Dalt Vila
Historic siteDalt Vila’s walls are not medieval, and that is the whole point. Seven angled bastions went up from the 1550s, designed to absorb cannon fire rather than resist a siege ladder, and UNESCO credits the result with influencing the Spanish fortifications later built across the Americas.
What it actually is
The fortified upper town of Eivissa, stacked on a headland above the port and still lived in. The Italian engineer Giovanni Battista Calvi began the bastions in 1555 for Charles V and Philip II; Jacobo Palearo, known as el Fratín, took over from 1575, adding more and reworking the main entrance. That entrance, the Portal de ses Taules, was finished in 1585 and still carries Philip II’s arms, copies of Roman statues and the slots for its drawbridge. At the summit stand the cathedral of Santa Maria and the castle-almudaina.
Only one quarter of the World Heritage site
‘Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture’ was inscribed in 1999 as a mixed property, and Dalt Vila is one of four strands. The others are the Punic necropolis of Puig des Molins, with more than 5,000 tombs; the Phoenician settlement at Sa Caleta, founded in the 8th century BC; and the Posidonia oceanica meadows offshore. Of the 9,020 hectares protected, most is in fact sea.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get up there?
On foot through the Portal de ses Taules, up the ramp from the market square. It is steep and cobbled the whole way, and unkind to wheeled luggage.
Is it just for tourists?
No. People live inside the walls, and the cathedral, the archaeology museum and the town hall are all working buildings rather than exhibits.
When is it at its best?
Early morning, before the cruise groups, or during the Eivissa Medieval fair in May when the ramparts fill with stalls. Midday in August is punishing.
Explore more of the Illes Balears
Dalt Vila is one of many destinations on the CostaMap interactive map — browse beaches, coves, castles and viewpoints across the islands.