Original subtitles

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- [Narrator] Our journey starts on the coast of Formentera,

a tiny Mediterranean island,

renowned for its peaceful white, sandy beaches,

crystal-clear waters, and nude sunbathing.

A short stretch of water separates Formentera

with its larger sister island, Ibiza,

a destination for millions of young tourists,

keen to enjoy its famed nightlife.

From the second-largest town, San Antonio,

we follow the spectacular coastline

to Ibiza's northernmost point, the lighthouse at Portinax.

Following a string of holiday resorts,

our journey ends at the island's historic capital,

Ibiza Town.

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This is the world's largest inland sea, the Mediterranean.

It's surrounded by three continents,

Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Throughout history, emerging civilizations of these lands,

from Carthaginians to Romans,

used these waters as a highway

for vessels carrying goods and materials.

And here, to the west of the Mediterranean Sea, near Spain,

these numerous islands were highly valued as trading posts.

The view from this ferry

is one that's been witnessed by voyagers

for thousands of years.

The myths and legends surrounding these rocky islands

are testament to man's presence throughout the ages.

One of the best known

is this mystical 400-meter limestone rock,

known as Es Vedra.

Some local traditions place the Sirens here

from Greek mythology.

Their enchanting singing would lure sailors to their doom.

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But today, it's magic of a different sort

that entices people to this tiny island,

white, sandy beaches, and turquoise seas.

70% of Formentera has national park status,

which means that strict controls on development

have kept the resorts, like this one on the west coast,

small and intimate.

It's an ideal destination for holidaymakers

seeking a tranquil break.

Formentera is one of a cluster of Spanish islands

known as the Balearics.

Only four are inhabited,

and Formentera is the southernmost and smallest.

It's about the same size as Manhattan in New York,

but with far fewer people.

Around 10,000 permanently live here.

Limestone cliffs make up much

of the west coast of the island,

carved out by thousands of years of gentle erosion.

This is the wildest and most unspoiled part of the island,

and it's easy to see why it's been described

as one of the Mediterranean's best-kept secrets.

Though these days, boats will anchor here

to enjoy the peaceful seclusion of these cliffs

and clear shallow waters,

in the 18th century, North African pirates ventured here

to the many caves within the cliffs

to hide looted treasure and goods.

These days,

the caves make for exciting places to explore by dinghy.

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Formentera is listed as a World Heritage Site

for its landscape and biodiversity.

And whilst tourism is a constant threat to conservation,

the island's economy almost entirely depends

on the holiday season.

But with no airport, limits on the size of resorts,

and no camping permitted, it never developed mass tourism,

like its neighboring islands.

Ironically, this in itself

has become a major appeal for visitors,

drawn to the island's natural beauty,

where unspoiled beaches are never far away.

The island is made up of two table-like platters,

that are joined by a five-kilometer strip of land

that's only 1 1/2 kilometers wide.

And running along the entire southern edge of this strip

is one of the longest beaches in Formentera, Playa Migjorn.

Many of the beaches here have only basic facilities,

compared to major Mediterranean tourist spots.

But this simplicity and lack of crowds

has made it popular for nude sunbathing,

which is permitted on most of Formentera's beaches.

The laid-back atmosphere and lifestyle of Formentera

is perhaps a throwback to the 1960s and 70s,

when it became a popular stopover for traveling hippies.

Further along the five-kilometer beach

is one of the larger resorts,

though most hotels on the island

are small and independently-owned.

In recent years,

some have been converted to exclusive boutique hotels,

attracting, it's rumored, major Hollywood stars,

such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Sienna Miller.

Crossing the narrow peninsula to the north coat

reveals a forest of pine and juniper trees.

Junipers have long provided the indigenous islanders

with strong and resilient wood

for their houses, mills, and boats.

And junipers is still used for docks and boathouses

on parts of the island,

where small-scale fishing

continues to live on as a tradition,

like the cove of Es Calo de Sant Agusti,

which has been a fishing port for hundreds of years.

Restaurants overlooking the bay

serve fish and seafood from the day's catch.

Fresh anchovies, sardines, and prawns

are almost always on the menu.

In contrast, the north coast of the peninsula

is rugged and rocky,

with occasional white-washed houses straddled on the edge.

Building regulations on the island are strict,

and there are only around 2,000 registered houses.

And because real estate is scarce, property prices are high,

about $2.2 million for a four-bedroomed house.

The coastline gives way to spectacular cliffs,

beyond which the island tapers off to the north.

These extraordinary narrow beaches, known as Ses Illetes,

are popular with day-trippers

from the neighboring island of Ibiza,

who arrive by ferry or private yacht.

