Things to See and Do in Ibiza
1 ... CATHEDRALLocated in Dalt Vila, it is speculated that the Roman chose the site because a Carthaginion temple occupied it, the newcomers wanting to place all aspects of the older culture. If this is true, then the site has a history of worship going back 2,500 years at least. With the ousting of the Moors, a fine Gothic-style church was built. The construction took a long time, starting in the late 13th century and continuing for 300 years. Of that original church only the apse and the bell-tower remain. The rest was pulled down and rebuilt in unimaginative style in the 18th century. The church was granted cathedral status in 1782.
Inside, there are a few interesting works of art, but the better prices have been removed to the cathedral museum which is attached to the main building. One of the best exhibits here is a silver monstrance plate [the “dish” used to hold the Host at Roman Catholic masses] made in Mallorca in the 15th century.
2 ... DALT VILADominating any view of Eivissa [also known as Ibiza Town], Ibiza’s capital, is Dalt Vila, a marvellous medieval town still encircled by its old walls.
The walls of Dalt Vila [which simply means high town] are one of Europe’s finest examples of medieval military architecture - they have been declared a Spanish National Monument. Within them, and in the narrow streets of the town below, you will experience a sense of the history of Ibiza.
Within the walls are some of Ibiza’s most interesting sites, and some of its most entertaining street; any walk is worthwhile, and in almost every square - sometimes it seems on every corner - there is an atmospheric bar or café.
Here too, are the best of Ibiza’s museums, exploring the history of the island. The Museum of Contemporary Art houses the best of present-day work, but there are several commercial galleries, each of which could be showing the work of tomorrow’s masters.
3 ... PUIG DE MISSASet between the town of Santa Eulalia and the river, is the Puig de Missa, a shallow hill reached by Avenida Padre Guasch, which leaves the main road into town just beyond the river-bridge. At the top is a church dedicated to the saint of the town’s name. Dating from the 18th century, the church has a somewhat mysterious origin although the accepted wisdom is that it replaced one destroyed at around that time by Turkish raiders.
Whatever its origins, the church was built to act as a refuge in times of pirate attack. However, its design is far more complex than that of most other island churches. Below the church is the Museo Etnologic d’Eivissa i Formentera, set up in 1994 in Can Ros, one of the Puig’s older houses. The restored house contains clothing and jewellery, plus various bygones.
4 ... COVA SANTACova Santa located near Sa Caleta, means Holy Cave, though the same name is the subject of conflicting legends. One story has it that in medieval times, perhaps even earlier, a Christian hermit lived in the cave. An alternative tale is that the waters of the cave had healing properties and were much sought after in medieval times. It is known to have been used as a refuge by local folk during times of danger as long ago as the 15th century.
The cave is the larges on Ibiza, although only about 25m deep, and some excellent stalagmites and stalactites can be seen. There are guided tours in English. A small shop sells souvenirs, chiefly local herb flavoured sprits [hierbas].
5 ... LAS SALINASSalt production is Ibiza’s only true industry, and certainly the only one that is not connected to tourism. Ibizan salt is still highly prized, as it is very pure. The process is very simple: the salt pans are situated below sea level and at intervals the sluices are opened to allow water in and then the sluices are shut. For the next 3 months or so the sun does the hard work, evaporating the water to leave a crust of shimmering white salt on the pan’s clay floor. The salt is then dug out of the pan and loaded on to ships for export.
Salt was so important to medieval Ibiza that criminals were required to work on the salt pans throughout every day of their sentence. Until 1715, each islander received a share in the profits of salt sales. After that date, when the Spanish government took over the salt business [and its profits] the islanders received a free ration of salt each year. This practice only ended a century ago when the government sold the industry to a private company.
6 ... CLUBS Ibiza is home to some of the planet’s most celebrated club venues and the scene is potent enough to break new tunes and influence dance floors all over the world. A who’s who of leading dance Djs play here in the summer season, when the atmosphere in the clubs can approach almost devotional intensity.
