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RIVER ROUTE
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RIVER ROUTE DESCRIPTION Santa Eulària des Riu has the only river in Ibiza (Eivissa) and in the Balearic islands. The river, and especially at the point where it flows into the sea, has played an important role in history. Water from the river was used for irrigating large expanses of farming land known as Horta de Santa Eulària. The river is around 15 kilometres long and nowadays most of it is dry for a large part of the year. The main cause of the river drying up was over-exploitation of water resources from aquifers in the first half of the 20th century. Water flows all year round at the river’s mouth because sea water mixes with it and has helped form a small estuary. The fortified church and the possibility of supplying the area with river water were both deciding factors when it came to choosing this spot for developing the town in 1787. In fact, by the early 19th century, the definitive outline of Santa Eulària village was taking shape on the plain on the eastern side of the hill where the church stands. On this tour you can see the leading cultural, natural and heritage attractions in the village of Santa Eulària. This leaflet includes a brief description of some of the sites of special heritage interest included on the tour. (Texto) Puig de Missa is so called because of the church that stands at the top. The hill is 52 metres above sea level and overlooks a fertile area of land crossed by the Santa Eulària river. The church, which was built in the 16th century, was fortified and armed with cannons to protect the mill, the millers and the rural labourers working in the fields from being attacked by Turkish and North African galleys. The fortress church of Puig de Missa is part of Ibiza’s built heritage and most of the building is still in its original whitewashed state. Some features like the dome are in other colours and the defence tower has not been plastered, leaving the stonework exposed, as was the custom with defence towers. One of the buildings that surround Puig de Missa is Can Ros, an old rural house that once belonged to one of the large estates in the Santa Eulària municipal area. Today it houses the Museu d’Etnografia d’Eivissa (Ibiza Ethnographic Museum). The purpose of the museum is to recover, restore and preserve ethnological heritage suitable for including in the collection and showing visitors what life was like in Ibizan rural society, such as what technology people used, how they dressed, what crafts and trades they practised, aspects of daily life and so on. It is also responsible for carrying out research and raising awareness of intangible heritage in the form of beliefs, music and dances. Flour mills driven by river water were vitally important for the area. The mills are clustered around Puig de Missa, where the 16th century fortress church stands. In the building known as Can Planetes, a former mill house, you will find the Centre d’Interpretació del Riu de Santa Eulària (the Santa Eulària river interpretation centre). The centre describes how these mills were driven by the water flow and stresses their importance for the village of Santa Eulària, where life revolved round the river right up until the 20th century. The constant flow of water meant that the mills were extremely productive at a time when bread was eaten every single day, making it an indispensable part of island life. Before tourism took hold in Ibiza, this area was occupied by fields irrigated with water from the Santa Eulària river. But, the spread of urban development meant that the mill lost its purpose and became surrounded by the growing town. The river also gave rise to a series of engineering projects, like the bridges you can see on the tour. The oldest, known as Pont Vell (old bridge), is thought to have been built before the 18th century. Pont Nou (new bridge) was built centuries later and in 1927 it was the main access route into the town. The tour is a fascinating combination of nature and herita
