DOORS OF HEAVEN IN IBIZA

LAS PUERTAS DEL CIELO

 Y

 LAS ISLAS MARGARITAS

Ses Margalides islands are small islets that are right in front of "Ses Balandres" a precipitous area in the northeastern part of the island, where there are stunning rock formations of great beauty.

In some areas there are totally vertical rock walls falling into the sea. Here the huge amounts of rock combined with numerous pine trees that exist in this area makes of this place a real green lung of this island.

Inside the big island of Ses Margalides exists a huge hole where some ships can pass through it. As a curiousity In these islets inhabit lizards of black color. Of course is not easy to get into this islets due to the islets formation, easy to see on these pictures.

This place is visited by tourists drawn by the beauty of this place, so they come to enjoy this area and its views. The Sunsets are of the most beautiful on the island.

Ses Portes del Cel, along with "Es Castellar" have a form of semicircle that make the place an exceptional site.

There are several paths that lead us to the cliffs bottoms, but we must be very careful in some sections due to its difficulty.

And as indicated earlier, the sunsets in this place, a magical color and atmosphere of quiteness is created.

Any time (except at night) is a good time to visit this place where the green of the pines and the blue sea mixed with the color of the rock that is omnipresent in this site.

SA PENYA ESBERRADA

THE CRACKED CRAG

The fact is that this place is very nice, and it is known locally as "sa penya esbarrada" something like the cracked boulder,and its a landmark for the local people. So here is this famous rock, about to fall in the future. But this name it also refers to the remains of an ancient Muslim house that is very close to this rock and took the name of the cliff.

This rock is easily visible from the area called "Ses Portes del Cel" or the gates of heaven, and the view of the spectacular cliffs is just fantastic. The sunsets from this location are beautiful.

Of course, this natural and espectacular balcony overlooking the Mediterranean should be a place to enjoy, and not to call bad experiences and so you must respect the place and be careful when approaching the edge of the cliff. As for the views from this place as in the previous post, you can see the Margalides (Margaritas) islands and according to the thesis that Christopher Columbus was Ibizan is said to Margarita Island in Venezuela took the name these islets.

GOING DOWN SES BALANDRES

BAJANDO POR "SES BALANDRES"

It is certainly one of the most impressive sites of the island, though little known (thankfully). A place which is located almost 200 meters above sea level, you can go down the road, but be aware you´ll encounter difficulty, especially if you are not friend of heights.

This time, it was a day in early June with the place decorated by intense local flora unusual the rest of the year, but in winter is a place where there are many ferns, due the high humidity, though in summer is much drier. Thus, one of the best times to visit the place would be between March and July, although any time of year worth a visit.

The first difficulty is not really serious, and incorporates a wooden staircase that obviously if there were no access would not be possible. Although not seen in the images, we are between two huge walls of rock, which would delight for intrepid climbers.

Some minutes ago, the flora was invading the landscape, but the pines now are joining us at this site till almost the bottom of the precipice. Meanwhile if you look back we see the ladder by which we went down, far in the distance with the impressive background of rock wall.

Between the branches of the green pines, we can see the blue sea. The pines and sea views offer us delicious sites, as we approach the sea through the small path. On this tour the rush or short time, would be bad company...

The pines are disappearing when we go down to the sea that from half height appears to us in a turquoise color and so clear that we can see the bottom. Below are places that are suitable for swimming. Of course forget about beach bars, lifeguards or anything that usually exists in a conventional beach. Here nature and silence are the only fellow hikers.

This route is not suitable for everyone. If some people do not want to go down, should not be insisted, however if you have managed to get to a point and you want to wait for the rest of the people back, meanwhile you can be enjoying amazing views over the sea and the landscape over cliffs that offers this place until the others will come back.

At one point of the hike, a rope is a impressive help, maybe it's the most delicate moment of the route, and each one must decide whether to continue or stay up. In the picture you can see the verticality of the wall that has some holes to put the tip of your foot while people go down clutching the rope.

In any case always at this point before the rope, the landscape changes and a kind of horizontal rock drawing, is traced on the wall of the precipice, forming a curious line drawing.

Not much flora we find it here, and pines have vanished, they are left upstairs with the people who was not be able to come down here.

