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Es Vedra
Sitting on Ibiza’s south western seaboard and wrapped in one of the most satisfying sunsets on the Mediterranean, the picture perfect island of Es Vedra has inspired some truly remarkable myths and legends over the years.
One such legend is one of Ibiza’s oldest fables in which two brothers have to venture onto the island and defeat a giant that stands guard over a most magical samphire. Naturally, the siblings needed this particular samphire to save their father from an incurable illness. The brothers’ ingenuity, along with the assistance of some rather helpful sea urchins, help defeat the giant and save both the day and their father.
The island has undoubtedly captured the imagination of visitors throughout history. Rumours speculate that it is the tip of the sunken civilization of Atlantis or that it is home to a secret UFO base, or that the tip serves as a navigation beacon or gateway to another galaxy. The arts also owe a lot to this mystical island, and some people believe it to be the inspiration for the Island of the Sirens in Homer's epics.
No humans inhabit the island, with just a scattering of wild goats and sea birds calling the sea coves home. Es Vedra did, however, have one resident for a short time in the 1850s. Following his exile from Barcelona, Friar Francis Palau y Quer reportedly spent a week surviving on nothing but rainwater collected from the roof of a small cave. His stay on the island reportedly led to the powerful visions that inspired his book "My Relationship with the Church."
Despite some debate over the island’s mystical past, there is no argument that it is well on its way to becoming a must-see attraction for any visitor to the white isle. The secret of the island’s beauty is slowly getting out and Es Vedra is beginning to make a name for itself as the perfect backdrop for any holiday-maker in search of a sunset shot to fill the newsfeeds of less fortunate Facebook friends at home.