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Ibiza Biodiversity and Culture

By Kimberly Defrate
Ibiza, the third largest of the Balearic Islands, is located in the Mediterranean Sea only 79 km (49 mi) off the coast of the Northeastern Spanish city of Valencia.  With 40 km (24 mi) of sandy beaches, crystal clear water and an amiable temperature all year round, Ibiza is a popular tourist destination in Spain.  The unique environment and varied cultures in Ibiza make the island known all over the world for its vitality and diversified night life.  However, the island also lays claim to a long and significant history as well as a crucial environmental role in the Mediterranean ecosystem.

 In 1999, UNESCO proclaimed Ibiza as: “Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture,” a World Heritage City or Patrimony of Humanity, recognizing Ibiza as having special cultural or natural significance to the common heritage of humanity.  The World Heritage Sites of Ibiza that are officially recognized by UNESCO include: the fields of Posidonia of Ses Salines Natural Park, the Phoenician settlement of sa Caleta, the fortifications of Ibiza City and the cemetery of Puig des Molins.

 Posidonia is an endemic plant with leaves, stalks and fruit that forms dense prairies of Posidonia, or seagrass.  The Posidonia is found in the Mediterranean Sea and is extremely important for the ecosystem because it supports a great diversity of marine life.  In most parts of the Mediterranean the Posidonia is threatened, but in Ibiza remains well preserved.  In this way the Balearic Island provides a remarkable example of the interaction between marine and coastal ecosystems and greatly contributes to the biodiversity of marine life in the Mediterranean.

 Additionally, Ibiza is acknowledged culturally because it preserves evidence of its long history. The island played an important role in the Mediterranean economy during the Phoenician-Carthaginian period as is exemplified by the archaeological site of Sa Caleta.  Sa Caleta is a Phoenician settlement that was founded at the end of the 8th century BC and is the most important example of early Phoenician colonization.  Sometime in the late 7th to the early 6th century BC, the settlers moved to a high hill dominating the bay where they founded the city of “Ibosim,” the origin of the city of Ibiza. 

Ibosim became the first city of the Balearic archipelago and the most important in the Mediterranean region due to the maritime commerce of the Carthaginian Empire.  In order to protect themselves from the Greeks and the Romans, the settlers fortified the acropolis with walls referred to traditionally as Dalt Vila and literally translated as “Upper Town.”  Throughout the history of construction earlier parts of the structure were incorporated into the fortification rather than destroyed, allowing the walls to preserve imprints of history that date back to early Phoenician settlements through to the Renaissance Age.  In the 16th century the Dalt Vila, with Italian-Spanish engineering and military architecture mixed with Renaissance Age aesthetics, greatly influenced the creation of Spanish fortifications in the New World.

 Approximately 500 m (1.640 ft) from the fortified walls of Ibiza’s Dalt Vila is the archeological site of Puig des Molins.  Puig des Molins is the best and most well conserved necropolis of Phoenician culture.  Occupying over 50,000 m² (538,195 ft²), the cemetery contains over 3,000 Punic tombs.  The most spectacular tombs found in Puig des Molins are called “hypogea,” large subterranean chambers dug into rock which feature a well and an entrance door.  Tourists can visit some of the hypogea tombs which have been equipped with lights and stairs.

 Ibiza is much more than just beaches and sunshine.  The Spanish island is full of historic sites dedicated to its vibrant past and incredible natural parks representing its grand biodiversity.  To truly discover Ibiza, be sure to venture inland to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of sa Caleta, Dalt Vila, and Puig de Molins.



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