2019 is a very special year for Ibiza.
The city is celebrating the 20th anniversary of being declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, which awarded this distinction in recognition of all the treasures that, both on land and at sea, demonstrate the historical importance of this island over the centuries: Phoenician and Punic remains and a breathtaking sea bed covered by the stunning Posidonia meadow are part of this renowned ensemble, but if there is any special landmark of Ibiza’s World Heritage, it is undoubtedly its splendid walled city, which was what led it to be awarded the status of World Heritage Site in 1999.
The first walled city of Ibiza was built in the 10th century, when the island was under the control of al-Andalus. At that time, the Moors built a triple fortified wall. However, the subsequent re-conquest by the Christians in the 13th century resulted in a growth of the city that absorbed the urban buildings and left only the names of some parts of the city, Vila de Dalt, Vila d’Emig and Vila d’Avall, as a vestige of the Moorish period. In the 16th century, King Philip II, in response to continuous attacks by pirates, ordered the construction of a defensive wall, based on the use of bastions, which remains practically intact today.
This history, and all its mysteries, are still very much alive in the walled city of Dalt Vila, a visit that is well worth dedicating a morning or an afternoon to, walking around the perimeter of the walls and discovering the views they offer, and wandering through the labyrinth of streets full of art and craft shops, restaurants, hotels and, of course, historic buildings such as the cathedral, the former Dominican monastery (which, along with the Can Botino palace, is home to part of the Town Hall), the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Puget Museum, the House of Christopher Columbus or the churches of Sant Domingo, l’Hospitalet and Sant Cristòfol.
Another way to discover this site is through the dramatised visits organised every Saturday by Ibiza Town Council, which are suitable for the whole family.