Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture

Ibiza was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 for both its extraordinary marine ecosystem (Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows) and its well-preserved Phoenician and Punic cultural heritage. The Phoenician settlement of Ibossim, founded in 654 BC, is one of the best-preserved examples of Phoenician urbanism in the western Mediterranean. The medieval walled city of Dalt Vila, rising dramatically above the port, preserves Renaissance fortifications that protected the island from Ottoman raids.