Posing on a podium of volcanic rock, a cormorant opens its wings to the mornings first rays. Flamboyant feather displays arent uncommon in Ibiza at this time of year, but today the sun is rising above a very different White Isle. Less footprints disturb the sandy coves and thumping beats have been replaced by the idle fizz of rolling waves.

July is typically high season for tourism. Playa den Bossa, the islands longest and most commercial beach, should be densely packed with sun loungers and cocktail-sipping revellers, sound tracked by turntables spinning from dawn till dusk.

Like everywhere in the world, 2020 is an exception.

Covid-19 has pulled the plug on Ibizas clubbing scene, and government restrictions on mass gatherings mean mega-venues like Ushuaa and H Ibiza wont reopen until 2021. Instead, the sleepy coastline has been reclaimed by birds and locals, who are making the most of fine weather and few crowds.

When I land at the airport, carousels creak with lonely pieces of luggage and DJs glare from billboards advertising parties that ended 10 months ago.

But slowly, following the lifting of quarantine restrictions for Spanish arrivals into the UK, tourists are trickling in. On July 11, TUI kickstarted its summer schedule with flights to the island from London Gatwick and Manchester, heralding the return of the package holiday to Europe. Those who choose to travel soon could be rewarded with scenes of Ibiza as it was 30 years ago.

Newly refurbished during lockdown, seafront hotel The Ibiza Twiins is eager to receive guests in its two towers, stacked with a honeycomb of 495 rooms. At check in, Im greeted by staff behind Plexiglass and encouraged to use automatic hand sanitisers dotted throughout the resort. In my bedroom, bathrobes and slippers come smothered in Cellophane and beach towels are neatly topped with a complimentary disposable face mask.

From today, wearing face coverings becomes mandatory in public spaces throughout the Balearics. Swimming pools, beaches and sun loungers are exemptions, so theres no risk of coming home with ridiculous tan lines; masks can also be removed while eating and drinking in bars and restaurants, although youll need to pop them back on for trips to the loo. Penalties range from 100 for individuals up to 6,000 for venues.

It has been suggested new regulations are partly a precautionary response to the return of tourism. According to figures published by the Spanish government, 2,249 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 across the Balearic Islands; from July 2-7, that number had dwindled to just 17.

The only other major difference to my resort stay is breakfast. Before entering the restaurant, a member of staff takes my temperature using an electronic gun. Anything over 37.5C, and Ill be quarantined for two weeks.

Controversially, the buffet has survived; although fried eggs, sausages and platters of cheese displayed on a one-way circuit of counters can only be plated by staff. Self-service is a thing of the past.

Were a hotel, not a hospital, exclaims Ricardo Munoz, Commercial and Marketing Director from the Sirenis hotel group who manage Twiins. People are on holiday and we want them to have a good time.

At night, the package holiday property is quiet. There are only 90 guests. We know this is not a summer to make money, concedes Ricardo.

Opulent light shows and Vegas-style fountains struggle to fill the empty space, and projected scenes of folkloric dancers are a far cry from the glowstick wavers and girls in hotpants who typically fill dancefloors.

But history and culture could be themes that shape a summer holiday in Ibiza this year. With a spotlight shifted from the club scene, local tour guide Pepe Costa sees this as an opportunity for tourists to focus on the islands colourful past.

We explore the ramparts of fortified old town and World Heritage Site Dalt Villa in Ibiza Town. From its 16th-century walls, the turquoise sea dazzles more than ever as prairies of protected Posidonia seagrass reflect the sunlight. Only a few boats glide to smaller neighbouring island Formentera, usually a busy thoroughfare.

In my 38 years as a guide, this is the slowest its been in July, says Pepe from behind a Perspex visor, a choice of face covering which makes it much easier for him to conduct tours. Locals have been enjoying their home during the last few weeks, he admits. But now were ready for tourists to return.

Numbers are steadily increasing.

At family hotel TUI BLUE Aura, in Port des Torrent on the opposite side of the island, the first influx of British guests is relaxing by pools and zooming down waterslides; next week occupancy will be at 55 per cent.

But further along the coast, San Antonios bay-side promenade is unrecognisable. Ibizas heaving heart of entertainment is missing more than a few beats.

O Beach, co-owned by Duane Lineker (nephew of famous former footballer Gary), is one of the few bars to take the plunge and reopen its pool parties.

By 5pm, groups of revellers are gathered in pre-booked areas, lazing on daybeds or dangling bronzed legs in the water. Masked waiters deliver cocktails in shiny pineapple caskets to tables, ordered from menus accessed by using mobile phones to zap a QR code.

The only noticeable difference is the absence of any dancing; thats not allowed anywhere on the island for now. This will be the year of the shoulder jig, jokes Gemma Charters, Director of Brand and Events, who says guests are briefed on arrival and given an info card outlining the new rules.

In true Ibizan spirit, fun seekers have found ways to adapt and ensure a new germ-free environment feels far from sterile. Plans to install a machine to spray guests with a disinfectant mist are both playful and practical, and DJs have crafted laidback sets to match the new low-key mood, with an earlier finish at 10pm.

O Beach also hopes to revive its acrobatic, cabaret-style shows; fitting with the current climate, new creations include a Freddie Mercury lookalike in a moustache mask singing I Want To Break Free.

Gradually, more venues and bars are coming out of hibernation, including the companys new venture Bam-Bu-Ku, a boutique family day club with sandpits and a surf machine.

People have a special bond with this island, says Gemma, who is confident tourists will come back. This is a chance to discover the gastronomy, the hidden beaches; youll never have an opportunity to experience Ibiza in this light again.

Its a view shared by Sarah Broadbent, Events Manager at iconic hotel, bar and restaurant Pikes, an institution revelling in its own bubble of hedonism up in San Antonios rural hills. During lockdown, she says the sky appeared bluer, the sea was clearer, and trails of bougainvillea were a spectacular vibrant pink.

Up here in this fantasy land of inflatable flamingos and welly-wearing dog statues, everything swings at a different pace. The pandemic has inevitably reshaped play: shows have been cancelled, theres no hanging by the bar, and lights are out by 2am. But have new regulations ruled out fun?

Never, smirks Yorkshire-born, veteran clubber Sarah, who wears a string of beads and a razor blade pendant around her neck.

One positive change, she says, has been a return to Ibizas roots. It feels like when I first came here in the 1990s. Back then, there were no VIPs. A shelf stacker from Tesco could rub shoulders with a Saudi princess on the dancefloor; everyone was treated the same.

One of the strictest lockdowns in Europe has been a great leveller, it seems.

Although the White Isle will look and sound different this year, its not unfamiliar. In the absence of big beats theres been a shift to a more reflective, relaxed tempo, and that could be music to so many peoples ears.

TUI Blue For Families is offering seven nights at the 4T TUI Blue Aura in Port des Torrents, from 758 per person all-inclusive, based on two adults and two children sharing and including one free child place.

TUI Platinum is offering seven nights at the 4T Ibiza Twiins in Playa den Bossa, from 770 per person B&B, based on two adults sharing. Half-board and all-inclusive options are available.

To book, go to tui.co.uk, visit your local TUI holiday store or download the TUI app. Prices are based on holidays departing in August 2020 from Gatwick and include transfers plus 20kg luggage allowance, subject to availability and change. Other UK airports and room upgrades are available.

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A postcard from Ibiza, where dancing is banned and masks are mandatory but nature is thriving - Telegraph.co.uk