Once we arrived at this place for a swim (depending on the time or day chosen), we can have a break to enjoy the stunning cliffs from down here. It's time to rest and recuperate and also prepare to go up again. Here we can see the dock houses (see next entry) that are in this place and they are the reason for the ropes and ladders to facilitate the descent of the few fishermen that come here, from the small village of Santa Agnes de Corona.

 

FISHERMEN´S HUTS OF SES BALANDRES

VARADEROS IN SES BALANDRES

After a long descent, with some difficulty, we are just at the sea shore. A clear sea invites us to take a bath. One of the things that can surprise us is the large number of fishermen's huts that we find here, after realize how difficult is to arrive here. Is not even easy for owners of small boats, where here they have their little boats as well as all fishing equipment that they need.

Some of these little houses were done long time ago, due they have their rails quite away of the sea, and just rocks from above are now in front of them, so there´s no way to the sea for the boat, but because of its no use during the last years. these rails are lost. But perhaps the dock house has other uses such as the weekend, as an atypical fireplace may indicate that may serve as a place to spend sometime and make some food, and of course enjoy swimming.

About four houses are together in a kind of large dock. Surprising side booths next to the great wall of the precipice, perhaps used to store equipment such as nets and other fishing gadgets.

The rocky area of the lower area of the precipice, makes a strong contrast with the deep blue sea, but it matches the color of rock of  "ses Margalides" islets, which are located right in front of us.

Some strong doors, denote the sea salt, which makes them look more rough and rust spreads throughout the wood.

Some booths surprised by its location. This little house is very curious because it is unusually located inland, and also stands a rocky top quite high over it.

Much closer to the sea these three houses that are in a group of houses is also curious and would not be easy construction in that time, decades ago.
In any case all the docks of this area enjoy spectacular views, an incredible blue and green color and a place that could well be something close to the paradise.

AGAIN THE ALMOND TREES FLOWERS

ALMOND FLOWERS IN SANTA AGNES


They came on delay this year, but have arrived. I do not know if it's true or not but I heard from some farmers of Santa Agnès de Corona, that the almond trees in very cold weather purposely can delay flowering, and do not know if this is so, but the truth is I've never seen a long-delayed flowering as this year.

In fact I believed that this year would not see the white explosion that often create these trees during flowering, and although we could saw some isolated flowers, this year noway is at all as used to do so.

The big cold waves (in fact two), are over, and the white colour that the snow brought, was replaced in days with the white colour of the almond flowers, giving a chance to enjoy those Ibiza fields full of them.

The white colour of the flower, combined with the white cottages, green meadows and the deep blue sky. In this intense winter flowering, the spring starts showing the face, in few days begins. we barely twenty days begins.

ES AMUNTS AND TORRES D´EN LLUC

DEFENSIVE TOWERS LOST IN TIME AND NORTHERN CLIFFS

Further the previous entry (the next in this blog) regarding the tour on January 2 in the north of the island, we saw the rural Ibiza and the magnificent countryside of this island of Aubarca and Corona area. Today we look towards the sea and other impressive places we saw that day... the cliffs.

This area called "Es Amunts" (The highs) extends from Cala Salada at the west of the island to Cala de Sant Vicent at the northeast, provides a visual spectacle full of nature. Es Amunts area is not only limited to the coastal zone but also a very important part of the whole mountain area north of the island, where there are numerous valleys and streams.

One of the most characteristic sites in this area are the islets called Ses Margalides. Today we were further north and could only see one leg of those rocks with the fall of the cliff in front of us.Una de las estampas más características de esta zona es la de los islotes Ses Margalides.

SES TORRES D´EN LLUC

Although the name of "Torres d'en lluc" is concerning to some archeological remains that appears to be an ancient wall, among the fishermen is customary to refer with that name that peninsula towers rocks that abruptly appear in front of us and that can be mistaken as small islands, although its real name is Punta de ses torretes. The real Torres d'en lluc towers are other towers that are very different but very close...

The real towers d'en Lluc are lost back in time. So much that even the experts are unable to locate them back in the time. A former defensive fortification that today we can only see their remains and is considered the oldest existing building on the island. Its defensive function is also difficult to determine, although it must deal with the remnants of a larger construction including walls and towers. A historical mystery to solve and may never find the answers.

