Ibiza on a Shoe String

He spent his first year in Ibiza on a campsite back in 1997 so Rhys Harwood - Jones knows all about surviving in Ibiza. "I remember getting a last minute flight for a little over £100 in the first week of August hoping to sleep on my friend's hotel floor. When we got there our friend's hotel had really tight security so there was no chance of us sneaking our bags in and making it our home. Lucky for me and my friend I had brought a tent I borrowed of my mates mum. We found out there was a campsite in San Antonio so off we headed. On arrival we found there was some space so we pitched up next to some long time Ibiza goers who spent every summer living on the campsite. It was a real eye opener for us 17 year olds but we loved it. We ended up going to free parties, drinking and eating cheap and even getting jobs and not turning up for our first nights work.

Rhys has since been back to Ibiza over 20 times and has stayed in varying types of accommodation, none quite so adventurous as his first expedition. In times of recession there's no better time to get some tips on how to enjoy a holiday in Ibiza for next to nothing. Here Rhys gives us his top 7 tips for having a holiday in Ibiza on the cheap:

1. When to go: June and September are the best months to go for cheap hotel deals. You can stay in either San Antonio or around Ibiza Town in a budget hotel for £20 per room per night.

2. When to fly: You always get cheaper deals flying from Tuesday to Thursday and the more in advance you book the cheaper the deal. Low cost airline flights usually come out in January.

3. Where to sleep: Depending on when you go you can get fantastic offers for both hotels, apartments and villas. If you are looking to go in August you could stay on a campsite for as little as £4/night. There are campsites in San Antonio, Es Canar and Cala Bassa (my recommendation). If you are looking for a last minute deal look at a private holiday home website and see if anyone hasn't got a booking, call them up and make a cheeky offer. We once got a 12 person villa in the first week of August for 500 Euros for 4nights.

4. Where to eat: The advantage of renting a private holiday home or camping is you can get all your food from the supermarket. We used to buy drink and food between us and eat pasta and salads in the evening and take Sandwiches to the beach in the day. You can live on 25Euros a week. If you fancy eating out there is a great little place in Ibiza Town, called Bon Profit in Plaza Del Parque, Ibiza Town, great food great prices.

5. How to get around: If you are travelling between the main resorts and towns then buses are a cheap and reliable method of transport. If you are trying to get to more remote places then going in groups in a taxi on the way there is easy enough. And for getting back you can usually get a free lift if you hang around the car parks and ask. Hiring a car between 4 or 5 of you is also cheap outside the months of July and August. Again make sure you book in advance to get the best deals.

6. Where to party: Clubs are undoubtedly a big expense in Ibiza so unless you know some DJ's or other people with contacts you need to be a bit more creative to get your clubbing fix. Firstly you should look out for free parties. Ibiza forums are a great source of information as is asking people while on the island. With the licensing laws restricting clubbing hours there is always villa parties going on, so keep your ear to the ground. Other places to check out for free shindigs are Bora Bora, Delano and Ushaiau in Play Den Bossa. Blue Marlin at Cala Jondal has daily events and is set in fantastic surroundings. In San Antonio Viva and Play2 always have free parties and the sunset strip venues are always hosting free pre parties for the big club nights with top guest DJ's.  In terms of the big clubs you have to be forward thinking- ask street promoters if they can help (what can you do for them?). Ask in bars that sell tickets (anything you can do?). I once got 20 Amnesia closing party free passes through asking at one of the DJ shops. I sold 10 of them for 10 Euros each and gave the rest away to friends. We had a great night!

7. Fancy a treat? If you fancy something special then we have 3 recommendations for you, firstly a day out to find Atlantis followed by a picnic looking out to Es Vedra. There is a dirt track near Cala D'hort taking you to an opening with a fantastic view out to the dramatic 378 metre high rock. Second of our recommendations is go to Benirras for sunset. Release the hippie in you and enjoy the wonderful sunset while listening to drummers, other musicians and enjoy various performing artists including fire jugglers.  Lastly we recommend spending 20 Euros getting the boat to Formentera and hiring a bicycle for the day. Enjoy some of Europes finest beaches on this beautiful island with tropical waters.