Ibiza is an island located in the Mediterranean sea, 80 km from the coast of Spain.
If you are interested in not only clubs and discos, you should go on a trip around the island, only pausing in the capital.
Everyone will find interest like monuments of ancient civilizations and scenic national Park, prehistoric caves and quiet coves with sandy beaches.
Ibiza. Dalt Vila, Eivissa. Dalt Vila)
A journey into the historical past of Ibiza starts with a high hill from which a spectacular panorama of the entire Bay and adjacent small Islands. From the foot of the hill to its top, where the Cathedral of Nuestra Senora de las Nives — blessed virgin Mary of the Snow (1425), in the Renaissance Italian engineers built three level walls. The name of the Cathedral is unusual for Ibiza, where it never snows, and is associated with Roman events of the IV century. According to legend, the virgin appeared to the Pope Liberia in a dream and ordered to build a Church where the snow falls. Snow fell on 5 August on the Esquiline, and a feast is celebrated annually by the Catholic Church.
A walk through Dalt Vila (Upper town) can be a real adventure. Some streets, such as in the old Jewish quarter, is still closed to the public and awaits restoration. For barred openings ancient streets, passing half a meter below the modern level, more like underground tunnels that lead deep into the history. Old underground passage can be seen going down from the Cathedral on the left side of the street Juan Roman, in the tiny chapel of St. Cyriak (SV. Cyriacus). According to legend, he entered the fortress of the first Spanish soldiers to Guillem de Montgrí during the conquest of the island. Supposedly this place was the home of a brother Arab the Sheik of the island. Offended by the Sheikh because he took his favorite concubine, he went to the betrayal and let the city of the Spaniards.
Imagine how the city looked like when the Arabs, by visiting the Madina Yabisa. In this area carried out major archaeological excavations. To see the largest outside of North Africa, the Phoenician necropolis with an area of 50,000 square meters, you need to go to the neighbouring hill of Puig des Molins. By the way, the Phoenicians, who settled here in the VII century BC, considered the island sacred, because there was not found the snake. Because the name Ebisos he was given in honor of the God BES (borrowed by the Phoenicians from the Egyptian Pantheon), which, as they thought, protected from all sorts of dangers, including snake bites.
The SES Salines Park (Parque Natural de Ses Salines)
Located far from the capital, the natural Park of SES Salines gets its name from the salt ponds, where it still mined sea salt.
And the first to take out salt from Ibiza began by the Romans. Since it is an important export product. The ponds are nesting native birds and pink flamingos. Along the margins of ponds closer to the coast, in sand dunes and towering pines. The locals call them Sabina and Botanical name — Aleppo pine. Pine forests grow in abundance all over the island, for which the Greeks gave the name of Ibiza and its neighboring tiny Fromentera name Pitiusa Islands (from the Greek. πιτύα — “pine”).
If, passing over the sand trails of the pine thickets, out on the coast, on the horizon you can see one of the guard towers. They are on all coast of the island. Once they watched the approach of the fleet of Turkish pirates. The tower had fulfilled its watchdog function until the XIX century and then was abandoned. In the 60-ies of the last century they willingly settled company hippie youth.
The purity and transparency of local waters provide underwater kelp forests Poseidonia. Once it caught clams, from which they extracted very valuable in those days, the purple dye. For example, out of 10,000 mollusks have received a total of 3 g of dye.
Santa Eulalia das RIU (Santa Eulalia del Río)
The town of Santa Eulalia del río got its name in honor of Santa Eulalia, patroness of Barcelona. In the vicinity of the city once proceeded only on the island, the river, now almost dry. The Spaniards, who saw her, she recalled the tears of St. Eulalie. The Arabs called the settlement just — Sharq (the East).
