Without a doubt, one of the most awe-inspiring things to do on Ibiza is to take a drive to the south-west of the island to see the mysterious Es Vedra rearing out of the sea at almost four hundred metres high, 2 kilometres out from the coast. Add to that one of Ibiza's famed winter sunsets, and my companions and I knew we were in for a very special afternoon out.
With no signposts to Es Vedra, we headed towards Cala d'Hort, then took the turning to Es Cubells. The first tarmac road on the right brought us to a dirt road which, in turn, led us to a parking area at the end of the track.
An easy five minute walk straight ahead from the car, and we reached the viewing platform. From here, the views are stunning, with mainland Spain, more than 70 kilometres away, easily visible in the distance. Es Vedra appearing to rise majestically out of the sea, and the dramatic cliff-faces surrounding us made it easy to understand why there are so many myths and legends surrounding this place. There is certainly an indescribable energy here that almost everyone who visits feels to greater or lesser degrees.
Glancing to the left, we saw the well-worn path leading up to the "pirate tower" - which we had just learned from a local Ibiza restaurateur is officially called "Se Pechera". Wanting to see the sunset at its very best over Es Vedra, we decided to make the climb.
In truth, it is quite a tough walk, very steep in parts and quite rocky underfoot. There are apparently various routes, some more gentle than the one we took, but your intrepid Spotlight reporters are nothing if not adventurous! Being in the company of a photographer was handy, as it necessitated many photo-breaks in which we were able to get our breath back and the climb, in actual fact, took only about twenty minutes.
It was most definitely worth the effort! The views from our elevated position were simply wondrous and there were lots of places to sit on the rocks and gaze out as the sun started to set. It is even possible to climb through a window into the pirate tower, and up the steps right to the top for the best views of all.
Ibiza sunsets are renowned for their beauty, especially here on the west coast and, along with the handful of other people who had made the pilgrimage, we watched in wonder with big smiles on our faces as the sky turned from light pink to flame red in minutes, and the sun started to sink behind Es Vedra.
Our descent down the cliff path was much quicker than the ascent, taking us only about ten minutes and we stood again when we reached the viewing platform, somehow reluctant to take our eyes off Es Vedra. Was this really the tip of the sunken civilisation of Atlantis, as some people claim? Or the birth place of the Phoenician goddess, Tanit, as others insist?
We couldn't say for sure about these, or any of the other many myths and legends surrounding Es Vedra, but what we could say as we made our way back to the car was that, whether enjoying it from the viewing platform, or taking the hike to the pirate tower, a winter sunset over Es Vedra is a magical experience and one that we recommend to our readers with great gusto.
Quick Facts
What Es Vedra
Where Near Cala d'Hort
When Sunset
Why Just because...
Disabled Access As far as the viewing platform, yes.
Average Spend Free of Charge
Room for Improvement Almost seems rude to suggest such a thing!
Top Tips Take a torch for making your way back to your car in reduced light after the sunset.
