Travel guide Balearic Islands

This fashion was born in the 1970s in Ibiza, promoted by the late actress Smilja Mihailovitch. A contraction of the Latin expression ad libitum ("as much as you like, as much as you want"), Ad-Lib fashion, a harmonious blend of elegance and sophistication, concentrates casualness and freshness, evoking the brightness and youthfulness of Ibiza.

All Spaniards have them on their feet. With a family resemblance to our espadrilles, they are sandals with leather straps, once worn by shepherds and with soles made from old tires. Originally from Menorca, they are known as menorquines in the rest of Spain. Even the royal family wears them!

Caldereta de llagosta is a type of bouillabaisse typical of Menorca, and more specifically of Fornells, a small, charming town in the north of the island. The main difference with the French dish is that it includes lobster. The result is much more fragrant... and more expensive. Seafood lovers, you've come to the right place!

Ibiza's clubs make it their biggest advertisement: who gets to be the best DJ... of the evening. For many years now, the Ibiza DJ Awards have rewarded the best DJ of the year. But in addition to the nightclubs, most of the trendy bars and beach huts have their own resident DJs and their own discographies.

The equivalent of our croissants. It's a little bit greasier (made with lard), rolled up like a raisin bread, sprinkled with icing sugar... and it's a real religion! Every tourist goes home with a souvenir box! In the airport departure halls as well as on board the boats, the hexagonal white cardboard boxes are legion.

The hippies arrived on the archipelago in the middle of the ^20th century and left their mark, notably on Ibiza's weekly entertainment: the hippie markets, including those in Es Canar and Las Dalias, where you'll find handicrafts as well as imports from Asia and India. Formentera also has several markets.

You'll see them on all four Balearic islands. On Mallorca and Ibiza, they are stocky and have short wings. They are used to collect freshwater from the ground. On Menorca and Formentera, their wings are long (4 or 5 m!) and sophisticated, to better capture the wind and make the millstones that crush the grains of wheat turn faster.

The Pityuse islands include Ibiza and Formentera, as well as several smaller islets such as Espalmador and Espardell. The name Pityuse probably comes from pitys, which means pine in ancient Greek. In ancient times, the Pityuses were clearly differentiated from the rest of the Balearic Islands. Mallorca and Menorca formed the Gymesias.

A blend of Menorcan gin and lemonade, Pomada, invented in the town of Maó in 1967, is a typical Menorcan drink. It's particularly popular in summer, especially during the patron saint's day, as it's a very refreshing drink! It is, of course, consumed throughout the archipelago.

Ibizan salt, renowned for its purity, comes from this nature reserve stretching from Ibiza to Fomentera. Classified as a World Heritage Site in 1999 by UNESCO for its exceptional beauty, the salt flats are also a special protection area for birds, serving as a migration stopover for herons and flamingos in particular.

An essential Mallorcan product, sobrassada is made from pork. Its red color comes from paprika, mixed with salt, pepper and minced meat. Despite its sausage-like appearance, sobrassada has the consistency of pâté, so it's best eaten spread on bread. Menorca also produces its own version.

Between 1,000 and 300 B.C. the Talayotic era was born. Numerous remains from this period can be found in the Balearic Islands, especially on the island of Menorca. They are characterised by taules: imposing T-shaped megaliths that can be up to 3.7 metres high. Most of the time, they are surrounded by a U-shaped wall.