Ibiza details

Ibiza is the third largest island in the Balearic Islands. Ibiza has an area of 572 square kilometres. The capital is Ibiza Town. Ibiza has 117,698 permanent inhabitants (as of 2007). In 2006, the proportion of foreigners was 20.8% (23,735 residents), the percentage of German population was 2.7% (3066).

Along with the southern island of Formentera (8442 inhabitants) there are numerous smaller and uninhabited rocky islands called the Pine Islands. The official languages are Spanish (Castilian) and Catalan, the Catalan dialect prevailing.

The Balearic Islands are the continuation of the Andalusian part off the Rocky Mountain chain, which stretches from Gibraltar across the Sierra Nevada. Approximately 1500 meters deep there are undersea trenches separating the islands from the mainland.

The Pitiusan has, as well as the Balearic Islands, its own continental shelf. Ibiza is a hilly island with a rugged coastline in the interior, which is interrupted by sandy coves. It is located about 90 kilometers east of mainland Spain. The highest point is Atalaya at 476 meters above sea level. Biodiversity and the culture of Ibiza have seen it being, in 1999, declared a World Heritage Site.

Ibiza town and surrounding area

Eight miles east of the airport is the island’s capital Ciutat d’Eivissa. In the picturesque old town and the waterfront, there are numerous restaurants and shops, entertainment and nightlife, with well-known, expensive nightclubs and bars. In the city there is no beach and only a relatively few, mostly small tourist accommodations.

Four kilometers from the capital lies the seaside resort of Platja d’en Bossa (Castilian: Playa d’en Bossa), which provides a mile-long, sandy beach with good watersports. One can find amongst other things, many family holiday clubs. Many nightclubs, restaurants, bars and shops are also provided for guests. By bus you can get to the locals and tourists alike by the popular sandy beach at Las Salinas.

Climate

Ibiza has the most balanced climate of the Balearic Islands. The average temperature in summer is about 26 ° C, in winter they get a very mild 12 ° C.

Economy

In the Middle Ages Ibiza owned the salt marshes of Ses Salines, located in the southwest of the airport, giving it a degree of prosperity. The salt fields were up to the 19th Centur,y communal and each Ibicenco was obligated to contribute to the management of the salt fields. The interior of the island was used for agriculture and livestock, particularly sheep farming.

Until the mid-1960s the peasants of the island were self-sufficient for their own use and only a small part was for export. In the mid-1930s, the first British tourists discovered the island.

Today, the low agricultural production is no longer enough to feed the island itself, so most goods must be imported from the mainland. As on the other Balearic islands, tourism is the main source of income. 1.5 million tourists visited in 2002, almost half of them were British tourists, followed by Germans, Italians and French.

Culture

Ibiza is regarded as the destination for the boys, or at least young at heart, but mainly as the island of the “rich and beautiful.” The island is a favorite because of the liberal flair destination for gays and lesbians from around the world. Moreover, in the mid-1990s, the international club scene hosted well-known disc jockeys in Ibiza. Between Ibiza Town and Sant Antoni de Portmany, is the largest nightclub in the world, Privilege.

The disco can accommodate about 10,000 visitors. Many other clubs like Space, Amnesia and Pacha are just like the famous Cafe del Mar, Platja d’en Bossa, and Sant Rafel. As a Sunday outing the Cala Benirras demonstrates where at sunset the native drum artists show their skills. In the mountains regularly held at Goa, are full moon parties, which may last for several days.