'THREE RIVERS' CRUISING BLOG: Ibiza Town and beaches July 25, 2012

We took the bus from San Antonio to the city of Ibiza/Eivissa. It’s also known as the 'white island' due to the predominance of its white houses. The Ibiza we know is the disco/club central, the summertime hedonistic capital of Europe. La calle Barcelona is the central point of the city’s nightlife, based around the Port. We did not go there. However, there are a number of interesting historical monuments which offer a bit of cultural, historical and natural richness within the city. We visited the 16^th century walled city of Dalt Vila, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The wall was built by Felipe II in the 16th century to protect the island from pirates and the Ottomans. Portal de Ses Taules, with a drawn bridge, is the main entrance to the Dalt Vila. And once inside, we visited the Almudaina Castle, which was built during the Moorish period 12 & 13 centuries, and the Virgen de las Nieves Cathedral which was built upon an ancient Mosque in the 13th century in Gothic-Cataln style. Walked along the wall, we enjoyed the impressive view of the Port, the city below, and on a clear day, Formentera could be seen as well. Although Archeological Museum was closed for renovation and the Episcopal Palace was now the Bishop’s resident and not open for public, we managed to visit the old Town Hall, which housed excellent pictures of the city’s past and present. The Puig de Molins Monographic Museum, offered some of the best Punic art in Europe. We were also thinking of venturing into the La Penya neighbourhood, located just below the Dalt Vila, but the staff in the tourist office was sternly against the idea as it was ‘not safe’. Instead, she offered a great number of great restaurants for us to try out. We gladly took her advice and had an excellent lunch of traditional dishes of paella and fish at a small restaurant just outside the old city.