H: Keith Betton, host
C: Carmen Ferrer, Director of the Fundacion Ibiza and Formentera

H: Hello and welcome to Holiday 07, the only program on the internet where you can find out about holiday destinations and email your questions live to me and my guests, my name is Keith Betton. Now we’ve been looking in recent times at Mallorca and Menorca as two of the most popular destinations for British holidaymakers, but today we’re going to look at Ibiza and Forementera, the other two remaining islands of the Balearic group. They’re not as well known and not as busy, but they’re very different and have quite a lot to offer for the British holidaymaker, and here joining me in the studio to tell us all about the two islands is Carmen Ferrer, welcome

C: Hello thank you and thank you for inviting me and having the opportunity of presenting how our islands are

H: Good. Well you’ve flown over today, was the journey good?

C: Yes very good, very nice really

H: And did you fly direct from Ibiza -

C: No I fly through Palma, we have the opportunity to fly direct to Ibiza from May, but before we have to stop in Palma or in Barcelona so I flied through Palma today

H: I guess most people would think about Ibiza from the 1960s and 70s when it had a real sort of hippy image, much more than other parts of the Balearic islands. Is that still true today or not?

C: Yes we still keep these hippy idea of live easily, going, we have hippy markets very popular and we have hippy parades in the towns with the tables showing their things and selling them, really are still popular and they still keep their way of life

H: I think the nice thing about Ibiza is that you’ve got the party atmosphere that everybody knows about but also you’ve got a lot of wildlife of a different type where you can see the countryside, you can go out and walk in the mountains and the coastline. It really has everything doesn’t it?

C: I think it has everything, we say always that Ibiza all eyes in one, islands in one. We have islands for the ones that want to party, that want to practice any kind of a sport – cycling, or water sport activities – the one that wants to do nothing, really relax and see the countryside, nice landscapes, seaside landscapes but also in mainline landscape, the countryside. Places that are very busy regarding beaches. Beaches that are very calm place for families, for people – I think there is an Ibiza for everybody

H: Great. Well if you’d like to email your questions today, Carmen will answer them for you live on the program and if you’ve never been to Ibiza or Formentera have a look at the video we’ve prepared that will give you an idea of the wildlife, and the wildlife of Ibiza and Forementera

Footage

Well that was a video of Ibiza and Forementera, the destinations we’re looking at this time on Holiday 07 and if you’ve got questions for me and my guest, Carmen Ferrer, please email them now and we’ll answer them live on the program. And the first question’s actually come in already, it’s from Terry, he says “is Ibiza the party capital of the Mediterranean?” He says that “I’ve heard that is now Cyprus.” So what do you think about that, is it still the party capital?

C: Yes I think it’s the best party capital of the Mediterranean, for the discos, for the nightlife and for the chill-out atmosphere that you can have. I think really really different of any other destination

H: But people who want to go for a family holiday, I mean it is very much a family destination too

C: Yes

H: They actually worry sometimes about it being too much of a party capital, so can you get away from the noise as well?

C: Of course. 60% of our visitors are families because if you want to party you go where to party but the rest of the island you can enjoy with the family a nice atmosphere, a quiet atmosphere. Really is an option to party on the island and to have the nightlife is an option that you can take or not

H: Ok. And we’ve got another question in here, this is a lady, Mrs Henderson, she’s got a big family, she’s got teenagers who do want to party, she’s got small children as well who are not yet into partying, they want a good night’s sleep so she’s a bit concerned, she doesn’t want to be too close to where the noise is, so looking at the two main areas then so I suppose Ibiza town and also San Antonio, can you recommend any particular areas within each of those towns to maybe stay if you want the quiet life but also easy access to busier nightclubs?

C: Yes well in the same San Antonio you have an area of apartments to rent that is very easy to have the family there and very close for the teenagers to go to the nightclubs and the bars, but any place like for instance Santa Eulalia or Es Cana and any place they can stay easily there with the family and the teenagers can take the buses to the main discos and return by them easily. It’s very – there is no large distances from the discos where you can stay very quiet with your family of the different ages and leave the teenagers to go there. I would recommend by bus, easily

H: Ok. Now it’s interesting if you look at Ibiza going back over the years, back in the late 1950s I think there was something like 12 cars on the island

C: Yes

H: And yet now we have something like 400,000 people from Britain who visit every year

C: Yes

H: So I mean it really has changed over time. Are there still areas of the island you can get to which are really really quiet?

