Dalt Vila Guide: Ibiza Old Town and the Fortress

Dalt Vila, the walled upper town of Eivissa, sits on a hill above the harbour, inside seven bastions built in the 16th century to hold off Ottoman and Barbary raids. Start at the harbour end, by the market in La Marina, and walk uphill. The route below takes around two hours at an easy pace, longer if you go into the museums, and it is mostly climbing on the way up and stairs on the way down.

1. Portal de ses Taules. The main gate, reached across a former drawbridge. Look for the royal coat of arms above the arch and the two headless Roman statues set into niches on either side.
2. Plaça de Vila. The broad first square inside the walls, lined with galleries, terraces and shops. It is the busiest point of the walk; keep going.
3. Baluard de Santa Llúcia. A short detour left brings you to the eastern bastion, with old cannons and a long view across La Marina, the port and the ferries to Formentera.
4. Plaça del Sol and the Portal Nou steps. Climb through the alleys to this little square, then up the long stairway of Carrer des Portal Nou, past towers from the medieval wall.
5. Carrer Major and Sant Cristòfol. One of the main lanes of the upper town, with whitewashed houses, heavy wooden doors and the former convent church of Sant Cristòfol.
6. Madina Yabisa Centre. A small interpretation centre on the Islamic city that stood here before the Catalan conquest of 1235, close to the Sa Portella gate.
7. Plaça de la Catedral. The summit of the walk. The cathedral of Santa Maria de les Neus mixes a Gothic tower with a Baroque interior; beside it stand the castle walls, the Cúria and the old bishop's palace.
8. The southern bastions. Walk along the top of the walls from Sant Bernat towards Sant Jordi. On a clear day you can see Formentera across the water.
9. Santo Domingo and Can Botino. Head down past the Dominican church with its tiled domes to the town hall, where the terrace looks over the rooftops to the harbour.
10. Puig des Molins. Leave by the Portal Nou and walk about ten minutes west to the Punic necropolis, a hillside of rock-cut tombs with a museum, part of the same UNESCO site as the walls.

Practical choices

In July and August, walk in the early morning or after about six in the evening; the climb is fully exposed and the stone holds the heat. Wear shoes with grip, as our what to wear guide explains, because the cobbles are steep and smooth. The walls and lanes are free to walk at any time, but the cathedral, the museums and Puig des Molins keep their own hours and close on some days, so check the official sites before you plan around them. We would skip the souvenir stalls of Plaça de Vila and spend the time on the bastions instead. Dalt Vila makes a natural first morning, as in our 5-day itinerary, and La Marina below is the place for dinner afterwards.