Ibiza Hotels, Majorca Hotels, Apartments, Accommodation

The Natural Park Ses Salines Ibiza is a place you should visit during your next holiday in your Ibiza accommodation! It gives you the possibility to enjoy a wonderful landscape with an abundance of plants and animals that live in the natural reserve.

Ses Salines Ibiza is one of the two natural parks that Ibiza has and should be visited at least once during your Ibiza holiday. The Ses Salines Ibiza is located in the southern part of Ibiza and north of Formentera. It is really huge and not only includes land, but also part of the sea. Actually, the water part of the Ses Salines Ibiza is the biggest part.

I'm sure you don't want to miss the chance to visit an UNESCO world heritage item if you are on your Ibiza vacation. The Ses Salines natural reserve Ibiza is home to many rare and seldom animals that are breeding along the coast. There are also many typical trees and flowers in the natural reserve. Because of this, you cannot walk freely around the park. To avoid the danger of irritating and scaring animals or even accidently destroying plants, you should follow the marked ways and not trespass on other parts!

 
But if you make sure to bear this in mind, you can sure spend a wonderful time on your Ibiza holiday! Natural parks are a welcoming way to experience the nature and if you are sitting in your Ibiza accommodation and wondering what to do next, I suggest you to visit the park. But of course offers Ibiza other different activities you can pursue during your holiday.

Nevertheless, in case you want to see the Natural Park Ses Salines in Ibiza, please be respectful to the nature and obey to the rules of the park. Do not leave any trash behind you and do not make any kind of fire that could endanger the animals. Besides that you should of course enjoy the park and take a lot of photos to save the moment!

Besides the coastline with its beautiful beaches I mentioned earlier, Majorca possesses also a spectacular inside that is often overlooked. So if you want to see something different for a change, pack your hiking boots in your bag and search a Majorca hotel, because this is really a perfect way to enjoy the beautiful nature!

The Puig de Massanella is one of the highest points in Majorca, second only to the Puig Major which is a military zone and therefore not open for public. That makes the Puig de Massanella in Majorca actually the highest peak you can access. It has an height of 4,475 ft or 1,364 m.

Puig de Massanella is situated in the Serra de Tramuntana, a mountain range that covers the north-western part of Majorca. In this part of Majorca it is of course cooler and there is more condensation than in other parts of the island. You can even have some snow in the winter period! If you are a person who misses making snowmen then plan your trip to Majorca.

An interest fact as a sidenote; before the invention of refrigerators, Majorcan people used to collect snow from the mountain to cool and preserve their food and drinks and to use it as potable water.

If you are staying in your Majorca hotel and plan your hiking tour to the Puig de Massanella, I advise you to consider a guided tour with a person who has a lot of experience and knows the area well. This way you are not likely to get lost and can get the most of it. The guide can show you the best views of Majorca and you can be sure to be in good hands. Don't forget your camera to take amazing photos!

Besides the camera of course, it is recommend to bring enough food, especially enough to drink! These guided tours usually take a time, most times a few hours including breaks and hiking can be strenuous.

What many people unfortunately often forget and as a result suffer from sunburn is to bring enough sunscreen. Even if you don't burn easily in the sun! The mountains are of course nearer to the sun and therefore the sun shines much more intensely. And if there is snow, which is common during the winter as I mentioned before, the sun is reflected and the intensity rises again.

So prepare the tour carefully! Doing that, you can enjoy your vacation on Majorca as much as possible and with the least possible stress. After such a tiring experience you could go and take a walk along the beautiful Majorca beaches to have a nice picnic or go to one of the outstanding Majorca restaurants.

I am sure you already have heard of the amazing Majorca cuisine and the great variety of dishes it offers, in case you have not, don't hesitate to try it out!

As you can see, Majorca offers activities and sights for every kind of taste. The wonderful island has something to offer for people who are more adventurous as well as more relaxed people.

If you really want to see a different face of Majorca's beauty, you should go on a hiking tour to the Puig de Massanella. It offers you a breathtaking view all over the island and the sea.

The next time you are in your Ibiza hotel and want to see a piece of Ibiza culture and identity, watch out for the egg of Columbus. Not only because the 12^th October is near, also after this Spanish National Holiday you can visit the egg.

