In July, my boyfriend and I went to Ibiza. I love everything about the White Isle. I love the weather, the music, but most of all the relaxed carefree attitude of everyone you meet there.
Last time we went to Ibiza, we didn't get a chance to visit the Old Town so we made sure we did this time.
Placed on top of a steep hill on the edge of Ibiza Town, the Dalt Vila is a small town of windy lanes, battlements and it also holds a cathedral. It is steeped in history, with almost every settlement of people that have lived in Ibiza using the town for their own purposes since 654 BC.
The walls around the town that we see today were built by an Italian architect in the 16th century and there is a feeling that it has been untouched since then, all around the narrow streets.
We climbed around the outside of the town in the 35+ degree heat and to say we were hot at the top is a HUGE understatement. I think by climbing around the outside of the town we unfortunately managed to miss out the main entrance which apparently includes a drawbridge and statues. We got some nice sea views from our route, but it would have been nice to see at least some of what the guide books talk about!
When we got to the top we sat for a while, cried a little about the heat, took in the fantastic views, then made our way slowly back down. This time we decided on going through the windy streets. Just be careful to avoid the locals as they try driving their old cars up the steep hills that are no wider than the car itself... its a great game.
This area of the island is so traditionally Spanish, I absolutely love it. When I was 17, I did an exchange with a Spanish family who lived in a tiny village in the middle of the mountains of Andalucia. The town looked exactly like this, a tiny but bustling collection of houses strategically placed on a hill, each looking like they're clambering to get out of the way of the lake below. Being in the Dalt Vila just for the morning bought back all those memories and reminded me why I fell in love with Spain to begin with.
If you're in Ibiza and fancy something other than partying for just one day then I thoroughly recommend coming here. Its a look into the history of this beautiful island, before the neon lights and cocktails came and claimed their stake. Not that I don't enjoy a good neon light and a cocktail.. this is Ibiza after all.