Should be note that all this entire area "Es Amunts" (The Highs) is located at least 100 meters high and in some areas reaches 400 meters, very important for this island.

The last image already belongs to another area of Es Amunts and belongs to the area of Aubarca (San Mateo d´Aubarca) viewed from the way to go to the torres den lluc. But that area is another story and another day we will talk about it...

PARISH OF SANTA AGNÈS

CHURCH OF SANTA AGNÈS

Undoubtedly one of the most rural temples of the island. The Church is of a very simple trace, with typical walls, immaculately white and architectonically very simple, as the most of temples in the island. In the image of above that belongs to the south front, it´s possible to see the former entry, where there was time ago a fight among two men that concluded with the death of one of them, since then, this door remain closed, and it was builded another one at the west side of the temple.

Inside the church, that it´s like a hermitage and not a church itself, the architectural evident beauty features. It is the lowest temple that exists in the island, that is the reason why the choir (which it is located on a second floor at the churches of Ibiza)it doesn´t exists at this parish.

The saint holder of this church is Santa Agnès. It exists a lamb always with this image at the side of it. That demonstrates the origin of the Latin name "Agnus" - Lamb (Agnès). The palm in her hand means that it is a martyr. It was one of first martyrs of the christian church. Anyway her history is redressed in many legends and possibly as invented by the church of then, though there exists information that would affirm that her history was written three hundred years after her death and that they would confirm her existence, with an excessively distorted history. In any case the tradition says that she died to a nearby age of fourteen.

The image of Our Lady of the "Rosario" is one of the most ancient of this church, it belongs to the XIXth century. it was one of those that were not destroyed in the spanish civil war. At the beginning of the decade of the ´30th s a teacher was destined to this locality from Valencia. He could verify personally the damages that the war caused in the church, images and altarpieces and due the lack of resources, he decided to restore them himself, and when ended every little restoration, the pupils and him were celebrating it singing with all together. The same altarpieces today at the lateral chapels, are the same that he painted and restored, and today as well we can continue admiring the images as this one of Our Lady,and some others like the one of San Roque which he restored the eyes of the dog and of the image of the saint. Another story that belongs to this image is from when the church was building and a ship sinks due to a windystorm in Sant Antoni's surroundings. The boat was loaded by chariots of savina from the zone of Cala Bassa and were destined to cover the porch of this church. Two of five persons who were going on board were saved, one the priest and another nicknamed Lluc Costa "maimó" that while he was fighting against the waves, promised that if he was managing to be saved would buy a "emprendada" (set of typical local jewels of gold) for this image. On every January 21th the festivity of Saint Agnès, this image is decorated since then by the jewels that the survivor gave to Our Lady as a gratitude.

This one is another image that we owe to that teacher who restored them,as he could, when he came to this locality. This image is very curious. It is says that belongs to San Vicente Ferrer but he has beard. Very onlooker so in all the churches of Ibiza there is an image of this saint and in none of them he has beard. Maybe is a kind of misrepresentation. probably this image belongs to another Saint?.
In one of the images we see some damages in the image, due to all the violent acts committed during the sad spanish civil war.

During the first two months of the year, this church remains surrounded with almond-trees in flower. Undoubtedly one of the most important natural attractions of this village, where many people from the island and foreings are going in peregrination to enjoy the floral spectacle that is attended in this valley.

In this church, as in all of the island, exists at the exterior a Calvary (composed by three crosses). This one is very curious since that is not placed in the same building of the temple, but in the exterior wall of one of the houses in front of the church.

A few years ago in the white front of the wall placed at the West side of the temple, there were placed these blue rollers that commemorate the symbols of the Patron Saint of the village with the words in Latin of Agnus Dei " God's lamb ".

A legend tells that this church was constructed simultaneously of the neighbor Sant Mateu, and that both were competing in which one was finishing it before. The Bishop had promised to give them as a present the bell of the parish. The people in Santa Agnes were almost finished, a few walls fell down and it was necessary to start it again. They had to go very quickly because the people in Sant Mateu where almost finished. At the end both of them practically finished simultaneously, but the church of Santa Agnès was much more smaller than the one in Sant Mateo..., this may be the reason why this church is the lowest of the island. The bishop gave as a prize the bell to both parishes... In any case the dates at the real history are different in both temples, but anyway is a nice story.