Within the municipality of Santa Eulària des Riu, the nearest parish to Ibiza is Es Puig d’en Valls, an old farming community now transformed into a well-known residential area. An iconic flour mill from its agrarian past still stands at the top of a nearby hill. This interesting relic from a bygone era provides a good incentive to step outside our daily routines and learn a bit more about island history.
Es Puig d’en Valls is located just over two kilometres outside Ibiza Town, making it easy to include in your itinerary when visiting the island’s capital or perhaps on the way to Ibiza’s southern and western beaches. Another way to explore the area is by bike or on foot, given that Es Puig d’en Valls is intersected by walking route nº 9 and biking route nº 11.
What to see in Es Puig d’en Valls
This village offers us the opportunity to visit the one of Ibiza’s flour windmills that still preserves its grinding mechanism fully intact. Dating back to the 18th century, this construction displays a cylindrical ground plan with thick walls that rise to a height of three storeys. Visitors are able to observe first-hand how this mechanism powered the windmill, enabling it to grind the grain from cereals harvested on the island up to nearly the middle of the 20th century. Its blades, antennas and machinery were restored by the Balearic Government.
Another sightseeing stop in Es Puig d’en Valls is the church of the same name, a modern building from 1971 but inspired by traditional Ibicenco architecture and holding in its interior a figure of the Mother of God dating back to the 17th or 18th century. The patron saint festival of Es Puig d’en Valls is celebrated at this church on the third Sunday in May
Calendar Dates for Es Puig d’en Valls
– Patron Saint Festivity for Es Puig d’en Valls: Third Sunday of May
