Ibiza: The quieter other side of the world's party capital

Dalt Vila, Ibiza's upper town. (Photo: Anita Rao Kashi)

In the mid morning light, the streets in Ibiza’s fortified Dalt Vila (Upper Town) are relatively deserted. Past the imposing main entrance, Portal de ses Taules, a narrow cobbled street inclines upwards lined with houses sitting cheek by jowl, windows and front yards spilling with greenery and flowers. In between every few doors is one that houses a lovely boutique store selling local crafts and souvenirs, a charming eatery or a café.

Wandering around Dalt Vila is incredibly fascinating and rewarding. Ibiza’s reputation as a rocking party destination does disservice to the island’s long and rich history and heritage, as well as natural beauty. So much so that it is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Ibiza’s history goes back at least 4,000 years. Settled somewhere around 2,000 BC during the Bronze Age, Ibiza’s first prominent inhabitants were the Phoenicians who established a trading post sometime in 8th century BC. From then on, the island has seen a steady stream of invaders and settlers — Punics, Romans, Carthiginians, Goths, Visigoths, Vandals, Byzantines and Arabs, before becoming a Spanish outpost. The result is a landscape filled with ancient structures and monuments, especially in the Dalt Vila, which is one of the two heritage sites.

The medieval Renaissance walls, with several gates, are both imposing and awe-inspiring, with bastions, towers, underground tunnels, cellars and dungeons. Towards the southern corner of the fortress, overlooking the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea is the 13th-century Cathedral dedicated to Nuestra Señora de las Nieves. But as much as the landmarks stand out, more endearing and enchanting the hidden nooks and corners of the old town, and alleys that suddenly open into a tiny squares, some as little as a courtyard, overflowing with plants, flowers, a well or a community tap, with statues and household paraphernalia. Or they sometimes host an art gallery, a sidewalk café or a cozy bar.

Ibiza cathedral on Dalt vila; (right) cobbled lane in Dalt Vila. (Photos: Anita Rao Kashi)

Just outside the walls of Dalt Vila is the necropolis or Puig des Molins, an archaeological site and museum combining a Phoenician necropolis and exhibits from the tombs. In the sharp mid-day brightness, the tombs stand out in stark contrast. It is a bit unsettling to wander around some 3,000 graves. Much cooler and immensely informative is the attached museum which provides a brief history of the island with evocative artefacts and archaeological finds unearthed from the area. These include bits of pottery, jewellery, coins, implements and household articles to massive jars and sarcophagus.

South of Dalt Vila’s walls is Ibiza’s second heritage site, but it is one of natural heritage. Ses Salines is a nature park that encompasses land and sea and extends to the next island Formentera. But what gives it its special status is the masses of Posidonia oceanica, or seagrass, that carpet the floor of the sea and host an incredible diversity of marine life that can be observed via snorkeling or diving. Of incalculable ecological, historical and cultural importance, Ses Selines nature park is as much rare as it is captivating. In addition, on the terra firma part of the national park are the acres of the salt flats that go back thousands of years. It is here that you will chance upon flamingos, and can hike amid pine forests, lounge on incredible beaches.

View of the Mediterranean Sea from Dalt Vila, Ibiza. (Photo: Anita Rao Kashi)

Stepping away from the bustling south (which is where most of Ibiza’s partying happens, specifically in and around Playa d’en Bossa), there’s actually much more to see and experience. For starters, the 580 sq. km island has 56 prominent beaches and scores of hidden seaside havens, which play host to some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. But quite apart from the seaside destinations, the island’s pastoral charm shows up round every turn and bend in the form of tiny villages and hamlets steeped in tradition and filled with lovely buildings, wooded areas, fruit orchards, olive trees and goats and cows. On the island’s West are the musical sounding twin villages of Santa Agnes and Sant Mateu, while Sant Gertrudis is in at its geographical centre, all bucolic with lemon and orange trees, whitewashed churches and an idyllic pace that is far different from the pulsing centre of Ibiza.

Church of Santa Eularia. (Photo: Anita Rao Kashi)

But nothing is more alluring than the town of Santa Eularia, probably the island’s most rocking town, with magical stories, medieval architecture, hippy markets, wooded areas, secluded beaches and fiercely beautiful promontories. Overlooking the town, high up on a hillock is a medieval church with ancient wooden rafters built from cypress and olive trees dedicated to the town’s patron deity Saint Eulalia. Down below, at the centre of town is a disappearing river, over which are two parallel bridges with a waterfall near one of them.

Santa Eularia river, Ibiza. (Photo: Anita Rao Kashi)

It also here that stories, myths and legends thrive. Accordingly, under the ancient bridge lies a well from where anyone can catch a gremlin that is born from a herb… or so the story goes. Adding a bit more quirkiness is the hippy market, a throwback to the '60s and '70s, the time of the flower people, when travellers went back and forth from the island to India and Asia, and bringing back both spirituality and handiwork. The culture is still alive and is part of Santa Eularia’s allure, and contributes to Ibiza’s character that is far-removed as a groovy destination.