C: I think yes. I think obviously it has developed everything, like a city itself for the inhabitants and for the visitors with new roads, new hotels, new different opportunities of sport activities, but it keeps this balance between the wildlife and the natural life that we were having some years ago. There is this balance of developing an approach to modern city as it is, but also keeping also these natural let’s say – reserves that keeps this island being nice, the waters are as clear, the mountains are still there with this green palm trees with countryside that is lovely to walk around or to cycle around

H: Now people clearly want to know about the nightclubs because we’ve had an email from Gianni, he says “a few years ago the best nightclubs were Pasha and Space. Are these still the ones to go for?”

C: Yes yes they are keeping updated every year, after a year being the most successful discos among others

H: Do you go to these nightclubs yourself?

C: Time to time of course. Visitors not just want beach, they want to know what’s going on there, and it’s interest for them to go, see it, why not, see what’s the music that everybody talks about and sell millions on CDs, and come back to the hotel happily because you have enjoyed really the nightlife. Why not

H: Now in the previous programs we talked about Mallorca and Menorca. How would you compare Ibiza particularly with those two islands? Is it very different?

C: Different, all are different. Ibiza I think is small and is an island that has human dimensions to enjoy a bit of everything. You can enjoy partying, you can enjoy good restaurants, good nightlife, but you also can enjoy your sports, your – or just the hours of reading a book in a beach without seeing anybody around you

H: In fact there are 56 different beaches I think

C: 56 different beaches and the same with Formentera, in 20 minutes you get there Formentera, with beaches that are very busy, but in the other part beaches where there’s nowhere and you stay there with your family with your picnic or just reading the book or just going out to walk around. I think this really easy thing to do what you really want to do is something that gives value to the people that comes to rest really, to enjoy their holidays in the way you want

H: Ok well let’s talk a little bit about Formentera, it’s the least known of the islands. It’s quite small isn’t it?

C: It’s the smallest long shape yes, but really really nice. Very – there, there is really a protection of the nature, it’s really, it’s very interesting to see how the inhabitants of Formentera are rejects to construct big big hotels

H: Ok and it’s actually a low-lying island, isn’t it former coral reefs and – isn’t it from coral deposits originally?

C: Coral deposits and what I would say that is a very – the dry areas of posidonia because are very known for the richness they are giving to the water, this posidonia grass, this under the water is liberating oxygen, and it makes that Formentera has the clearest waters in the Mediterranean

H: In fact it’s got some great diving hasn’t it

C: Great diving

H: Particularly in the area between Formentera and Ibiza, it’s not very far is it? What 4 or 5km maybe?

C: That’s it, and great diving because very richness of fishes, of things to see, so you don’t need to go very deep. You really see the visibility is amazing and the waters are really white. It looks like you make a fortune Formentera you don’t know if you are in the Caribbean or really are just 2 hours away from England

H: You can’t actually fly there though can you?

C: No

H: You have to fly to Ibiza and then you get a ferry across. Does it take long?

C: No the ferry’s just 20 – 25 minutes and there’s a ferry every half an hour so -

H: It’s a day trip

C: Yes

H: Or you could even stay there if you wanted

C: Of course, of course

H: Ok well the next question’s in from Ben, he is actually looking at Ibiza for a summer break. He says it’s bigger than he thought and he’s wanting to know whether the best way of getting around is to rent a car -

C: Yes

H: I mean what are the other options, renting a car clearly is easy

C: it’s very easy

H: But what about buses?

C: Well now the roads are very good, the signs are very very clear and it’s very easy to move by car. Also you can go by bus and an option that I always give and is interesting is go by boat. There is very good communications between the main cities and Ibiza to Santa Eulalia, Santa Eulalia Es Cana to the – Cala Llonga, the same in San Antonio, you can take a boat San Antonio and go to the different beaches through boat and it’s a nice way to see the island and it’s a nice way to arrive just to the beach, stay there with family, go round have a nice meal in a restaurant and go back to the place I come from

H: Ok so let’s just do a little bit of basic geography for people. I mean you’re going to land just outside Ibiza town where the airport is

C: yes

H: So if we work our way around, going anti-clockwise, as you go from Ibiza town

C: Yes

H: The next area is -

C: Up to, if Ibiza town you go up and you have Santa Eulalia

H: And that is where you’re from isn’t it?

