A winter walk through Dalt Vila

A winter walk through Dalt Vila, the old town area of Ibiza Town that UNESCO has added to its list of world heritage sites.

When Ibiza Town was awarded the title of "World Heritage Site" almost ten years ago, local politicians' chests swelled with pride. It wasn't long before plans had been drafted to beautify the area, particularly Dalt Vila. The aim was to put an end to the exodus of inhabitants.

At the same time, a number of projects designed to improve local infrastructure in Dalt Vila were dusted down and given a new lease of life. You can see for yourself how many, though not all, of these plans came to fruition just be taking a leisurely walk through the winding alleys of this historic area of Ibiza Town.

"Five minutes", says the diminutive waitress with the blue baseball cap encouragingly to the early bird waiting to be served, and then she's off again. The tables and chairs are waterlogged from the rain and desperately in need of a good wipe with a dry towel. It's almost 9 o'clock on a morning in November and life on Placa de Vila has slowed down to a crawl. Thanks to Isabel, the only place where any action is taking place is the terrace outside the Bar Es Forn. Apart from this, the medieval square and its multitude of little boutiques and restaurants are cloaked in silence. The hustle and bustle of summertime tourists is long gone.

At the end of October, Dalt Vila, to give the historic old town encircled by mighty fortifications its Catalan name, starts getting ready for its annual hibernation. It's difficult to imagine the noise and commotion of the crowds that passed by here until so recently. Now, the uneven cobblestones that have been made slippery by rain have been reclaimed by their rightful owners: the stray cats and residents of Dalt Vila.

For years now, the latter have resembled a species threatened by extinction. The numerous "Se vende" signs hanging from the walls and windows of nearby houses bear witness to the general exodus. If they have the choice, people prefer to sell their homes and move down to the new part of town.

9:25 a.m. on the terrace outside Bar Es Forn. In the space of a few short minutes, a procession of young women enter the bar. They all know each other and crowd around one of the tables. They order a cafe solo and a zumo de naranja. Conversations start up with questions like "So, how did things go yesterday?" or "Are you planning to open at all today?" The owners and sales assistants from the nearby shops are in no hurry.

As usual, they will have plenty of time on their hands until Easter next year. In just a few days, Laura will end up having to have a conversation with her coffee cup because her shop, the Divina Boutique located right next to the bar, will be the last refuge of humanity on Placa Vila. This slim, tall woman in her forties specialises in selling Ibizastyle bodices made of linen. Her display window is lined with bright green price stickers the size of record sleeves announcing huge discounts to encourage passers-by to ignore the wind and rain and pick up a summery souvenir. "Spanish pensioners bring in quite a lot," whispers a colleague at a neighbouring table.

Dalt Vila is one big outdoor museum and this is part of the reason why it has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1999. It is a veritable labyrinth of narrow alleyways, hidden squares and picturesque houses. If you lose sight of the surrounding walls of the fortification, even a map of the area won't get you far. The only thing for it is to keep on going and drink in the details of your surroundings.

Details like the tiny city coats of arms that adorn the ornate black iron and glass lanterns along the streets, to cite just one example. Or the upper storeys of the surrounding buildings. Even though many of the flats on the lower floors are not inhabited, if you look closely enough, you will soon notice that residents steer well clear of first-floor properties in Dalt Vila.

This can be attributed to a practical instinct for survival rather than any obscure superstition. Most of the flats above street level are simply falling apart, and when you look up past the crumbling facades, it's common to see that the roof is missing. This is just one side of the story. On the other hand, it is true that several houses have been lovingly renovated in recent years. Especially in the lower half of Dalt Villa, in the Carrer de la Santa Creu, for example.

"That's going to bring in eight new neighbours," smiles Antonio, the owner of the corner shop down the alley. She is over 80 years old, a white-haired old lady who has been stocking her store with fruit and vegetables every day for the past 46 years, and in her experience new neighbours means new customers - something that Antonia could do with to see her through the quiet winter months.

Since time immemorial, Dalt Vila has looked out over the La Marina fishermen's district, not only because of the height difference, but also because of the area's social status. The small community of petits bourgeois that grew up on Ibiza over the past centuries withdrew - partly for reasons of security - behind the massive fortifications. Surrounded by people from the same background, they felt themselves safe from attacks by pirates and other enemies.

