LA XANGA

 

LA XANGA (Las Salinas)

Located at the Natural Park area of Salinas, on the Southeastern side of Ibiza where there is a bay which the sea is usually calm. This bay of calm waters is known by the locals as "La Xanga".

At the both ends of this bay, there are a number of houses or docks for boats, where the locals will spend the days on holiday or Sundays. Although is not a sandy beach, is really appreciated for people who like to take a bath or spend a day at the coast surrounded by the calm on that place.
 
The easy access to water from the docks make this an attractive place for sunbathing or swimming, or even diving, because here there is a high concentration of marine plants "posidonea" and aquatic life.
 
At the above footage, we can see all the bay of "La Xanga", from here it seems very rocky...
 
...but if we go a little further, we note that although is not a sandy beach, there is a pebble beach, in any case always we can use the docks that will help us to lie down, sunbathing or simply read a book. From the situation of some docks located at one end of the xanga we can see the Torre des Carregador de sal, which is located between La Xanga and Playa den Bossa. But the tower is another thing which, I will developed in the next post.
 

WACHT TOWER OF SALT ROSSA

 TORRE DE SA SAL ROSA O DES CARRAGADOR DE SAL 

 

The history of Ibiza is full of raids, especially from pirates, so, anxiety filled its inhabitants on those days, and to avoid those dangerous attacks on the population of the island, the inhabitants built around the coast a serie of defense towers that are now as silent witnesses of those dangerous times. The name of this tower has changed over its long history, before was called among other names "Torre des des Carregador" or "Carregador roxo vei".

This tower was built on the XVI century, located almost in the southeast of the island, guarded the entrance to the city from the south. This tower was designed to protect the inhabitants of the area and as well the salt mines workers in case of attack. The Tower could shelter up to 200 people inside. Along with the Torre de Ses Portes were designed to cover the entrance to the city by the south.

 This tower is the closest to Ibiza salt mines, and one of its names, the salt rossa (pink salt) refers to the proximity of saltmaking ponds with this name. Is located at one end of the long Playa den Bossa, on a small and rocky hill which dominates the den Bossa beach. From that place we can admire the fabulous views of Dalt Vila which appears far in the distance.

 

The sea the place where came a lot of livelihood for many families, as well as such dangers came from there too, such dangers for people who resided on the island. And those Towers as giants, stand vigils and the watchtowers, some armed with powerful guns or others as mere lookouts warned by smoke to the population that danger was approaching.   

 

As a peculiarity should be noted that is the unique tower available in Ibiza that had a home usage. It is visible from here the nearby island of Formentera and is located in an area called "la xanga". Here too was where there was a salt charger, hence one of its denominations. This charger with salt, then stood further south in the area of Sa Canal (see next entry). Between 2007 and 2008 this tower was refurbished due it was partially damaged, and it is noteworthy that it is the oldest of the island.

It´s really near of the Salt ponds and as well to the Ibiza city, which means is also near of the Ibiza Airport. That´s why sometimes we can see some aircrafts flying around. The tower is only 20 meters above sea level. It is said that in this tower he hid for a time of civil war the poet Vicente Alexandre, and also this Tower was engineered by Juan Bautista Calvi in 1,575

SA CANAL AND SALT PORT CHARGER

SA CANAL


It is neither a town nor even a village, but does not lack charm to the place. This is a handful of houses that may not know which form the habitation of the most southest of the island.

This is a set of beautiful houses that should belong in the past (or perhaps now too) to the company that operated the salt mines. Perhaps officials formerly lived in them, and is unique in its architecture, but also has a certain aesthetic joint all over the place, especially doors and windows most of them in turquoise or in green colors.

Some houses on the outside are lined with stone, and other property such as white lime so abundant on the island of Ibiza, all this forms a striking aesthetic place.

Some of the old department store where salt stored in the past, and some of them now has come to use as an exhibition place. Anyway a walk in to this area is a pleasure, as also we are just a few meters from the sea and the famous beach of Salinas.

Even sometimes seems that we are at a small outdoor museum, and here we can see -for instance- the old small locomotives circulated by the only railroad tracks that never has been on the island, but instead of carrying passenger they were loaded with salt on the way to nearby port of Sa Canal (which today is still active).

Nowadays, there are not more locomotives in use, but with another modern transport the salt is accumulated and will wait to go out of Ibiza on boat to different destinations, most of them into Europe.

While waiting to be loaded and transported off the island, the salt is piled in white mountains forming impressive contrast with the blue sky and sea, and even we can imagine mountains of snow.

And among these mountains of salt, we see the background of the famous beach of Las Salinas, although his real name is the Platja de Mitjorn or Migdia (Midday).