C: Yes I am from Santa Eulalia

H: What’s the characteristic of that part of the island?

C: A quiet island, a quiet part of the island that has when you arrive it has a hill with the Puig de Missa, with towards the Puig de Missa we have a museum and in this museum we have like a how was the life before, a farmhouse where it explains how the water was kept cold, how we made the wine with all the tools and with all the steps, how we made the olive oil and also with our traditional dresses with the explanations of the meaning of the different jewels, all the different pieces of it

H: So I don’t think many people would think Ibiza had this kind of cultural background

C: Of course

H: I mean you know you have the image from television programmes from places like San Antonio or San An as everybody calls it because that’s where the big party atmosphere is and you very rarely get to see this cultural side

C: But every village is called San. San Antonio, Santa Eulalia, Santa Carlos, and all of them have a special day where they keep the traditions and they do their special dances and they do the same traditions that was many years ago done in this fiesta day let’s say and this is kept winter and summer. In summer maybe we do it longer to give the opportunities to the visitors to visit it and to give more relevance with fireworks and to make it bigger

H: Ok

C: But it is kept in winter as well and is really really concerned nowadays that the young people keep this tradition of dances, of the dresses, of the cultural as it was many years ago

H: Ok, well we have a question in now from JJ about Ibiza old town. JJ says “my partner and I want to visit Ibiza old town for the gay clubs and bars but we don’t want to stay there, so can you recommend somewhere out of town that allows us the access to the nightclub?”

C: Very easily I would say Talamanca, Talamanca has a nice assortment I would say of hotels and if you walk and you pass Talamanca to Marina Botafoc, there is a little boat that crosses every half an hour to the old town of Ibiza and you are just there, very easy

H: Ok, and Ibiza old town has got quite a lot of history hasn’t it? It’s got the cathedral I think and is there a castle and the old walls?

C: And the old walls, and a convent inside, the church of Santa Domingo, a museum of art, the cathedral, the museum of the cathedral – it’s amazing the quantity of different cultures that have passed among the years of history we’re having and have left their side inside the old city. I would recommend to go there for a – start early in the day and to see how the sun is coming up and the shadows and the places with sun, that is – very a lot of corners and a lot of different places to see that is worthwhile because it’s a lot of culture there, every stone there has hundred of years but also for the view. You are in the tallest part of Ibiza town so you see Ibiza town and also the seaside and all the range of the coast and if you go around the castle, really is very very good walk. It’s a good excursion. And you can go so quick or so fast as you want really

H: Ok. Well you’re watching Holiday 07 and today we’re talking about Ibiza and Formentera, two of the islands within the Balearic islands group. Both quite different really from Mallorca and Menorca which we’ve looked at before, so if you’ve never been there we’ve got some video footage to show you. So here are some more shots of Ibiza and Formentera:

Footage

H: Well those were more shots of Ibiza and Formentera, the destinations we’re talking about in Holiday 07 today. And with me in the studio today is Carmen Ferrer who is from Ibiza and is going to answer all your questions, so if you’ve got any questions for us email them now and we’ll give you the answers as soon as we can. And we have a question from Peter, he says he’s been looking in travel agents, he’s been finding it difficult to get any information about Ibiza town or indeed other parts of Ibiza apart from San Antonio, he says everything’s about San Antonio, so the best source of information – I guess there must be websites like your own which is actually on our own website, you could look for that for information. Anywhere else you might look?

C: The information of Ibiza town and of the island, it gives you a very rough idea of the little villages that you would like and then go to the website of each village that you will find there all the information

H: I found a website the other day just that was all about cycling around Ibiza and it had all the cycle routes – I was amazed how well-prepared that was, it had something like 4 or 5 different routes you could take / do depending on how experienced you were

C: Yes we have about 14 routes and they are very well indicated with all the levels of the facilities, they are going inside rural little routes that are coming nice landscapes inside the island and also around the island so you can see seasides and everything

H: Ok, well Jamie has actually emailed in, he says that he actually went to Ibiza a few years ago, he took a moped into the hills and he’s wondering whether the best thing to do is to pre-book a moped from the UK maybe through your travel agent or tour operator, or to wait until you arrive. I guess you’re going to get the better price if you do it on the spot when you arrive?

