The Almond Blossom on Ibiza

Enjoy the almond blossom on Ibiza - The Valley of the Crown

More than 1,000 almond trees are now in full blossom in Santa Agnes' "Valley of the Crown". The big pink and white flowers seem to glow in the sun and the smell of honey hangs in the air. This is a place where you can get a feel for what Ibiza is really like.

The almond blossoms have a special meaning for the people of Ibiza and Formentera - because when the trees are covered in pink or white flowers, it's a sign that spring is just around the corner. The winter with its cold winds from the north is about to be driven out and soon, the island will be transformed into a sea of flowers, blossoming in their millions.

So it is an absolute must for the islanders to enjoy the season of almond blossom - especially at the weekend. That's when entire families - from grandma to the tiniest toddlers in pushchairs - head for Santa Agnes where the 1,000 almond trees in the "Valley of the Crown" blossom in a cloud of pink and white flowers that is a joy to behold. Incidentally, the trees with white flowers are male and bear sweet almonds in the summer, whereas the trees with pink blossoms are female and produce bitter almonds.

There are three different ways to enjoy almond blossom season in and around Santa Agnes:
Your first option is to go by foot. Set off from the car park in Santa Agnes and walk anti-clockwise around the valley. Go left after leaving the car park and follow the tarmac road that leads around the valley. On the way, you will pass by the lovely little white finca surrounded by lavender bushes shown in the photograph at the beginning of this article. It will take around an hour and a half to walk all the way around the valley. If you prefer, you can also walk through the valley and the almond tree grove itself. Just pick a path and see where it leads you - though be aware that many are small access roads that will lead you to a house and no further.

If you prefer to experience the almond blossom by bike instead, our expert cyclist, Werner Rusing, suggests taking the following route: drive by car to Sant Mateu and from there you can cycle along the freshly surfaced road to Santa Agnes and the "Valley of the Crown". Then select the same route that you would if you were on foot.

If you're travelling by car, there are two roads you can take to enjoy the full glory of the almond blossoms. One of them leads from Ibiza town via the new motorway to Sant Rafael, where you should take a right turn to head towards Santa Agnes. You will find yourself driving through a gorgeous Ibizan panorama of blossoming almond trees and fragrant pine trees. For the second scenic route, start off in Santa Gertrudis, drive to Sant Mateu and then take the turn towards Santa Agnes. Your best option is to pick one of these routes on the way to the valley and then drive back home along the other.

If you're not into walking, you can keep to the tarmaced road and drive all the way around the "Valley of the Crown", but please keep your speed down because there will be a lot of ramblers on the road. Doing the tour on foot is obviously the healthier and better alternative. You can park in the large car park and walk down to see the blossoming almond trees. If you don't fancy taking the long way round, you can also walk along the path and enjoy the gorgeous display of flowers and heady aroma until you've had your fill, and then simply turn around and head back to your car.

For those of you who're feeling peckish, there are three restaurants to choose from in the area: next to the church you have Toni's "Cosmi" bar with its famous tortillas, the "Palmera" (good paella), and up on the cliffs (about 1 km along the road to your left when you leave the car park) you have a little restaurant serving good meat dishes.

If you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience, you can't beat visiting the almond groves by full moon.

On 9th February, we would like to invite our readers to join us for a torchlight hike followed by a concert in the local church.