Soaring dramatically out of the sea off the south-west coast of Ibiza, 400-metre-high Es Vedràis is an uninhabited limestone rock shrouded in myth and legend.
Es Vedrà may look familiar; it stood in for the volcanic island of Bali Hai in the 1958 Hollywood movie South Pacific. Yet it’s perhaps better known for its reputed status as the third most magnetic spot on earth (after the north pole and the Bermuda Triangle).
There is no evidence to back up these claims, but one thing’s for sure: anyone who anchors nearby on an Ibiza yacht charter will be won over by its majestic presence.
The rock has been mesmerizing sailors for thousands of years. In Greek legend, Es Vedrà was the home of the sirens and sea-nymphs who tried to lure Ulysses from his ship in Homer’s Odyssey.
It is also said to be the birthplace of the goddess Tanit, who became Ibiza’s patroness and who is immortalized across the island in statue form.
And it is the setting for one of the island's greatest fables, The Giant of Es Vedrà, which tells the tale of two brothers who defeat a giant residing on Es Vedrà in order to collect Samphire to cure their father's illness.
Another well-known myth is that Es Vedrà is the tip of the sunken civilization of Atlantis while others believe the rock was used to build the Pyramids in Egypt. There have even been countless UFO sightings around the rock, both in the sky and below the sea.
Today, Es Vedrà is considered a place of spiritual connection, and people come to the Ibizan coast to meditate with the rock in sight. Looking out to sea from this position is also prime sunset viewing territory and, what's more, the rock forms part of the Cala d’Hort nature reserve.
Whether or not the legends that surround Es Vedrà are to be believed, it cannot be denied that the rock is a natural wonder sure to enhance any Mediterranean yacht charter. For more details, talk to your preferred charter broker.
