IBIZA, SANTA EULARIA DEL RIO
A corner of peace linked to the only river present in all the Balearics
Ibiza! The very famous island where parties, nightlife, beach and sun mix in an endless swirl. As you will know the island holds the reputation of a place of perdition and unrestrained holidays.
One moment, do you want to know why I am in Ibiza? Well I’ll explain this to you in the next article where I’ll show you some surprises. But back to us.
Ibiza has two faces. One wild and the other of total immersion in nature. Obviously I’m here for the second option.
Santa Euralia
Santa Euralia, the second largest municipality in the area of Ibiza, is the typical village that comes from the clemeza of nature. In this case it is precisely the river, unique in all the Balearic islands, which with its 17 km length has created a favorable environment for human flora, fauna and habitats. Characteristic of the area is its tranquility especially at night. There doesn’t seem to be much to discover or visit at first sight, but as always, every place, though small, has its own story to tell.
“Ruta del rio”
The “Ruta del rio” is a journey of about 3 km to discover the origins and culture of the “pueblo”. An easy path for the whole family, lasting about 1.5 hours. With a shoulder bag, camera and a good dose of curiosity, I start to discover the urban center starting from the “Puente Viejo”.
This structure was built before the eighteenth century and is accompanied by another more recent bridge, completed in 1927. Once past a path to the left leads me to the mill of Can Planetes or Molì de dalt, where today it resides the Interpretation Center of Riu.
The traditional style house, renovated in 2007, has a working mill inside thanks to the water coming from the river. Its functioning in the past was with a horizontal wheel and then passed to vertical up to the 60s of the last century. In the main hall there are tools and objects typical of the period and the description of how the river guaranteed an extensive irrigation for the fields. Unfortunately, not much water remains today due to the strong tourist exploitation that the island has undergone.
As soon as I left the house I headed towards the center, which is dominated by the hill “El puig de missa”. Here the church of the village is erected, even though it looks more like a fortress!
Puig de missa
The presence of a river has allowed the construction of several mills in the past, which in turn, however, were the object of raids by pirates dedicated to looting the product or even abducting the inhabitants. What is missing to complete a typical 17th century painting? Obviously a fortification and a couple of cannons! And here the Puig de Missa hill comes into play.
The church of Santa Euralia is one of the four fortress-temples erected to protect the key points of the island. The oldest documentation of the building dates back to 1302. After a heavy attack by the corsairs in the 16th century it was rebuilt giving it a different appearance and a more strategic function.
From the seventeenth century the nightmare of the pirates slowly faded away and the church underwent further transformation. The parish priest of the area expanded the building land and it was thus that the first urban center of Santa Euralia was born around the church. The El Puig de Missa hill was declared a picturesque landscape in 1952
From up here you can enjoy an excellent view of the coast and the town hall. The judged path continues to the ethnographic museum of Can Ros below the church, ending towards the center of Santa Euralia and closing as a loop to the old bridge.
The Ruta del rio of santa Euralia is an excellent alternative to wild aperitifs for those who want, even for just a couple of hours, disconnect from the noise of Ibiza.
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Marco Pachiega
