During your Ibiza sightseeing trips, you will see beautiful white houses. The ibicencas rural houses belongs to the type of Mediterranean construction. They present particular architectural features, the result of all the cultures that have been passing through the island throughout the centuries. However, we cannot help but forget that perhaps they remind us more of the stage of Arab domination of Ibiza. Thick, quadrangular, whitewashed with lime walls determine Ibiza architecture. Lime gives the wall a beautiful white colour and is resistant to colonization of microorganisms and fungi. The houses are built on the basis of the modules. It is about adding independent cubic modules that articulate around a rectangular space. Each module is called a house, a name to which it is added
– the function: sleeping room
– its geographical position: room above
– or its dimension: large room

Wooden beams horizontally support the roofs of houses. The Ibizan houses always have a flat roof. To try to collect the rainwater, normally channelled to a cistern for their own consumption. The main construction material were stones and the juniper boots. The boots were carved, sawed and subsequently cut according to the use of floors, beams, posts.

Precisely, its colour is one of the most characteristic points of Ibiza houses. It has helped to baptize Ibiza as the “White Island”. This colour draws attention to all the buildings of the island. In all the Ibizan houses it was a tradition to paint the walls with lime (whitewash) for several reasons. The fundamental reason for whitewashing Ibizan houses was belief that the white colour reflected solar radiation. It was very important in the hottest months of the year. The lime was an easy material to obtain and very economical. The lime, which is also a breathable material, protected the walls of the houses from inclement weather. Finally, we can not ignore the aesthetic reasons offered by the white colour to Ibizan homes. However, liming is a short-lived process. Consequently, each year, residents had to repaint the walls. That is why, with the arrival of good weather, the image of peasants liming Ibiza houses was a common sight. Beautiful Mediterranean vegetation surrounds the houses. Most of them are located in the inner part of the island. Here, the lands are more fertile than on the stony coasts. They are located next to olive groves or among orchards of citrus and almond trees.

White, charming churches, in addition to the sacramental function, used to function as defences. They were designed as fortresses to protect the population from pirate attacks. In Ibiza, there is a white church in every village. Their characteristic feature is simplicity. We will not find in them the splendour typical of Baroque architecture. They are single-nave buildings with one main altar. Churches are usually located on hills. Formerly, the inhabitants of Ibiza were exposed to constant attacks by pirates and corsairs. In order to protect the island, residents built defensive towers around the island. When the pirates appeared on the horizon, the guards started the fire and gave smoke signs warning the inhabitants of the danger. Then the men grabbed arms and ran towards the coast to defend the island. Meanwhile, women, children and old people hid in the churches and in the city walls of Dalt Vila. However, liming is a short-lived process. Each year, residents had to repaint the walls. That is why every year, with the arrival of good weather, the image of peasants liming Ibiza houses was a common sight.

There are several options for sightseeing. You can rent a car and explore the island on your own. We invite you to book a guided tour. The bus will pick you up from the hotel and tour the entire island. During the island tour, our guides will tell you interesting stories about the island. One of the stops is in the small town of San Jose with a typical island building and a charming white church.