As the capital of Ibiza, the historic center is located on the hill Puig de Missa (Puig de Missa). First, there was a Phoenician sanctuary, later — a mosque, and now on top of the hill stands the Church, like all other religious buildings of the island, like a fortress. In the walls no Windows at the time of pirate raids took refuge here all the urban population. The building is painted white. But it was not always so. For many centuries, all the buildings of the island had characterby color, so as not to attract the attention of pirates. And although in our days Ibiza figuratively called the White island to paint walls in white color began only in the late XVIII century.
On the same hill is a small Ethnographic Museum. In addition to everyday objects like a giant press for the production of olive oil it is interesting to look at the work of local photographer, who captured life on the island in the 60-ies of the last century. Traditional way of life coexists with the life of hippies.
San Antonio (Sant Antoni de Portmany)
In Roman times the Bay of San Antonio was the largest port of the island Port Magna. In our days here come to admire the sunset. Watch his music with the city’s waterfront, sitting at the table the legendary Cafe de Moar, or on the cliffs of Cala Gracio. Waiting for the sunset worth a visit a small aquarium containing local species of fish. It is located in a natural grotto, where the local fishermen kept the catch of lobsters.
On the way to San Antonio, you can drive by the coast to admire the two rocky Islands of Es Vedra and Es Vedranell.
The Island Of Formentera
To get to the small island of Formentera from Ibiza in just a half an hour. Coat of arms of the capital of the island of San Francisco is decorated with wheat ears, Recalling those times when Formentera was for the Romans a transit point for the delivery of grain to the Empire.
The facade of the local Church, as all churches of Ibiza, decorated with three black wrought-iron crosses, symbolizing Golgotha, the last stop of the cross of Christ. And on the roof once housed guns to repel the attack of the enemy.
On the southern promontory of the island Cap da Barberia stands a lighthouse. He became the prototype of the “lighthouse at the edge of the world”, described by Jules Verne in his novel “Hector Servadac. Travel and adventure in the solar world.” In the Bush areas around the lighthouse live the emerald lizard, which became the symbol of Formentera. It seems that they are almost tame. If you lure them out by knocking over some stones, and lizards can run up to you in search of treats.
Walk along an old Roman road, which in Catalan is called Es cami de sa Pujada, requires athletic shoes. In some places the road, although it was restored in the XVIII century, recalls the parched bed of the mountain river heaved with stones. The difficulty of the journey redeems stunning views of the sea and the narrow neck of land connecting the two coasts Migong and Tramontana.
On the way you will meet small blackened grotto. Call it the Cave of Smoke. According to legend, stopped here to relax by pirates and local residents lit at the entrance of the fire to flush them out. The captured bandits were executed on one of the uninhabited Islands have received ever since the ominous name of the island of the Hanged.
Traditional kitchen
Many places in Ibiza and Formentera begin with the word Can. In Catalan it means “house”.
Among the national dishes that you want to try in Ibiza, in the lead two: salad with octopus and cuttlefish and flao pie (it’s made with soft goat cheese with mint and Anis). In addition, they serve the most delicious fin soup Stingray — Borrida de Rajada, stewed fish and seafood with almonds — Guisat de peix.
On Formentera is a must-try salad with dried meats leopard sharks and an assortment of local fish. Some species are caught only off the coast of the island. Their perfectly cooked in a coastal restaurant Can Rafalet in Es Calo de Sant Agustin.
In Ibiza one of the best restaurants serving traditional food is considered a Can Alfredo. Here prepare and unusual dessert — pasta of St. Juan is pasta with sugar and milk. Chef Jose Miguel Bonet from the restaurant Es Ventall in San Antonio, using national traditions, creates incredible dishes. Simple and hearty traditional dishes, he turns into a graceful culinary masterpieces.
Some restaurants like rural Can Curreu Hotel Rural Es Trull de Can Palau offer a fixed chef’s menu of five courses with dessert.
Exquisite author’s cuisine with stunning views of the Bay and in the Eden restaurant at Hacienda Na Xamena, San Miguel. Great attention is paid to environmentally friendly fruit and vegetables of local production.
