Ibiza is famous for its beaches, its landscapes and also for its endless leisure and entertainment offer, but it also has several cultural and natural assets that have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
If you want to discover the historic centre of Ibiza or Dalt Vila, the Punic necropolis of Puig des Molins, the remains of the Phoenician settlement of Sa Caleta and, of course, the Posidonia Oceanica meadows, come and join us!
Walled city of Dalt Vila
The walled enclosure of the old town of Ibiza is one of the places declared a World Heritage Site that you cannot miss. Its majestic walls definitely stand out, built in the 16th century to defend and protect the island of Ibiza. If from the outside the complex looks impressive, once you get inside, you will find it impossible not to be amazed.
The old city is located on Puig de Vila and is crowned by the cathedral and the castle, an unmistakable silhouette from any point in the city. If you wander through its narrow streets, you can discover the different bastions, the Town Hall, the Museu d’Art Contemporani d’Eivissa, the Puget Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the Medina Yabisa Interpretation Centre, among many other places of interest.
Also, if you visit the convent of San Cristóbal, don’t forget to try the sweets made by the cloistered nuns. They are delicious!
Necropolis of Puig de Molins
Another World Heritage Site is the necropolis of Puig de Molins, which stands out for its good state of conservation.
This necropolis, home to the goddess Tanit, once served as the cemetery of the city of Ibiza. You will find it just a few metres from Puig de Vila. At the time of the Phoenician city, it separated the space of the living and the dead.
The name of the necropolis comes from the windmills that once dominated the top of this hill. As a curiosity, it’s worth mentioning that one of these windmills is where the poet Rafael Alberti and his wife lived for a few days during their stay in Ibiza.
Today, the area formerly occupied by the cemetery, with more than 3,000 tombs dug out of the rock, is part of the Archaeological Museum of Ibiza and Formentera.
Phoenician village of Sa Caleta
On Sa Caleta beach you’ll find this Phoenician settlement, located on the edge of a cliff, which will take you back to the 7th century BC and allow you to learn a little more about the history of Ibiza. Its interest lies in the fact that it’s considered to be the place where the city of Ibiza was born.
This is where the first inhabitants of the city settled, before they moved to an adjoining city of larger dimensions. This original city was a little unstructured, due to the construction of buildings according to the needs of its inhabitants. Here, you can see the archaeological remains of a bread oven and an iron foundry, as well as several buildings distributed along different streets and squares.
During your visit, you can take advantage of the magnificent views of the beach of Es Bol Nou, also known as Sa Caleta.
Posidonia oceanica meadows
You may have wondered why the waters of Ibiza are so transparent and have such a common turquoise colour. The answer lies in the Posidonia oceanica meadows, an endemic alga of the Mediterranean Sea which, due to its importance for the seabed of Ibiza and Formentera, has been declared a World Heritage Site.
These Posidonia meadows are the habitat of multiple marine species, they oxygenate the sea and filter the sand, giving rise to excellent quality waters. In addition, by slowing down marine currents, these algae reduce the effects of coastal erosion. It’s worth all our efforts to conserve them.