C: Yes, when you arrive just go to the hotel and the hotel indicates where’s the area where he can arrange best this moped

H: And lots of people do take mopeds – do you have to wear a helmet or -

C: Yes it’s compulsory to wear a helmet but it’s – they’re supplied by the -

H: They supply the helmet?

C: Yes

H: And cycling – you can hire a bicycle easily as well presumably, you don’t have to take your own?

C: No no no, it’s the easiest way. Arrive there where is the cycling rental, go there and take, get the advice of the person there

H: Ok so let’s talk a little bit about the wildlife and we’re not talking about the nightclubs now -

C: Yes

H: The actual wildlife of Ibiza, particularly someone whose worried about snakes here, this is Duncan, he says “are there any poisonous snakes or spiders?” He doesn’t like them so -

C: There is no poisonous snakes or any kind of bad animals let’s say. Our name, Ibiza it comes from the old, the ancient cultures that visit us said that it was an island protected by God because we had no any kind of these animals

H: Ok

C: Our names come from this

H: But you do have a huge amount of other wildlife, you have over 1000 species of plants I believe?

C: Yes

H: Over 25 orchids, incredible variety of things -

C: And birds

H: And birds. So what sort of opportunities are there for people who want to go and look at wildlife – are there places you can go to where it’s easily laid out for you?

C: Yes it’s easily – I would say go to the map and see where is the San Jose area, even the Las Salinas areas. Or in Ibiza or in Formentera, there’s plenty of areas that you can stay and if you like to see birds or see special animals, special plants, there’s plenty of areas you just have to see our map and decide which area you’re closest to

H: Ok and I guess in Ibiza it would be right down in the south at the Salinas, the old salt pans, these – you get a lot of flamingos there I know and a lot of other migratory birds – these Salt Pans of course are very much a part of your history aren’t they?

C: Yes

H: Because this was the first industry you had

C: Yes

H: I mean they really played an important part in cultural life

C: Yes, and where people, the whole part of the island working was going there to work there

H: And are they still operating, these Salinas?

C: Yes these are still operating

H: Ok, now we’ve got a question from Philippa, she says she’s looking for a cheap holiday this year, she’s got a big family, she really wants to know the best time to go to Ibiza for cheap deals, and also she says can you camp? So taking that point first -

C: May, September and October – very good weather, better deals

H: Ok

C: Is my advice, and you can camp in allowed places, there are places where you can camp. You cannot camp by yourself in a beach – it’s not allowed

H: Now I guess going somewhere in like October, you might worry about the weather but Ibiza has a better climate I think than other islands such as Mallorca – it’s less windy -

C: I would say October, November I find in terms of weather, really good. Really good

H: But alternatively I guess it must get very hot in July, August

C: July, August very hot, very humid

H: Yes

C: So both things makes to go around a bit difficult. And it’s crowded because it’s our peak season. So to have good weather to have a quieter island I would say September, October, obviously

H: Well actually that’s answered Nat’s question because he was just wanting to know whether you could still sunbathe in October

C: Yes

H: I mean is the – maybe the sun is shining but what about the sea water. Is that warm?

C: Of course. You know the water is getting colder later than the earth, so it still is warm till November. I am a diver and I was still diving in November

H: Now Christian has emailed. He says that he and his wife are keen bird watchers, now we’ve talked already about Ibiza but he is saying what about Formentera, is that a good place to go for bird watching?

C: Yes yes, especially when you arrive in La Savina there are two areas where sustained that are areas with water that is really good to see birds there

H: And are those salt lakes or are those just lakes naturally?

C: They are just lakes. Salt lakes are a bit far away but there are salt lakes as well, very close to that area as well, yes

H: Now Formentera I think is, you know, has never had as much publicity as other areas within the islands but there is a lot to do there. I mean Peter’s emailed, he says he wants to know whether you can actually hire a motor bike?