There are still some stately buildings that bear witness to this era, particularly in the upper half of Dalt Vila. Even the Ibiza Town city administration opted to make one of these architectural wonders its permanent base a couple of years ago. The fully restored building that houses the offices of the public authorities is known as Can Botino and dates back to the 17th century. Architects have since added an extra storey. From the top floor, the current mayor, Lurdes Costa, can enjoy a magnificent view that takes in the surrounding area, including Botafoch.

11:17 a.m., Bar Can Botino. Right about now, this simple bar with its modern furnishings should really be heaving. All over Spain, civil servants are taking a break from their work to go for coffee with their colleagues. If you've ever had to deal with public authorities, you'll know that there is absolutely no point in trying to call them at this time of day.

But Miquel's bar doesn't appear to be particularly popular with town hall office workers. Only a couple of tables are occupied. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that Bar Can Botino has only been in business for a year and civil servants are still in the habit of frequenting Bar XXX next to the old town hall. Then again, maybe it is because Miquel isn't much of a conversationalist, at least not this particular morning. Still, his toasted bread with tomatoes and olive oil tastes great.

Carrer Santa Maria is located by the inner city walls, just a few steps away from Bar Can Botino. The street is paved with smooth, irregular cobblestones and takes you a few metres uphill to the Carrer Major. This is the route - the back street, so to speak - that the conquerors took to get to the imposing cathedral at the end of Carrer Major. After a rather challenging climb, it would be nice to find a bar and sit down for a break. No such luck. The only place you can stop off for a rest by the cathedral is Bar XXX located diagonally opposite the Puget Family art museum in the Carrer Major.

However, the disadvantage is that it doesn't open during normal office hours, and closes completely during off-season months. So finding somewhere to take a break up on the hill in Ibiza Town is quite a challenge. The tourist information office in the windy square by the cathedral, Placa de la Catedral, is probably the best camouflaged of its kind on Ibiza. It is housed in the curio house, a meticulously renovated building where the law courts were located back in the 16th century.

However, the Ibiza Town city administration has so far failed to provide a sign by the entrance to let people know that this is where they can find information. "A couple of tourists still manage to find us," says Reyes. This young woman has only been working in the information office opposite the cathedral since October. Most of the visitors who make it up to the city's highest point are happy just to take a couple of holiday snaps for their photo albums. The panoramic view from the observation deck by the cathedral couldn't be more spectacular.

If you start making your way back towards Ibiza Town by leaving the cathedral on your left and walking clockwise along the fortifications, you will reach the fortress boulevard. On the way to the main gate, Portal de ses Taules, you will pass five of these imposing towers at intervals of just a couple of hundred metres. The Sant Bernat and Sant Jordi towers provide a view all the way down to the strait that separates Ibiza and Formentera, as well as Platja d'en Bossa. However, the next two towers, Sant Jaume and Sant Pere, are even more interesting.

Since the beginning of 2007, the Sant Jaume tower has been home to a museum exhibiting traditional weapons and armour. During its first year of business, the historic military equipment on display proved a real crowd puller. The tower of Sant Pere, which can be accessed through a small gate, Portal Nou, near Paseo Vara de Rey, also contains a museum that is open all year round. Again, its main focus is on battles and wars, except this time, the weapons on show are larger - catapults built using original plans, no less. During the winter months, both museums are open every morning except for Mondays (admission costs 2 euros).

After being exposed to the art of war, your body is crying out for a break. And it will get one, too - provided it can hold out until you reach Bar Es Forn where your outing started. Unfortunately, places to sit down, especially if you want a drink and a bite to eat, are few and far between offseason. Isabel, the waitress with the powerful arms and the baseball cap, is busily sending text messages from her perch behind the bar. When she spots her customer from earlier that morning she gives a smile of recognition. Her eyes tell you that a change is always welcome. She puts down her mobile phone to have a chat. "Una cana?" she asks and reaches for a glass before you've had time to answer. After all, who's going to refuse an offer like that?