What do Wales and Ibiza Have in Common?

At first sight, it would seem that Wales and Ibiza have absolutely nothing in common. Since the 1960s, Ibiza has had the reputation for being one of Europe’s top party spots where revelry continues to the early hours of the morning. Its climate, lifestyle and cuisine would appear to be totally different to Wales.

So, what characteristics do they share?

Mythological connections
The uninhabited 400-metre rock, Es Vedra, located off the Cala Salada Bay in Ibiza, is believed to have been mentioned in Homer’s ‘Odysseus’. It is the site where sirens attempted to lure the Greek sailors to their doom. The rock has also been associated with the Atlantis legend.

Wales has its own connections with mythology. Although Tintagel in Cornwall makes its own claims, many experts believe that Caerleon was the true site of the legendary Camelot. They point out the close proximity of Glastonbury (Avalon) in support of their claim and the fact that Arthur is mentioned in the earliest surviving Welsh poem (‘Y Gododdin’ by Aneirin).

Minority languages
You might naturally assume that the estimated 142,000 native inhabitants of Ibiza speak Spanish as their first language. However, their mother tongue is a dialect of Catalan called Eivissenic (or Ibicenco). If Castilian Spanish is the medium of their schooling, many children first learn this dialect in the home. There has been enormous political upheaval and resentment about centralisation, how much Madrid dominates and fails to recognise regional differences, including linguistic variations.

Inhabitants of Ibiza would be envious of the attempts made to revive and boost the estimated 900,000 Welsh speakers, such as the £60-million fund to make more children’s programmes exclusively in this language.

Home ownership
According to the Balearic Statistics Institute, over 3 million tourists visit Ibiza every year. Although this undoubtedly has economic benefits for the island (with 75% of its income derived from tourism), this also has an effect on the islanders’ quality of life especially the question of home ownership.

Attracted by the island’s 300 days of sunshine a year, many outsiders (both Spanish and foreign) choose to buy a home on the island. Unfortunately, this has led to skyrocketing prices. After Madrid, Ibiza is the second most expensive place in Spain to purchase a house. This trend has been made worse by an increase in the numbers of Airbnb properties so that even renting may be unaffordable.

Figures for Wales vary, but it’s estimated that there is a housing shortage of at least 10,000 homes. Also, in terms of prices, the average cost of £156,000 for a semi-detached home makes a home purchase out of the question for many.

Why visit Ibiza?
Despite its reputation as a party island, there is a quieter side to Ibiza. It is possible to escape from the hustle and bustle and explore the many hidden coves kept crystal clear by the filtering properties of the Posidonia plant. It is also the ideal starting point to explore the other Balearic Islands nearby. Ibiza boat hire is the perfect way to do this and can be arranged online.