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The
island of Ibiza is the third largest of the archipelago,
covering an area of 541 km2, and with a population
of over 70,000. Thanks to its hilly terrain the island
offers some magnificent scenery of great beauty. There
are a great deal of pine forests (the Greeks in fact
named the island Pitiusa which means "pinery"),
as well as almond trees, fig and olive trees, and
also palm trees. Another interesting fact about Ibiza
is that the use of the windmill and the waterwheels
is still quite common, mainly due to the lack of rainfall.
Rainy
days on this island of almost perpetual sun are something
of a luxury. The climate is very mild and produces
the phenomenon of an everlasting springtime. The port
of Ibiza is 162 miles from Barcelona, 70 from Palma,
100 from Valencia, 101 from Alicante and 152 from
Algiers. The journey by ship is a most pleasant experience,
thanks to the generally calm sea conditions. The Spanish
company Trasmediterranea has a regular ferry service
between Ibiza and the ports of Barcelona, Palma de
Majorca and Valencia, and this service is increased
from spring onwards when there can be as many as four
or five crossings a week between Barcelona and Palma.
There is also an excellent airport on Ibiza which
is one of the busiest in Spain. The flight from Valencia
tales half an hour, while from Barcelona and Palma
it tales an hour and approximately twenty minutes,
respectively. The airport never has to close because
of adverse weather conditions.
Ibiza
(27,685 inhabitants)
Ibiza
is the island's capital and a lively maritime port,
built on the side of a mountain beside the sea. It
has some interesting districts, such as San Penya,
and many magnificent viewpoints that look out across
the sea. The white constructions of its popular districts,
which were built following the exquisite architectural
lines of the islanders, constitute an unmistakable
and picturesque urban ensemble. The district of Dalt
Vila is at the very heart of the city and contains
some fine aristocratic mansions, the Town Hall, and
the Cathedral which was rebuilt in the 17C. Ibiza
was founded by the Carthaginians in the year 654 B.C.
Its walls were put up in the 16C and are considered
a National Monument since they are the only ones of
their kind remaining in Europe. The Archeological
Museum exhibits import Punic remains and many others
that have come from excavations made on the island.
Three kilometres from the capital are the beaches
of Talamanca, which can be reached by a frequent bus
and motor launch service. In addition there is Figueretas,
at a distance of 1 km, and En Bossa (3 km away).
Sant
Josep (9,095 inhabitants) Here can be found one of
the island's most beautiful churches, along with the
beaches of Cala Tárida, Cala Llentrisca, Cala
Bassa, Cala Vadella, and Las Salinas. Visits can be
paid to La Atalayasa, at a height of 475 m. During
the summer there are folklore exhibitions.
Sant
Antoni de Portnany (12,244 inhabitants)
This
is the ancient Portus Magnus of the Romans, which
today is a lively and cosmopolitan small town. The
magnificent church is in the typical Ibizan style,
and the Chapel-cum-Catacombs of Santa Inés
has been declared a National Monument. Two kilometres
away is the beach of Cala Grassió and trips
can be made to the extraordinarily beautiful small
islands of Vedrá (at a height of 382 m) and
Vedranell.
Sant
Miguel (1,817 inhabitants)
Has
some magnificent scenery and a fine beach just 3 km
away.
Sant
Joan (3,287 inhabitants)
Located
in the northern sector of the island, quite close
to the Cuieram cave. There is a Carthaginian temple
dedicated to the goddess Tanit, and the beaches of
Xarraca, Portinatx, and Cala de Sant Vicenss.
Santa
Eulalia del Riu (14,545 inhabitants)
This
picturesque village lies at the mouth of the only
river on the Balearic Islands. It has a beautiful
church and the beaches of Cala Llonga and Es Caná.
There is a typical farmstead at San Carlos.
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