Located in the boulevard El Paseo de Ses Fonts in the exciting San Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza, is a huge statue of an enormous egg. The egg of Columbus or El Huevo de Colón, refers to an amusing anectore you maybe already have heard of. For those of you who haven't, let me summarize it for you:

After Christoper Columbus discovered the continent of America for the Europeans in 1492 (although it was known before), he teased by various noblemen at a dinner. They basically said that everyone could have discovered the continent if they had the same equipment and ship's complement. Columbus, not wanting to leave it at that, challenged his mockers by asking them to make an egg stand on its tip.

No one accomplished the task of course, because how are you supposed to make an egg stand on its tip?  After everyone failed, Columbus just pressed the egg on the table, breaking the tip in the process and as a result; the egg stood on its own tip. The moral of the story is that it is easier to reproduce something when the people know how to do that than discovering something new without any help or knowing the answer in advance.

The European discovery of America by means of Columbus is celebrated in Spain on October 12^th, the National Day of Spain or Fiesta Nacional de España. This is a perfect occasion to plan your  vacation in an Ibiza acommodation and celebrate this event and visit the famous egg!

But why is this egg in Ibiza and not in other famous cities in Spain? Sure, there may be other statues in honor of Columbus in Spain. But the reason why the egg of Columbus in Ibiza is something you shouldn't miss is that the people of Ibiza claim the island was the birthplace of the famous discoverer!

Although the majority of scientists and historians claim that Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, there are a lot of other theories about his origins. One of the most popular theories is that Columbus has Catalan origins. Based on researches and studies of his language and writings, advocates of the Catalan origin theory think that his mother tongue was Catalan.

Studies show that he wrote and spoke in a Catalan style, making mistakes and using words that were typical for Catalan native speakers (similar to the "false friends" every language has for foreign languages). Furthermore, analysis of his age and education confront the Italian theory and favor the Catalan theory.

Nevertheless of his actual origin, the egg of Columbus in Ibiza should be visited if you plan to enjoy Ibiza vacation! The best time for that is of course the National Day of Spain (also called Dia de la Hispanidad) on October 12^th, but also on other times the egg is worth a visit.

So plan your Ibiza holiday in advance to find the best hotels in San Antoni de Portmany. After the visit you have always time to shop in the many stores on the boulevard El Paseo de Ses Fonts offers and then return to rest in your apartment or hotel in Ibiza. Or you visit the amazing restaurants in San Antoni de Portmany.

During October 12^th you can also participate in the celebrations for the Dia de la Hispanidad! The city is also called San Antonio Abad in Spanish and is located on the beautiful western coast of Ibiza. This makes it a perfect location to spend your holiday, so book your Ibiza hotel early enough, as always!

On the 1st of November 2010, the catholic holiday All Saints Day or Día de Todos Los Santos is celebrated in Spain. This day is one the most important religious holiday in Spain!

On All Saints Day in Ibiza the people remember their late relatives and friends by visiting the graveyards and cemeteries and attending a church mass.
In Ibiza, similar to the rest of Spain, families visit cemeteries to clean the graves of their relatives and decorate them with colorful flowers. Candles are also lit and there are processions, also attended by people who don't have relatives on the graveyard!

Although the cemeteries on Ibiza are locked and only family members are allowed to visit the graves, bigger cemeteries are open for visitors. So during your stay in your Ibiza accommodation, you could attend a mass and pay your respect to the dead. It is important to know that Ibiza is not only good for vacation in Spain, but also local customs.

While the overall feeling of All Saints Day in Ibiza is sentimental, the holiday is still a joyful day! And if you have the chance to plan your vacation in Spain and book a nice hotel in Ibiza around that time, you have to try the traditional food served on this day!

A traditional dish is Castañas, roasted chestnuts often served with sweet potatoes which are delicious to eat.
Also very typical traditional dishes of Ibiza are sweet little almond or marzipan cakes, which are called Panellets.
Originally they were served after funerals in the past, but luckily today you can enjoy them without attending a funeral! And did you know that these Panellets are Traditional Speciality Guaranteed? That means you can basically eat a part of Ibiza's culture that sets it apart from others.
This is an unique chance that shouldn't be missed!

On All Saints Day in Ibiza, traditional Ibiza families also light a candle on the table and leave some of the tasty dishes as a symbol to honor their late relatives.

Please keep in mind that All Saints Day is a public holiday, so most shops are closed. Hospitals are of course still open. This year in 2010, the 1st of November is a Monday, so it is better to finish your shoppings before the weekend.

But in touristic areas, there are restaurants and bars that are still open. So why don't you celebrate All Saints Day in an Ibiza way?