From Tunisia to the Balearics

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Hello again. In our previous blog we described the last leg of our roundtrip in Tunisia, visiting Jasmin, Hammamet, Tunis and finishing in ancient Carthage the capital of the Punic empire 650–149 BC. Back on the boat we said farewell to our Tunisian friends Ramy and Kawthar and prepared for the 340 miles sail to Mallorca. 340 Miles is a long sail in the Med and because of the irregular and rapidly changing weather conditions it is almost impossible to find a window long enough with favourable winds for the whole trip.

Leaving Bizerte behind on Oct 28, 0730 am. The bridge over the canal into lake Bizerte to the left. The marina to the right.

The weather was as forecasted, so no surprises there. Roughly we had the following conditions; Leaving Bizerte with a North Easterly on a nice broad reach for the first quarter of the trip. The wind slowly veered to East and South East giving us a fine spinaker run for the next quarter of the trip. Thereafter the wind died, meaning we had to motor, also for roughly one quarter of the distance. Neptune had however an endurance test prepared for us and the last quarter was beating into 25 – 30 knots Westerlies and building seas.  In these conditions there is no peace or quiet on the boat. With two reefs in the main and a first reef in the genoa, the wind is howling in the rigging. Communicating with each other changes from “talking” to “shouting”. Every slap of a wave under the bridge deck sends a thunderous shiver through the boat, but TWO B is strong. She plows on and we hold on, knowing that all will be over in 8 hours time after we arrive in the selected port of Porto Colom.

We arrived in Porto Colom on the East coast of Mallorca in the evening of Oct 30 after almost 60 hours at sea. Tired but satisfied we tied to a mooring at the purple star. We slept like babies, the wind still howling but no more waves in this large natural harbour.
View of the mooring field and the town the following morning as seen from the boat. The town is off the tourist trail and surprisingly undeveloped. No uggly high risers and with charming restaurants along the cay catering for Spanish clientele.
We met up for coffee with Jonalyn whom we met in Marmaris, Türkiye. She introduced us to Victor, then her Spanish fiancee, now her husband. TWO B safely at a mooring in the distance.
That evening we celebrated our safe crossing with a dinner at Restaurant HPC. On the plate a whole octopus that was soooooo tender and delicious. Absolutely recommended.

We didn’t want to stay in Porto Colom, or in Mallorca for too long since we explored the island three years ago when we traveled the Med from West to East. (See https://www.twobatsea.com/how-to-get-further-eastwards/). So the following morning we paid the mooring fee, (an outrages €43/= per night, out of season, on a mooring and without facilities!!) and left for Ibiza. In the photo looking back to the harbour entrance to the left.

The captain could still produce a smile after the payment "shock" but the weather had cleared and that makes all the difference!
Approaching Cala Llonga our first anchorage of Ibiza island.
We stayed in Cala Llonga for a few nights before moving to Cala Talamanca, the anchorage NE of Ibiza town at the purple star.
This bay is quite long and therefore very calm. Tourist season is over so it was very relaxed. Only one other boat at anchor, no jet-skies and no blaring speakers on the beach.
Most of the hotels are now closed so no sun worshipers on the beach. The locals had organised a beach badminton competition instead. We spend a few days relaxing, swimming and strolling the now sleepy town before sailing to Cala Talamanca.

In 654 BC the Phoenicians built the first port in Ibiza, calling it Ebusus (Ibossim). Thanks to its strategic location and the large protected natural harbour it became an important trading hub in the Mediterranean. The Western Phoenician colonies and trading posts gradually merged into the Punic empire, led by Carthage (see previous post). The island produced dye, salt, fermented fish sauce, wool, wine, marble and lead. After the Romans expelled the Punics or Carthagenians from the Spanish mainland during the Second Punic War, in 209 BC, Ibiza  became a Roman municipality. After subsequently being ruled by the Vandals, Muslims, Crown of Aragon and Spain, it is now part of the Balearic Autonomous Community.

It is a long dinghy ride from our anchorage, along the mole and into the marina on the North side of the large natural harbour, with the glitzy motor yachts neatly docked under the old town or "Dalt Villa".
Modern and cheerfully designed apartment- and holiday homes, befitting Ibiza's reputation for its exuberant nightlife and electronic dance music club scene in the summer, and as the LGBTQ capital of Europe.