Space : Now with twin terraces, myriad rooms and a huge balcony. Space is the best endowed club in Ibiza and hosts a legendary 22-hour Sunday session.
Amnesia : Birthplace of the Balearic beat and the subsequent Acid house phenomenon, Amnesia today has some fearsome techno, progressive and trance nights.
El Divino : A small, upmarket venue, El Divino concentrates on vocal house nights, and has a stunning harbour side setting.
Pacha : More than just a club, Ibiza Town’s Pacha is the base of an international dance empire, regularly hosting the world’s leading turntablists. Offers a choice of different rooms and one of the club land’s most elegant and enjoyable chill out terraces.
Privilege : This venue - the biggest in the world - is quite extraordinary, housing a huge main arena complete with swimming pool, the Coco Loco [a club-within-a-club] and over a dozen bars.
DC10 : Serving up pure mayhem every Monday, DC10 draws Europe’s party hardcore for a serious dance floor mash-up.
7 ... ELS AMUNTSIbiza’s spectacular mountain range, Els Amunts, is situated in the northern part of the island and stretches from Sant Antoni de Portmany in the west to Sant Vicent de Sa Cala in the northeast.
Rarely visited by tourists, the region has maintained its unspoiled charm. Pinewood hills are interspersed with fertile valleys full of live, almond and fig groves, as well as the occasional vineyard.
The shore rises steeply and the roads leading to the water’s edge are narrow, unmade and rugged. The area is a hiker’s paradise; walking around you are likely to meet only the local shepherds.
8 ... SAN MIGUEL DE BALANSATTry to visit on a late Thursday afternoon when the square in front of the church fills with local people who perform Ibizan folk dances to the music of an authentic folk band. The meaning of most of the dance has been lost with time, but many seem to relate to courtship, Some of the performers wear traditional costume, the men clothed in red hats, bandannas and cummerbunds, black jackets and baggy white trousers, the women in long, black or white pleated skirts with aprons, long shawls and mantillas.
The church is a fine 14th century building, one of the oldest on the island, though the porch and patio are later. Inside, the 17th century wall paintings in the Chapel Benirras have undergone a careful programme of restoration.
Sometimes known as Sant Miquel de Balansat, it is about 7km west of Sant Joan de Labritja.
9 ... ES VEDRA Rising from the sea like the craggy crest of a semi-submerged volcano, the limestone outcrop of Es Vedra is one of the most startling sights in the eastern Mediterranean. Despite its height [378m], it is only visible once you get within a few kilometres of Cala d’Hort.
Legends surround the much-photographed rock, and its said to be the island of the sirens [the sea nymphs who tried to lure Odysseus from his ship in Homer’s epic] as well as the holy isle of the Carthaginian love and fertility goddess, Tanit. A reclusive Carmelite priest, Father Palau i Quer, reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary and satanic rituals here in the 19th century. Sailors and scuba divers have told of compasses swinging wildly and gauges malfunctioning as they approach the island, and there have been innumerable stories of UFO sightings.
Today, Es Vedra is inhabited only by wild goats, a unique species of the Ibizan wall lizard and a small colony of the endangered Eleanor’s falcon. You can get to the island from Cala d’Hort by renting a 4m boat which will carry 4. Vedra has no beaches, however, and there’s little to see apart from scrub bush and a lizard or two.
10 ... ES CUBELLS South of Sant Josep, a signposted road weaves around the eastern flnak of Sa Talaiassa, past terraces of orange and olive trees, to the southern coast and the tiny Cliffside village of Es Cubells. The settlement owes its place on the map to Father Palau i Quer, a Carmelite priest who saw visions of the Virgin Mary on nearby Es Vedra in the 1850s, and who persuaded the Vatican to construct a chapel here in 1855 for the local farmers and fishermen. Magnificently positioned above the Mediterranean, the simple whitewashed sandstone church is the focal point of the hamlet.
