The salt flats of Ibiza: a history of the Ses Salines

The flat band of land between Ibiza Town and the south coast looks empty — but it built the island. The Ses Salines produced the salt that paid for much of Ibiza's history. ## A trade older than the walls Salt has been gathered here since at least the Middle Ages, when the island's rulers shipped it across the Mediterranean to preserve the catch of whole fishing fleets. The industry was so valuable that the pans were protected by royal decree and later powered the growth of Ibiza Town's merchants. ## How it works Seawater is let into shallow pans and left to evaporate, moving through channels of increasing saltiness until the salt crystallises on the floor. The flamingos you see are here precisely because tiny brine shrimp thrive in the pans. ## The reserve today Around the works, the dunes and wetlands form a protected nature reserve with some of the Balearics' best bird habitat. It is a working landscape and a fragile one — stay on the tracks. ## Seeing it The salt mountain beside the main road is the obvious landmark; the reserve's footpaths are flat and easy. Early mornings, with the workers and the birds both active, are the atmospheric time to go.