In Ibiza (Ayboshim), up until the seventh century B.C. the Phoenicians settled on the highest part of Puig the Vila, conveniently approachable from the fine natural harbour. This acropolis, known as Dalt Vila, was fortified in several stages up until the construction of the imposing Renaissance walled enclosure ordered by King Philip II (King of Spain, Portugal, Naples and Sicily) in the sixteenth century, and still standing today.

During the Phoenician period the city of the dead, or necropolis, would usually be placed close to the city of the living. Puig des Molins was chosen for Ibiza’s urban necropolis, located only 500m away to the west of Dalt Vila.

"Puig de Moulins" meaning Windmill Hill, is littered with tombs. The Punics would dig a vertical shaft down and at sufficient depth they would dig the burial chamber. That chamber would be closed off after the burial ritual with a stone slab and the shaft would then be backfilled. Punic society believed that the soul of the deceased made a transcendental journey to the afterlife, and consequently the body had to be properly prepared by following a series of rites. Food and gifts were included in the burial chamber as well.
The shafts leading to the burial chamber. Ibiza has not yielded any of the funerary monuments that were used in the East and in North Africa to mark graves, but archaeologists have discovered truncated pyramids and altars, shaped like oversized perfume burners to identify tombs or for post-mortem worship. Some tombs can be entered. Photo's below are clickable.
Note the oil lamp next to the skull. Oil lamps were lit and left behind to provide light during the journey to the afterlife.
Note the oil lamp next to the head. Oil lamps were lit and left behind to provide light during the journey to the afterlife.
A few corpses were found to be wrapped in linen only.
A few corpses were found to be wrapped in linen only.
Most of the bodies were placed in wooden coffins of which only a few nails have survived. Some were placed in a stone sarcophagus.
Most of the bodies were placed in wooden coffins of which only a few nails have survived. Some were place in a sarcophagus.
Note that tomb raiders broke the walls between the individual tombs to get access to the gifts, jewellery and other personal adornments that the dead carried on the journey to the afterlife.
Note that tomb raiders broke the walls between the individual tombs to get access to the jewelery and other personal adornments that the dead carried on the journey to the afterlife.
Ampfora with food for the journey. The bust is of the Goddess Tanit and is placed to protect the grave from raiders.
Ampfora with food for the journey. The bust is of the Goddess Tanit and is placed to protect the grave from raiders.
Ascending from the tombs.
Model of the Mazarron 2 on display in the on site museum. This Phoenician ship is dated to the sixth century BC and has an overall length of 8.15m and a beam of 2.20 m. Its cargo consisted of lead ore ingots (totalling 2,800 kg in weight), an amphora, a grindstone, and an esparto basket with a wooden handle. The anchor made of wood and lead, was also recovered. Picture these brave sailors navigating the MED in this open boat and without GPS and compare with our boat, 13 m long and 7.4m wide with electronic charts and a real mattress to sleep on!
The acropolis as seen from the necropolis.
We enter the acropolis via the well manicured St. Pere bastion.
The Portal Nou gate in the bastion.
The tunnel under the massive walls.
Inside the acropolis.
View from the St. Jordi bastion towards the St. Jaume bastion. A bastion is a battle station.
View of the marina and the new city. Cathedral de St. Maria to the left.
Same cathedral from the other side as seen from the North.
Cathedral's interior.
View over Dalt Vila and the large natural harbour with our floating home just visible over the hotels' rooftop.
The gate Sa Portella, also known as Portella d'en Serra, connected Dalt Vila with the outside, and from here there were paths leading to the port and the windmills.
Different street view within the acropolis.
Dalt Vila seen from the huge battle station Santa Llucia that protected the port.
Looking West from bastion St. Llucia you can see the access ramp and the draw bridge into Dalt Vila. The small building on top of the wall to the left was a gun powder depot.
Access gate and draw bridge.
Sa Penya is a picturesque district between fortification and harbour, with winding streets and charming squares. It is the island's principal gay centre and a popular spot for café terraces, fashion boutiques and crafts' workshops.

We stayed only two nights at anchor in Cala Talamanca. The winds decide when we leave and it had turned favourable to head to Cartagena on the Spanish mainland, but that is subject for the next blog.

Thank you for reading our stories. Liza and Frits.