C: Of course, yes yes yes. It really, motor bikes and bicycles are two ways of visiting the islands really really popular and plenty of places where you can rent. Just arrive from the boat you go down and you see the rental places. Really easy

H: I guess if you hired a motor bike and went round Formentera you’d be back within an hour, because it’s quite small isn’t it?

C: Well but there’s too much to see in an hour, really you know you’ve just crossed the road. If you really want to enjoy Formentera you’ll see so many little beaches and opportunities of rest and see good things that I think it’s not enough

H: One of the things I think people love doing isn’t it, going across the island to the lighthouse at the east -

C: Of La Mola, yes that’s it

H: If you go to Ibiza and you’re interested in culture and history and so on, going to almost pre-history where you look at the early Venetians and the Romans who occupied Ibiza. Are there many signs of their occupation still?

C: We have Sa Caleta for instance that have the rest of the Venetians there. That is very close to Ibiza town, it’s just beside Ibiza town between La Salinas and Ibiza town, and also our museums have a lot of Venetian culture there

H: And many of these stone circles and things like that, they’re actually in the mountains aren’t they?

C: Yes they are

H: So we’ve had a question from Martin and Clare, “are there good mountain walks?” and they are particularly interested in walks that would be longer than just a couple of hours

C: Yes of course. The same cycling roads can be used by walking route and are very well – their signs very clear how to follow them and more than to ask for sure

H: I was looking at Google Earth the other day and I looked at Ibiza and it seemed to me that you’ve got this kind of ring of mountains

C: Yes

H: And almost a flat area in the middle

C: Yes

H: I mean how – this is a sort of, almost like a basin. Very much agricultural from what I could see?

C: Yes for the wine trees and for any kind of agriculture that is typical from the islands, almond trees, figs, wine trees, all these things are grow very well and have very good production really

H: I read somewhere that almond trees are particularly good I think in January, February because of the blossom -

C: February because they are all the flowers. Many peoples go there just to see the landscapes are fabulous, are really really good, are completely white. Many people go there to painting and to make photographs

H: Now we know from previous programs that you don’t actually need to speak Spanish to get by in many parts of Spain but in Ibiza you have yet another language so we’ve had Mallorcy, we’ve had Menorcy now you have?

C: Ibicenco

H: And it’s – give us an example, say something to me that in your local dialect?

C: Local dialect

H: And that meant?

C: I’m happy to be with you today?

H: Ok well good. I think it’s interesting thing that people don’t need to speak the local language, it always helps if they do learn a little bit, but will they find many other foreign people? I mean are there Germans and Italians and French on holiday there?

C: Yes yes, it’s a - English, Germans, Italians, many different people and with no problems of languages. Really we are used to welcome them and most of the people within reason speak that languages easily

H: So a quick word about local produce, you’ve got – you mentioned local vineyards, you’ve got local wines

C: Yes

H: Plenty of local foods that are typical of Ibiza rather than the other islands maybe?

C: Yes I think very good restaurants because there are many people that book their nights before arriving to the islands, so really really busy. I think we have developed also restaurants that mixes Oriental food with food original of the our gastronomy that is always regarding with fish and of meat I would say that yes, but meat – I would rather prefer that we say fish

H: Ok now finally getting to Ibiza is very easy. Although you can’t fly throughout the year direct you can obviously fly from many airports in the UK

C: Yes

H: And presumably on any day of the week in the main season?

C: Yes yes yes. Directly from any cities, no more than 2 hours and a half, maximum

H: And presumably also you can come across, if you’re on holiday in Mallorca the summer you could do a day trip?

C: 20 minutes

H: 20 minutes by plane?

C: By plane

H: And what about by hydrofoil?

C: Two hours by speedboat

H: By speedboat, ok. Well Carmen thank you very much indeed for being with us today and answering all these questions about Ibiza and Formentera, it’s been a very popular webchat and thank you for joining us today. If you’re interested in Ibiza and Formentera then there’s plenty of information available. Have a look at the weblink on our website and find out more about these destinations perhaps you’ll be going there later this year. And thank you for joining us here on Holiday 07, we’ll see you next time