Ibiza, the island of the pirates

It is well known that Ibiza is an island famed worldwide. It has been called “the white island”, the “beautiful island”, the “island that never sleeps”, but also the “island of the pirates” because, for centuries, from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, the island was at the mercy of the attacks and plunder of the pirates.

The “Pearl of the Mediterranean” was a much desired destination for Arab pirates, jabeques and Berbers. They cast anchor in any of the many coves of the island and ravaged everything they came across. Especially treasured was the salt from Ses Salines, being salt at the time a very precious commodity and also coveted were the flour mills of Santa Eulalia. Pirates not only walked away with material things and animals, but also with the dwellers which were kidnapped to be sold as slaves in the Maghreb.

The Ibizan people were afraid and did not offer resistance to pirates. Churches began to be places of refuge thanks to the protection offered by their thick walls. And it is in this turbulent period when the pirate towers around the coast of Ibiza came to be. Even today we can admire them in what is considered to be one of the most beautiful spots on the island, the Des Savinar tower.

The towers were placed in such a way that the warning signals made in case of pirate attacks could be seen from tower to tower with a naked eye. When the enemy was seen coming a fire was made to warn the nearest tower which would in turn light another fire and so on until the entire defence perimeter was alerted.

Today seven towers of defence are preserved.

-Torre Des Carregador. Built south of Platja d’en Bossa to protect the workers of the salt pit of Salinas.

-Torre de Ses Portes. Between the beaches of Ses Salines and Es Cavallet, it served as watchtower for Salñinas and Es freus, the path to Formentera.

-Torre Des Savinar. Located opposite Es Vedra and Es Vedranell, it served as watchtower.

-Torre D’en Rovira. Between Cala Comte and Cala Bassa in San Antonio, it protected the western islands.

-Torre D’en Valls. Its mission was to monitor the islet of Tagomago.

-Torre De Balansat. At the end of Sa Creu, sighting the port of Sant Miquel and the coast of Benirrás.

-Torre de Portinatx. Watchtower at the end of Portinatx.

And we mustn’t forget the island of Formentera which at that time was uninhabited and served as a refuge for pirates, where the booty was divided and the attacks were planned. As a deterrent the Ibizan occasionally hung some of the pirates they captured leaving them on display on a small island in the way to Formentera that today is known by the name of S’illa des Penjats, the “island of the hanged “.

And after many centuries of stories of pirates, the island can boast of being the only place in the world that has a monument in their memory. An obelisk that stands in the port of Ibiza, inaugurated in 1915.