Party island and UNESCO World Heritage
Ibiza is generally known as a party island. Many visitors expect the island to be overrun with the rich and famous, or those who think it's mostly about shopping and chilling out, hip clubs and discos, and whatever. Don't forget that Ibiza is extremely scenic. The coasts are long, the small towns are magical and you don't meet many people everywhere. However, it is important to move away from the tourist centers.
Ibiza town
We had already seen the old town of Ibiza on our last visit. This place has a very special flair and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For anyone visiting Ibiza for the first time, the old town is an absolute must, only then comes the rest of this beautiful island.
Island trip with the rental car
We're going to take a look at rural Ibiza today. We had already rented a car before the trip. Since we only have one day, public transport is not enough to get to know the remote parts of the island. Buses run e.g. from Ibiza Town to Sant Josep, Sant Antoni or Santa Eulària. But these are not the places we are interested in today. We want to see old cultural landscapes. Our tour should cover the southeastern part of Ibiza: in the south to La Canal, then into the nature reserve at the southwestern tip, further north to Sant Antoni, then in an easterly direction across the island to Santa Eulària and along the coast to Ibiza City.
In the Ses Salines Natural Park
From the cruise terminal at the Estación Botafoc it is almost 3 kilometers to the place. There is a port bus that shuttles between the terminal and Av Santa Eulària des Rio near the old town. The office of our car rental company is also there. We get a Mini Countryman, a super nice car, very new, fast and agile; just the thing for our island trip.
Ses Salines and Es Vedra Natural Park
We get out of Ibiza town well. We ride along the water to Platja d'en Bossa, one of the sandy beaches close to the city. It's quiet, the sun worshipers are still sleeping. From there we drive through the Ses Salines Nature Park and the salt fields to La Canal. Little is going on on the small, idyllic sandy beach. We drive back through the salt flats, this time stopping at the church of Sant Francesc in the Ses Salines nature reserve.
Es Vedra and Vedranell rock islands
From the Mirador we have a great view of Es Vedra, the smaller Vedranell and the pirate tower, one of the old defense towers that still exist in some places on Ibiza. It continues in a northerly direction. We pass the picturesque Cala d'Hort, then Sa Talaia, the highest mountain on the island at 475 meters, and reach Sant Josep.
Rural Ibiza
We actually want to take a break here, but it's definitely too crowded. To make matters worse, a coach is just unloading its passengers at the parish church, which is said to be the most beautiful church on the island. We flee. In Sant Agusti, a tranquil little town with a monastery of the same name, we find our place for a break. We pass Sant Antoni, the most important tourist place on the west coast. We now cross the island to the east, but continue to avoid the big roads, the small ones are just prettier. There is actually still agriculture, fincas and cattle. So far, our calculation is working out. Outside of the tourist centers, we only meet a few people and rural Ibiza is just as beautiful as we expected.
We still have some time. We stroll along the water to the village and then through the picturesque streets to the old city wall. It was a beautiful day in Ibiza. On our next visit we will see the northeast part of the island. There is still a lot to discover for us.
Tenors of Rock
In the evening there is a thrilling show. The Tenors of Rock perform in the theater. We've seen a show with these British singers before and loved it. So this time too. The 5 singers offer rock at its finest, songs by the Beatles, Stones, Queen and and and: plus absolute top quality in singing and performance. The show lasts almost an hour and we could have listened and watched that long again.