The nearby port breakwater will be responsible for receiving cargo ships that carry salt, once loaded, although there is usually enough ships to come, the day of my trip there were none.

Old strings that were formerly used for loading salt, are currently enjoying his retirement on a green background of the nearby Mediterranean turquoise.

And on the coast of this place, there are rocky sections also, where if the temperature is warm, one can take a bath into the sea.

From here is very easy to see the shores of the nearby island of Formentera, and of course the islets area is Freus which is located between the two big islands. Here, for example, through this palm tree, is easy to invisioning the silhouette of the lighthouse and the little island of Es Penjats (the hanged men).

The houses in this place, give a bucolic touch because they are profusely decorated with shrubs and plants and also maintain that philosophy of small manor houses.

The courtyards of the houses and the bright turquoise somewhere ... A door, window, or the bars of the balcony, from which also hang some fishing equipment, meanwhile wait to go back out to sea. Anyway it is a quiet, silent and lovely place that has a special charm.

ES PORTITXOL

ES PORTITXOL

It´s Perhaps one of the most beautiful and spectacular spots of the entire northern coast of the Es Amunts and the whole island as well. Easily accessible even after a long walk we find here a beautiful and natural harbor preceded by a stretch arm of sea that ends in a kind of lake, where calm reigns even on windy days.

In this kind of lake surrounded by pine trees and native flora, we will be also surprised by the colors of the sea, ranging from the more marine blue to green or turquoise, with a totally clean and transparent waters. Wildlife such as gulls and cormorants are quite abundant in this area, geographically far north of the island, between the rural villages of Sant Miquel and Sant Mateu.

The blue arm of sea that links this small harbor with the sea, contrasts with the rocks and plants that exist in the area (Portitxol in "ibicenco language" comes from the word meaning small port).

Although the arrival here is done through a small path after a long way that leads u untill here we are surprise about the number of booths that ships dock near the cove. It is no shortage of people who fish in these waters with their small boats. Sometimes we can even see the fishermen mending their networks before getting back to sea.

Undoubtedly the most impressive of this place are its clear waters, and although there is no sandy beach, we can have a bath here in these nice waters or even dive in.

The views that we enjoy as we go on our way from one side of this place, let us to enjoy the green forests that surround the place, and the clear blue sky and the waters contrasting with the small cliffs that give the water in and outlet the sea that bathes these shores.

Not only we can enjoy these waters, so does the wildlife found here because of the tranquility and the big amount of fishing. An attractive place, which makes us enjoy a few hours disconnected from the activities of the modern world.

An oasis that gives us a lot of beautiful landscapes difficult to find elsewhere on the island.

In addition the site gives us nice pictures of small fishing vessels or rest in their docks or just ready to navigate the sea and around these waters and try luck with fishing.

When we decided to go back, let's turn the head to see the beautiful landscape we leave behind. A road that is full of native nature leads us back up through a path a little heavier than when we came, so we must now to go all way up, all we had to climb down before, but always enjoing the explosion of nature that we encounter in this way and that now leads us away from this amazing site.

"ES PASSOS" IN SANT VICENT DE SA CALA

HOLY WEEK IN SAN VICENTE (SA CALA)

Although most of the parish churches celebrate it on Good Thursday, few of them do the Vía Crucis on previous Palm Sunday, as here in Sant Vicent de Sa Cala. This rural Vía Crucis is called by the locals "es passos". there are fourteen stations where they stop at each marked cross, and then the Priest reads about that station of the Christ passion and then men sing a very old traditional song for each station, and so do women as well, after them.

There is something that can amaze the visitors, sometimes this church during the Holy Week is surrounded by many multicolours bands due the near feast celebration of San Vicente Ferrer the saint Patron of the little village and so, sometimes they celebrate the Passion surrounded by many small flags hanging from the church.

The outdoors crosses are the sign of where to stop the porcession of this Vía Crucis and celebrate each station. the "passos" of Sa Cala and San Miguel are the most ancients of the whole island and are really interesting. In all this kind of processions men are supporting the Christ image...

...meanwhile women are surrounding the Virgin Mary of the Sorrows that follows his son, during the procession as we can see at the above footage.

So, during some moments these two images go around the little village, and are surrounded by beautiful and natural landscape.

It can happen that the 5th of april (as this year) can be as well the Good Thursday or Good Friday or another day of the Holy Week, when the catholic church celebrates the mourning of Christ. So, the festivity of the Saint Vincent will be celebrating on the next sunday which is the Resurrection day.

The image of Our Lady of Sorrows, in this parish is not dressed in black, but grabs in his hands the nails that held up his son on the cross, visible is her heart with seven daggers (pains). Thanks to younger people, these old traditions are remaining alive and seems that will go on, as the roots of their ancestors.