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Continuing north to the very end of Formentera,

a slender sandbar connects the wild,

uninhibited island of Espalmador.

Despite its size of only two square kilometers,

this privately-owned nature reserve is a popular spot,

with its natural harbor and famed mud baths.

Perched on a rock named Pig Island,

a lighthouse looks out to the southern tip of Ibiza,

only six kilometers away.

These shallow, rocky waters, with powerful currents,

have seen many a shipwreck throughout history.

But from April to October, this stretch presents

some of the most ideal sailing conditions

for both the regular ferries that cross between the islands,

as well as leisure crafts.

And some of the finest vessels in the world

can frequently be spotted here,

like the award-winning superyacht, Symmetry.

It was built for luxury world cruising,

as well as performance.

And while it's traditional in appearance,

it's actually made of state-of-the-art materials.

This stretch of water between Formentera and Ibiza

is known as the Freus,

and has a special significance,

because it's home to the oldest

and the largest living organism on the planet.

Beneath these gentle waves

is an endangered species of giant sea grass,

that's only found here in the Mediterranean Sea.

It grows best in clear waters,

and their presence here is an indication

as to the low levels of pollution.

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Our approach to Ibiza

is over this vast expanse of low marshland

known as Ses Salines.

The island is a mere 40 kilometers in length,

and has a population of over 130,000.

Both Catalan and Spanish are the official languages.

Although sun, sea, and partying

has been Ibiza's trade since the 1980s,

for around 2,000 years,

it was salt production that brought wealth to this island.

Salt had always been much prized

as a mineral to preserve and season food.

It was so valuable that it was even used as currency

in some cultures.

Ibiza's vast natural resource

was first discovered by the Carthaginians

around the seventh century BC.

They constructed salt pans

to harvest the crystallized mineral

once the seawater had evaporated.

Though the island changed hands

many times over the centuries,

the lucrative salt trade continued.

Today, the method of salt production has hardly changed,

though the salt is now gathered by machine,

rather than by hand, yielding around 60,000 tons a year.

It's no longer the island's main industry,

but the salt pans still play an important role,

because they're home to many species of wild birds,

including flamingos.

By the middle of the 20th century,

it was tourism that was set to dominate Ibiza's economy.

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And nearby is the airport

that now serves over five million passengers a year.

Ibiza's airport was first established

as a temporary military airstrip

during the Spanish Civil War,

and remained open after the conflict for emergency use.

It wasn't until 1958

that work commenced to reopen the airport

in response to the rapid rise of tourism

in Spain and its islands.

By the late 1990s,

Ibiza's only airport was transporting

over 3 1/2 million passengers a year,

and today it handles 95% of all people

entering or leaving the islands of Ibiza and Formentera.

Almost half of today's five million passengers are British,

followed by German, Spanish, Italian, and French.

Flying towards the west coast of the island,

we pass a low-lying mountain range,

covered in thick woodland.

For such a warm and sunny climate,

Ibiza remains remarkably green throughout the year.

It's this which inspired early Greek invaders

to name Ibiza and neighboring Formentera

the Islas Pitiusas,

or Islands of Pine Trees.

The presence of pine trees that sway these hills and valleys

explains why the earth here is a rich orange.

Their needles contain tannin, just like tea,

and when they fall to the ground, the tannin leaches out,

and dyes the earth a vibrant orange.

For many British tourists,

the last stop is San Antonio

on the west coast of the island.

And with clubs and bars open all night,

many go simply to party.

It's now Ibiza's second-largest resort,

but for 2,000 years,

San Antonio was a small fishing village.

It grew in the late 1950s,

when many hotels and resorts were built

as part of a mass tourism initiative

that swept across Spain.

Leisure craft replaced the fishing boats,

and as the number of tourists grew, development spread,

right round the other side of San Antonio Bay.

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Since the 1980s,

young British holidaymakers

have made up the majority of summertime visitors,

attracted to what has been described

as the clubbing capital of the world.

San Antonio is home to two of Ibiza's biggest clubs.

This is Es Paradis, with its large pyramid-shaped building.

One of Ibiza's oldest clubs, established in 1975,

it's best known for its water party.

A fountain in the middle of the dance floor

releases 80,000 liters of water,

soaking up to 1,600 ravers.

And right beside it is the town's other major attraction,

Eden, with a capacity for 5,000 clubbers.

Some of the world's biggest DJs,

like Judge Jules and Krafty Kuts, perform here.

