THE BALEARIC ISLANDS AND DISCOVERING IBIZA
Follow the continuing adventures of Laurent, Bérangère and their two children aboard their sailboat, Zanzibar. They have now reached the Balearic Islands, in Ibiza…
IBIZA and its hidden charm
We are both excited and nervous as we approach the coast of IBIZA. This island does not have the best of reputations, famous for its alcohol-fuelled parties and pulsating electronic music. However, it appears to also have marvellous “Cala” (rocky coves), fairly well preserved from the effects of mass tourism.
We would anchor at the second cala, the Cala Benirras. This one is oriented east/west and not very big, protected by rocky cliffs topped by pines and olive trees. We fall under the charms of this surprising island…
The area remains rather undeveloped, without hotels and restaurants, with a sandy beach and several cabins built of wood and stone. Along the rocky cliffs there are fishermen’s sheds, entirely made of wood, each with an access ramp, for sheltering the few small fishing boats. The seawater is transparent, at 28°C, and we take advantage of this to enjoy a nice swim.
The children are in heaven. For them, anything and everything serves as pretext for playing in the water. It is the best way to cool off in these hot temperatures. We are now living in our swimsuits.
Meeting Friends Along the Way
We meet another Frenchman on a neighbouring boat, and he has been familiar with the place for 50 years. He tells us about the uniqueness of this island, which he seems to have fallen in love with some time ago. He told us that it was a bishop who founded villages about every 6 km (the distance that a person could easily travel on foot), to unify the island and to allow for better trade between inhabitants.
In the late afternoon, we hear the music of djembe drums coming from the beach. We learn that each evening, a group of hippies living in the area gather to play their drums and celebrate the sunset over the beach.
We observe this unusual spectacle. On one side of the beach, sitting on the stoop of a fisherman’s shed, and five of them naked from the waist up, they play the djembe drums. They are quickly joined by other members, forming a large rhythmic group. The late arrivals dance feverishly, under the trance of the ambient rhythms.
We listen breathlessly to the accelerating tempo of the music, as the sun continues on its reckless course into the sea.
We continue to discover this lovely northern coast, stopping next in the Cala of Portinatx, which is more developed. On a small private beach, Blanche plays with another French girl her age, on vacation with her family. We quickly became friends with her parents.
Over the next three days, we would share some marvellous moments together, living to the rhythms of playtime and swimming on the beach, drinks on the boat or on the sand, the children playing together on the beach until sunset…
What wonderful moments spent together!
We part with a promise to stop by to visit them on our return...
See you soon, friends!
Bérangère
