S'Espalmador

Espalmador ( Catalan: Illa de S'Espalmador ) is a small island north of Formentera and belongs to Ibiza and Formentera, which in turn are part of the Balearic Islands. The island is located in the nature reserve of Parque Natural de Ses Salines

Illa de S'Espalmador has an area of ​​about 2 square kilometers is about 2.7 km long and 1.3 km wide and surrounded by other small islands. With the exception of a large bay in the south and another in the north- west of the island, the coast is rocky and rugged.

The southern bay offers a well-protected anchorage, a sandy beach Platja de s'Alga with palm trees and clear water, which is why s'Espalmador is often visited as a tourist destination of Formentera or Ibiza.

Another special feature is the presence in the middle of the island sulfuric mud lagoon, could have always had mud baths in the visitors. In the wake of growing environmental and nature protection legislation in the Balearics this sludge lagoon but was fenced in spring 2008 with Absperrtauen and pointed to the henceforth valid prohibition from entering with signs. On the island is located on the highest point (22 m) on the island of la round chunky torra de sa Guardiola, a 1749 erected a watchtower. Between Formentera and s'Espalmador are just less than 150 meters. Since the passage to Formentera is not very deep, you can theoretically reach even after walking Espalmador, but you should prefer the journey for safety by boat. Espalmador be reached during the season with shuttle boats from Port de sa Savina. Espalmador is a nature reserve, signs point to a variety of rules, but the entry is generally not prohibited.

History

Excavations indicate that the first inhabitants of the Punic period, the other artifacts found date from the period between the 1st and 3rd century BC on a peninsula in the north of the island is an archaeological site on which one to Roman villa belongs.

During the 16th and 17th century, the island was considered uninhabited. After the re- colonization of Formentera s'Espalmador were used by fishermen and for the extraction of sandstone and a traditional farmhouse was built in the north of the island. Since the 19th century, the island was inhabited again. Beginning of the 20th century s'Espalmador was also a strategic point for trade in smuggled goods.

1927 bought by businessman Bernard Richard James Cinnamond ( 1889-1975 ) from Barcelona and the island built on a hill by the harbor s'Algar an estate and an oratorio, which bears the name of Sant Bernat today. The property is now a summer residence and owned by the descendants of Don Bernat.