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A gorgeous tour of Ibiza's southwest, three to four hours in length...
Get on up to the "mountain view" through the green Benimussa Valley, to the pirate caves by the seaside and Cala Comte

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We're going on a tour to discover Ibiza again. This time we're heading south and west. Our first destination is the 402-metre tall "Puig de sa Pega", which offers a fascinating view across half of the island, including the sun shining off the waters of Ses Salines, all the way over to Formentera. However, you will need a four-wheeldrive vehicle, but if you'll be coming with a normal car that isn't a problem, you'll just have to take the "easy" route. You can get to our planned final destination, the romantic Cala Comte, by either route.(Blue lines are for non 4WD cars). Let's get going!

At the second roundabout (road to Sant Josep) turn right. The Jeep-Tour starts to the left at this crossing

Starting in Eivissa take the new ring road towards the airport. Take the "Sant Josep" exit, head to the roundabout and continue on towards Sant Josep. You'll hit another two roundabouts. At the second, if you're driving a 4WD make a right toward "Sa Carrocca". If you've got a normal car then you'll have to keep going, but read further on in the article for the exact route. The following description is for jeeps and other 4WD drivers who enjoy a little off-road adventure.

Follow the sign to "Sa Carrocca" for a few hundred metres. On your left you'll see a field with trees, a zebra crossing and an old wall. On the wall you can just make out a faded blue arrow, which marks your route, so make a left. The road you're currently on is still asphalted. After the houses take the very first right onto a loose gravel camino. Keep to the right and follow the signs for the mountain bike routes 5 and 10. At the second fork keep to the right. You'll be following a fence, and then make a right again.

You'll have a great view of the forest, the agricultural terraces and the gentle rolling hills covered with pine trees. To the left, the tallest is our destination – the "Puig de sa Pega". On the left about 100 metres from the trail is a white finca, right by the road is a row of clay amphorae. They are the water reservoir for the finca. Here you will take a right. Now you'll understand why this is a 4WD route. You'll be bounced around quite a bit. It will get worse, to be sure, but it's worth it.

The camino snakes up the mountain, passing an old finca with giant prickly pear cacti, also known as nopales (Opuntia). To the left the view of the valley and the hills is fantastic. After about another eight to ten minutes the view gets even more incredible – to the left you'll see the sea and right over to Formentera with the Ses Salines salt flats in the foreground. Depending on the light they can look like a silver or golden mirror.

The piste continues upward. Now look off to the right – between the trees and the yellow blooming gorse bushes you can see Sant Antoni and the Mediterranean. Now would be a good time to turn on your all-wheel drive if you haven't already done so. You'll be heading up a steep climb to a fork in the road, then you'll be making a left onto a really wild piste and finally reaching a spot where you can stop on a small plateau with a view of a large portion of the island. Facing northwest you can see Sant Antoni. Turning 180º southward you can see Formentera, the Salinas, Platja d'en Bossa and finally even the wide Talamanca Bay.

Continue driving upwards to the green water reservoir, which is used for fighting wildfires during the summer. Near the giant green container there's a trail that heads up the mountain. If you've got the time and desire then take it by all means. It is marked with blue arrows on the rocks, which is also good to help you find your way back. Or you can take the last 200 to 300 metres by foot following the road, breathing in the scent of the pines and enjoying the excellent views that pop up between the trees. Seen enough?

Then we start heading back, but only for part of the way. When you reach the fork in the road keep to the left, heading down the other side of "Puig de sa Pega". It can often be a bit steep, but not dangerous, and keeping your foot on the brake is also not ideal. If you've got real 4WD then put it in a lower gear and let the motor do the braking for you. Keep following the camino. You'll eventually reach an asphalt road, onto which you will make a left (mountain bike routes 5 and 10).

Take this road for quite some time. This is where the all-wheel drive tour meets up with the route for regular folks again, which is at the intersection near "Casita Verde".

