Question 1

Phoenicians, Salt, and the Counterculture

Accepted Answer

Phoenician settlers founded a port on Ibiza in 654 BC. The first Phoenician settlement was at Sa Caleta. Its people left around 600 BC for the site of the present town. Under Carthage the island exported dye, salt, fish sauce and wool, and the Romans later knew it as Ebusus. The Crown of Aragon conquered Ibiza in August 1235. The Muslim population was deported, and Christian settlers came from Girona. International tourism began in the late 1950s, and the hippie gatherings of the 1960s and 1970s followed. UNESCO put Ibiza on the World Heritage list in 1999.

Question 2

Getting Around Ibiza

Accepted Answer

Public buses link Ibiza's main towns and resorts, with more service in the high season. Ferries to Formentera leave from their own terminal in the port every half hour in high season, and the crossing takes about 30 minutes. UK government travel advice for Spain is to use only official, licensed taxis. Ibiza limits the entry and circulation of vehicles at certain times of year, so check the current rules before you rent a car.

Question 3

Tipping in Ibiza

Accepted Answer

Spain uses the euro, and a tip is never obligatory because service is included in the price. Tips are still common in bars, restaurants and taxis, usually 5 to 10 percent of the bill. Cards are widely accepted, though some places ask for a minimum spend of around €10. ATMs are easy to find at bank branches and in shopping areas.

Question 4

What to Eat

Accepted Answer

Bullit de peix, fish served with potatoes, is one of the island's signature dishes. Other traditional recipes to look for are sofrit pagès, ensalada payesa and borrida de ratjada, which is made with skate. Flaó is a tart of sheep or goat cheese flavored with mint and aniseed. Hierbas ibicencas is an aniseed liqueur made with herbs grown on the island, served after a meal. Sobrasada is a cured sausage of pork and paprika, made across the Balearic Islands.

Question 5

Culture & Local Life

Accepted Answer

Dalt Vila, the fortified upper town, is on the World Heritage list for its Renaissance walls. The cathedral at the top of Dalt Vila belongs to a parish founded at the conquest of 1235, and the building is Catalan Gothic. Puig des Molins, in Ibiza Town, is a Punic cemetery of about 3,000 tombs, with an archaeological museum on the site. Sa Caleta, about 10 km west of Ibiza Town, has the stone foundations of the Phoenician settlement. The bastions of Dalt Vila are used for open-air concerts and exhibitions through the year.

Question 6

Beaches

Accepted Answer

Ses Salines and Es Cavallet are beaches inside the Ses Salines Natural Park, a protected stretch of dunes and wetlands. Platja d'en Bossa, at 2.7 km, is the longest beach on the island. The west coast has the sunset beaches, among them Platges de Comte and Cala Saladeta. The meadows of Posidonia seagrass offshore are what keep the water so clear. UK government travel advice for Spain notes that many beaches use warning flags, and that a red flag means you must not enter the water.

Question 7

Traveling with Family

Accepted Answer

Cala Llonga, Cala Nova, Cala Bassa, Portinatx and Talamanca have the calm, shallow water that suits small children. The walk along Dalt Vila's walls and bastions has views over the sea. Paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkeling are possible at many of the family beaches. The wetlands of the Ses Salines Natural Park are a good place to look for birds.

Question 8

Shopping in Ibiza

Accepted Answer

Ibiza's craft and hippie markets are held in the open air around the island, and Las Dalias and Punta Arabí are two of the best known. Check a market's days and season before you travel across the island for it. Adlib is the island's own fashion, white clothes in natural fabrics with hand embroidery, and it dates from the 1970s. Island crafts include ceramics, silver jewelry and leather goods. Edible things to take home include sea salt from the island's salt pans, olive oil and honey.

Question 9

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Dalt Vila is a walled hilltop with cobbled streets, so expect hard going on wheels. Ask your ship whether the gangway will be step-free, and whether the transfer from Botafoc into town takes a wheelchair. Arrange a taxi that fits a wheelchair before the day. Ask the Botafoc information office or your ship about step-free access to beaches.

Ibiza, Spain

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