes its lineups; the venue and the vibe are the real draw.

Rising from the ruins of a rural finca in 1980, the venue formerly known as Pikes Hotel got its first moment in the limelight thanks to Wham!’s “Club Tropicana” video three years later, followed by Freddie Mercury’s legendary 41st birthday blowout in 1987. Today the 26-room hotel, restaurant, and nightclub is famous as a place where the party never stops. Lineups favor DJs with deep crates and disco tastes that pay tribute to the club’s eclectic history, like DJ Harvey or Horse Meat Disco.

Founded as a rural bar in 1954 and converted to a hippie market in the ’70s, Las Dalias is a colorful vestige of Ibiza’s patchwork past. Slip through a garden entrance and you’ll find yourself in Akasha, a retro-chic 300-capacity club that opened in 2021 as a megaclub alternative. A highlight of recent seasons is techno titan Sven Väth’s Catharsis residency, which kicks off on the outdoor dance floor just in time for golden hour.

The Ibizan offshoot of London’s ritzy Park Chinois restaurant, Club Chinois takes its inspiration from the glamour of 1930s Shanghai—an upscale alternative to Ibiza’s hippie ethos and tourist hordes. (That means no shorts or flip-flops.) But what goes on beneath its chandelier is anything but boring. Among its party roster are La Troya, the island’s long-running LGBTQ+ night, and Pablo Fierro’s We’re Here, a residency inspired by the spirit of Carnaval.

Launched in 1999, Eden got its start as an Ibizan outpost of the UK’s trance and progressive-house scene, hosting parties like Gatecrasher, Godskitchen, and Pete Tong’s Wonderland. Today the San Antonio landmark is home to sounds you won’t hear elsewhere on the island: Afro-tech, drum ’n’ bass, hard dance, and gabber. Where other Ibiza clubs cater to wealthy tourists, Eden is for the people. The club offers discount passes to seasonal workers and residents.