Getting back to our normal car drivers who have to leave the difficult mountain stretches to the more adventurous, don't worry, as there are still plenty of great vistas. After the second roundabout where the 4WD vehicles turned off you'll have to continue heading towards Sant Josep. To the left you'll see an empty building with round arches. After it take the next possible right. The road is asphalt, easy to drive and leads through the gorgeous green Benimussa Valley. At the intersection near to the Casita Verde make a left. Now both 4WD and normal cars follow the same route.

Keep following the asphalt road for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. At the first intersection make a right, followed by an immediate left onto a dusty camino. Follow it through the picturesque landscape with almond trees and sheep. At the rubbish bins keep to the left and head towards Can Bellanza. At the next possibility keep to the right, which leads you onto a camino heading downhill. Follow this and at the next mountain bike sign make a left.

After a few minutes you will see Sant Agusti and the blue roofs of the former "Can Blau" school buildings. Take the next street to the left, which leads you directly to the car park of Sant Agusti. It's worth getting out of your car for a moment here.

Another possibility:

If you don’t feel up to the drive, or hairpin bends give you the willies, then IbizaNOW and island adept Dino of “100% Ibiza” can offer you a guided Jeep tour up the mountain. Similarly, anyone with a four-wheel drive vehicle can follow him. If you don’t have your own all-terrain vehicle, but would still like to enjoy a mountain tour, you can come for a ride in Dino’s. It costs just 20 e per person for the whole trip over the mountain and down to the sea. Dino will, of course, then get you back to your car. Be sure to make reservations by calling the IbizaNOW offices on 971 31 92 62.

Take a look at the church and the tiny picture-postcard village, the church garden with orange trees and the little buildings of the "Gallery Berri" and "Bar Berri". In winter it's only open Wednesday evenings and in February will unfortunately be shutting its doors forever. Perhaps the little tienda below the church will be open where you can have a coffee, if you so desire.

Go back to the car park and head out of the village. You'll join the main road to Sant Antoni. Take the next possible left. Follow the paved road – and then you have two choices – either follow the paved road to your right to Cala Comte or, if you have nerves of steel and aren't afraid of scratches to your paint, then follow the stone walls straight ahead (photo).

The first part of this route is really narrow, but it's worth it. It leads through an Ibicencan landscape with 50 year old, very knobbly grape vines, stone walls made by hand and little fincas. The route then leads to the main paved road to Cala Comte, so take a left and follow the signs.

Before you reach Cala Comte, however, you will again see on the left one of our "orientation rubbish bins" and a bus stop. Just before them make a left onto a camino. Keep following it and be sure to leave the electricity tower behind you. Soon you'll reach a plateau and cliff with a gorgeous view of Es Vedra, which looks completely different from this side. Drive down to the end of the plateau and park your vehicle.

From the plateau there is a steep stairway (with handrail) that leads down to the sea, to the fishermen's boat huts and to a large cave in the cliff that stretches down into the water. The cave is almost as large as the interior of a church nave – red rock, behind it the blue water and the white foam of the waves that rush up to your feet.

There are any number of stories and legends about this cave. Pirates and slave traders are supposed to have used it as a hiding place in the 16th Century. Later smugglers stacked their wares here that were unloaded from ships under the cover of darkness. During the Civil War the now sealed cave behind the iron door held weapons and ammunition. Then later the hippies used it.

But that is all history. Today the cave is simply gorgeous to look at and is a great place to escape the sun's burning rays during the summer for people who want to enjoy the crystal clear waters. Head up the stairs, walk about the plateau a bit and enjoy the view of the islands and Es Vedra.

Then get back in the car, hit the main road and make a left down to Cala Comte, possibly one of the most beautiful beaches on Ibiza with crystal clear waters. It's a great spot to enjoy some sun on the beach.

Unfortunately the beach restaurants are closed until Easter, but on your way back there are a couple of places where you can eat and drink. One is the cafeteria near the "Es Cuco" supermarket that offers a reasonably priced (9,20 €) and delicious lunch menu. Further along the road just before it joins the main road is "Chimichurri" with Argentinian and German specialities open Monday through Friday (closed Tuesdays) from 7pm to midnight and open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5pm and 7pm to midnight. We wish you a good meal and a wonderful tour.