BALEARIC ISLANDS Attracting a Range of Visitors Beyond the Party Package Crowd

BALEARIC ISLANDS attracting a range of visitors beyond the party package crowd. package arangeofvisitorsbeyondtheparty attracting and citrusorchards. Andagrowingspread ofelegant,ruralretreats andA-listeateries are walks,secludedcoves,ruins, fishingvillages,spectacular endlessolive andalmondgroves hotels,the high-riseresort barsandmore popularbeachesare Gothiccathedrals,StoneAge fromEasterof sun-andfun-seekers toOctober. but manytimesthatnumberare airliftanddisembarkation involved inaround-the-clock multifaceted paradise. The totalpopulationoftheislesbarely standsover themillionmark, beaches andsunsetparties. lose themselves fortheentire summer,needinglittlemore themhappythanwhite tokeep the grandschemeofthings. AndtinyFormentera, achill-outisland,where somepeople coves, andprehistoric monumentsstandingastaciturnreminders ofhowsmallweare in gave Europe therave. Menorcaisahaven oftranquillity–splendidisolated beachesand to thestandardsea‘n’suntourism.Ibizaissynonymouswithclubbing,islandthat through combining alittleofeverything, mountainsceneryandhiking fromspectacular in theglittering Mediterranean, couldbesaidtohave atheme. Mallorcaistheseniorisland, Each ofthesefour islands (IslasBaleares inSpanish;IllesBalearsCatalan), floatingserenely Islands Balearic 648 © LonelyPlanetPublications „ Surprisingly, theislandshave managedtomaintainmuchoftheirintrinsicbeauty.Beyond Each yearamassive multinationalforceinvadestheislandsinsearchofapiecethis

„ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

AREA:4992SQKM Saythree HailMarysbefore 12kmroute windingalongthespectacular to Prancewiththeprancinghorses atthe SlipintoMenorca’s limpidwaters at Peer intoprehistory at Gaspatthe turquoisehuesoftheseaaround Enjoyscented strollsinvillageslike at ChilloutatFormentera’s sunsetparties thatsetstheMediterranean Jointheparty Take inMallorca’s ahike Admire thebuildinggenius atPalma deMal- Fornalutx the BlueBaron on fire in tana lorca’s enormousGothic (p659) Ibiza’s amazingclubs ( p662 ) inMallorca’snorthwest Platja deMigjorn Naveta desTudons Serra deTramun- cathedral „ AVE SUMMER TEMP: HIGH 28°C,LOW 20°C (p672) (p683) (p653) Cala Macarelleta Dia deSantJoan ( p692 ) andMenorca’sotherancientmonuments Cap deFormentor Ibiza Platja de Migjorn and ( p691 ) inpretty Ciutadella Cala enTurqueta Fornalutx Sa Calobra „ Palma de Mallorca POP: 1.07MILLION promontory( p664 ) Formentor Cap de Tramuntana Serra de Sa Calobra (p694) Ciutadella Cala Macarelleta; Cala enTurqueta Naveta des Tudons (p662) lonelyplanet.com BALEARIC ISLANDS •• History 649 BLAI ISLANDS BALEARIC

0 40 km BALEARIC ISLANDS (ISLAS BALEARES) 0 20 miles

To Barcelona Barcelona–Palma de Mallorca To Barcelona To Barcelona To Barcelona Es Mercadal Ciutadella Alaior See Mallorca Map (p652) Ferreries Menorca Maó Mallorca Pollença Alcúdia Sóller Ca'n Picafort See Menorca Map (p685) Artà Cala Ratjada Inca Palma de BALEARES Sant Llorenç Barcelona–Ibiza Mallorca des Cardassar Manacor To Denia; Llucmajor Felanitx Valencia Valencia–Palma de Mallorca Campos Santanyí Palma–Maó Illa des Conills

See Ibiza (Eivissa) Map (p667) Illa de Cabrera

Valencia–Ibiza Sant Antoni Ibiza–Palma de Mallorca de Portmany Santa Eulària d'es Riu Ibiza City Ibiza MEDITERRANEAN To Denia; Valencia; (Eivissa) SEA Alicante La Savina Formentera

Sant Francesc Xavier See Formentera Map (p679)

History (1756–63), during which the French moved Archaeologists believe the first human set- in, and a brief Spanish reconquest after that. In tlements in the Balearic Islands date from the Spanish Civil War, Menorca was the last of around 5000 BC and the islands were later the islands to succumb to Franco’s forces. regular ports of call for Phoenician traders. Tourism since the 1950s has brought con- The Carthaginians followed and founded siderable wealth. The islanders now enjoy – Ibiza City in 654 BC, making it one of the by some estimates – the highest standard of Mediterranean’s major trading ports. Next living in Spain, but 80% of their economy is came the Romans, who, in turn, were over- based on tourism (14 million arrivals each whelmed by the Visigoths. year). This has led to thoughtless (and con- Three centuries of Muslim domination tinuing) construction on the islands (the term ended with the Christian Reconquista, led balearización has been coined to illustrate by Jaume I of Catalonia and Aragón, who took this short-termism and wanton destruction Palma de Mallorca in 1229 and sponsored the of the archipelago’s prime resource – its invasion of Ibiza in 1235. Menorca was the beautiful coastlines). last to fall: Alfons III took it in 1287 in a nasty The islands’ foreign admirers have their Vietnam-style campaign, completing the is- preferences. If the Germans have set their lands’ incorporation into the Catalan world. sights on Mallorca, Formentera becomes Little After their initial boom as trading centres Italy in July and August. The Brits are numer- and Catalan colonies, the islands had fallen on ous in Mallorca, but have a special affection hard times by the 15th century. Isolation from for Menorca. Ibiza’s clubs, on the other hand, the mainland, famines and frequent raids by attract an international brigade of hedonists. pirates contributed to their decline. During Place names and addresses in this chap- the 16th century Menorca’s two major towns ter are in Catalan, the main language spo- were virtually destroyed by Turkish forces and ken (with regional variations). The major Ibiza City’s fortified walls were built. After exceptions are Ibiza and Ibiza City – both a succession of bloody raids, Formentera are called Eivissa in Catalan but we use the was abandoned. better-known Spanish rendition. After backing the Habsburgs in the War of Spanish Succession (1702–13), Mallorca and Getting There & Around Ibiza were occupied by the victorious Bourbon AIR monarchy in 1715. Menorca was granted to the If your main goal in Spain is to visit the British along with Gibraltar in 1713 under the Balearic Islands, it makes no sense to fly via Treaty of Utrecht. British rule lasted until 1802, the mainland. If already in Spain, scheduled with the exception of the Seven Years War flights from major cities on the mainland