But while San Antonio is famous for its nightlife,

it's also infamous for the binge drinking,

drug taking, and raucous behavior

among the mainly young British holidaymakers.

It's a reputation that started in the 1990s,

and one that the authorities are trying to address,

though it's a difficult matter to balance.

The income from tourism is almost $1 billions a year,

which means that the government

is careful to avoid driving tourists away.

Stretching around the bay is the beautiful scenery,

that's in stark contrast with the busy modern resorts.

Back in the 1960s and 70s,

it was this natural splendor and laid-back lifestyle

that made it a favorite with hippies.

A New York art student once wrote,

"Even those who come to Ibiza for the wrong reason, to work,

"eventually are seduced by the island's easy life.

"Little chores, like picking up the mail

"from the post office, stretch into day-long missions."

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Dubbed peluds, meaning hairies, by the tolerant locals,

the hippies were to place Ibiza on the map,

helping it shape its modern identity

as a liberal and hedonistic island.

However, this medieval watchtower,

built on one of the many rocks

around Ibiza's ragged coastline,

is a reminder of less peaceful times.

It served as a lookout post for pirates,

who plagued these shores from the 16th century

for almost 200 years.

The main purpose of their attacks

was to capture Christian slaves for the Islamic market

in North Africa and the Middle East.

During storms,

the many coves provided shelter for pirate ships,

which today serve an altogether more leisurely purpose.

But further up the coast,

we pass one of the most remote parts of Ibiza.

(tranquil music)

Its natural beauty drew the Hollywood producers

of the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific.

As well as filming in Hawaii,

many of the scenes were filmed

along this dramatic coastline.

At the very northern tip of Ibiza

is one of its most distinctive landmarks,

the lighthouse on the rocky headland, Punta Moscarter.

At 52 meters,

it's the tallest of a network of 34 lighthouses

spread all over the islands.

Their presence ensures safe passage for vessels

navigating these unforgiving waters.

Following the peninsula around the east coast,

the private island of Tagomago comes into view,

with it's dizzying sheer rock cliffs.

It's the only private island

in the whole of the Balearic chain.

It was purchased in 2006

by German property tycoon Matthias Kuhn,

whose clients reportedly include

Boris Becker and Michael Douglas.

But it seems his closest neighbor across the way

might be satisfied with their exclusive retreat, too,

perched on this breathtaking cliff edge.

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Further along the coast is Es Canar,

one of the more family-orientated resorts.

As a reminder of the island's roots,

there's a renowned weekly hippie market,

selling handmade crafts, jewelry, and clothes.

Being quieter than some of the busier resorts,

clubbers can make the short trip along the coast

to Santa Eularia, the third-biggest town in Ibiza,

through which the island's only river runs.

It also boasts some of best restaurants in Ibiza.

Here, party goers can enjoy some of the larger venues.

But if only the biggest will do,

in Ibiza, a megaclub is never far away.

One of the island's star attractions is Privilege.

The "Guinness Book of Records"

cites the club as the biggest in the world,

with a capacity of 10,000 people.

And finally,

after an almost complete tour around the island's coastline,

we arrive at the last place on this journey,

the island's capital city, Ibiza Town.

Spread around a natural harbor,

it's the largest settlement on the island,

with almost 50,000 inhabitants.

Each summer, tens of thousands of tourists

converge to this place for its famed clubs and bars.

But unlike San Antonio on the other side of the island,

it's seen to be more cosmopolitan,

and less raucous than its counterpart.

Much of the city's nightlife is set around the bay area,

which also has a port connecting Ibiza

with its neighboring islands,

as well as the Spanish mainland.

In fact, there's been a port here for over 2,000 years.

As an important trading post, it's been fiercely guarded,

and fought over throughout the centuries,

and has changed hands many times,

from Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors,

up to the Christian conquest in the 13th century.

The visible reminder of the importance of this harbor

is the iconic 16th century walled citadel,

perched on top of a rocky headland.

It was built by King Philip II of Spain

to protect the island from pirates and the Ottomans.

The fortified city was actually built

on the site of a necropolis, an ancient burial ground,

that's the largest of its kind in the world.

Built by Carthaginians from North Africa

in the seventh century BC,

there are an estimated 3,000 tombs

that still lie beneath these streets and buildings.

Today, 340 are on display in the museum,

located in the heart of the old town.

And at it's highest point,

with a breathtaking view over the harbor,

is the 14th century cathedral of Santa Maria.

With its rich history as one of the greatest preserved

medieval towns around the Mediterranean,

it's not surprising that in 1999

the Old Quarter was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

the perfect place to end this journey.

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