Languages

It is important to warn you that driving around in Ibiza can be similar to driving around abroad - for example in Wales or Ireland. Places where two languages are in use.

Your introduction to this quirk is generally to be found on Ibiza at your first road junction, in your hire car whilst studying your map. The island has two languages the first of which you may have come prepared for, and most likely the one the map makers used. The second is Catalan, which is loosely described as similar, but if you're familiar with neither this will be of little comfort. The best simile is that of a country called the 'United' Kingdom, where different areas of the kingdom yearn to speak different languages, for historical reasons that make it more difficult for them to communicate with each other, or unite.

In the case of Spain the two conflicting languages - Spanish (which you may have come prepared for) and Catalan which is the the language of Cataluna.

The difference between these two can perhaps best be illustrated nowadays by the rivalry between the two major forces in Spanish football - Real Madrid (from the capital of Spain) and Barcelona (the capital of Cataluna).

The two factions need not concern you here on Ibiza though as the local population are used to visitors turning up and speaking different languages. It's been going on for about the last 3,500 years, so they more than likely speak any language that you can.

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