Ibiza (Balearic Islands)
The island of Ibiza, the third largest of the Balearic Islands after Mallorca and Menorca, is by one chain smaller islands connected to the Balearic island of Formentera. Together they form the Pityusen archipelago. Geographically, they form the continuation of the Andalusian Folded Mountains. Ibiza and Formentera are roughly on the same latitude as Sicily, Lisbon or Corfu, in front of the Gulf of Valencia. They are close to the African coast and form a geographical link between two continents. The coast of Ibiza is around 170 km long and 280 km from Barcelona.
The capital of the island is Eivissa (Ibiza Town). Ibiza’s capital, Eivissa, was constantly exposed to pirate attacks due to its openness in all directions. Eivissa has a few well-known and worth seeing buildings with the Monumen to de Antonio Riquer, the Iglesia El Salvador and the east pier. The old town of Ibiza Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
Ibiza has numerous fertile valleys, most of which are located in wooded ridges. Wonderful landscapes and countless natural beauties can be admired here. This island is also mountainous, but the elevations do not reach the same heights as on other neighboring islands of the Balearic Islands.
Thanks to the mild climate, Ibiza is particularly suitable for a bathing or sports holiday. The well-known holiday resorts all have a beautiful sandy beach. When it comes to sports, everything that has to do with water sports is possible on the Balearic island of Ibiza. But of course other types of leisure activities are also possible. You can go cycling or tennis or at a folk dance event or the Watch bullfighting. Customs are also very capitalized on the island of Ibiza and are largely preserved in a very genuine way.
The usual attractions of Spanish tourist locations can still be found in the same way. So entertainment in the form of bars, nightclubs and discos is well catered for.
The best time to travel is from late spring to early autumn. A lot of rain can be expected from mid-October to the end of February.
A large selection of excursion destinations is available from Ibiza. For example to San Miguel, a small village in the north of the island. It has a fortress-like church and is located on a hilltop. Or you drive to Cala San Vicente, a small village on a terrace hill. It has a beautiful bay with plenty of opportunities for swimming, sunbathing or all kinds of water sports.
Also known is Espalmador, a mud lagoon with a rocky coast and beautiful bays and an uninhabited island between Formentera and Ibiza, which used to be a pirate area. Two other attractions worth seeing are San Antonio and the impressive city of Santa Eulalia.
Also trips by motorboat or one Boat trips to Formentera are an option. A nice alternative to see the island from a different perspective is a tour of the island.
The cuisine in Ibiza is of course adapted to the cuisine of tourists, so you don’t have to do without your local beer and familiar dishes. In addition to tourist cuisine, Ibiza also offers a variety of Catalan cuisine and local Ibizan dishes. The best and most typical food can be found in the so-called “Quioscos” or “Chiringuitos”. These are small restaurants or bars that are right on the beach. So food with a sea view. The specialties here are certainly the sea animals and fresh fish. In the country you can buy Ibiza’s country wine Try (Vino Pagés). At the end of every meal you drink a herbal liqueur (hierbas) and a coffee (café).
Ibiza climate
Ibiza is the third largest of the Balearic Islands and, together with Formentera, is located in the southwest of the archipelago, closest to the Spanish mainland, around 90 kilometers from Valencia, or more precisely at 38 Degree 57 minutes north latitude.
The climate on Mediterranean. However, Ibiza is one of the driest Balearic islands highest amounts of precipitation are to be expected in October, namely around 65 millimeters, followed by the months of November and December with still more than 50 millimeters on a monthly average. In total, however, the island has only 46 rainy days a year, July and August are practically free of rain. Around four rainy days per month can be expected in March, April and September. Ibizais like on the sister islands. There is an average of around 400 millimeters here precipitation in a year.
The sun shines on Ibiza for around 2,800 hours a year. Most hours of sunshine are counted from April to September, namely between just under eight and ten hours of sun. The lower number of hours of sunshine from December to March is mainly due to the shorter days and less due to bad weather.
It gets warmest in Ibiza in midsummer. From June to September the average maximum temperatures rise to over 25 degrees Celsius. At night in summer the thermometer does not drop below twenty degrees. Pleasant temperatures of over twenty degrees are also measured in the transition months of April, May, October and November. In the coldest months of December to February it is still around 16 degrees during the day, but significantly cooler at night at around eight degrees.
Best travel time for Ibiza
If you want to spend your beach holiday in Ibiza with swimming, water sports and night parties, you should choose the high season from mid-June to mid or late September. Then all clubs are open, the water has bathing temperatures, it rains very little at least until the beginning of September, but it is also more expensive and full.
The island has a particular charm in the spring months. Spring begins here as early as the end of February and the island glows in the almond blossom. However, most hotels, shops and restaurants do not open until Easter, a winter season has not yet established itself as strongly here. Therefore, the time from Easter onwards is ideal for those looking for peace and quiet, because the weather can provide just the right setting for hiking tours or a relaxing holiday.
Ibiza Geography
Ibiza belongs to the archipelago of the Balearic Islands and is located in the western Mediterranean in the Gulf ofValencia. It is the third largest island in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands and the largest of the Pityuses, which are still made up of Formentera and several small islets. Ibizais about 100 kilometers from the Spanish mainland and about 250 kilometers from the African continent. Formentera is twelve kilometers from Ibiza.
The total area of Ibiza is about 572 square kilometers. The length of the island extends for a maximum of 41 kilometers, in width Ibiza measures a maximum of 24 kilometers. The capital of the island is Ibiza Town. Although the Pityuses belong to the Balearic Islands, they form their own little archipelago. Ibiza can boast a varied landscape, in which rugged cliffs alternate with gentle bays and fine sandy beaches. Pine forests, vineyards and terraced fields shape the interior of the island.
The north of Ibiza is surrounded by the wooded mountains of Els Amunts dominated, which is interrupted by fertile high valleys with red ferrous soil. The mountain range has its highest point with the 410 meter high Puig d’en Forns. The coasts in the north usually plunge ruggedly and inaccessibly into the sea.
Further south, a chain of hills runs parallel to the Els Amunts ridge, which is the highest mountain on the island with the 475 meter high Sa Talaia de Sant Josep. This is followed by the Serra Grossa, which extends into the center of the island.
In contrast, the east and southeast of Ibiza are mostly flat.
From the north to the interior of the island, there are small valleys with very fertile areas such as Es Pla d’Atzaro, Es Pla de Corona and Es Pla de Mateu, which are criss-crossed by “torrents”, as the valleys dug by torrents are called in Spain. Here terraces, irrigated gardens and grain fields alternate.
The wetland of the salt pans, located in the very south, is only slightly above sea level. The saline fields typical of the Pityuses were created around six million years ago when the islands of Ibiza and Formentera protruded as mountains from the desert-like salt marshes. The Riu de Santa Eulària is the only river in Ibiza that flows into the Mediterranean near the city of the same name. The total of 210 kilometers of coastline of the island presents itself very differently with sheltered bays, cliffs and long sandy beaches.
