Ibiza derives its name from the God, Bes. An Ancient Egyptian deity, he was worshipped as a protector of households and regarded as the defender of everything good and the enemy of all that is bad. Since he drove off evil, Bes came to symbolize the good things in life – music, dance and sexual pleasure.

In 654 BC, the first Phoenician settlers believed Ibiza to be a magic isle blessed by the Gods because the rich, red soil is non-volcanic and there were no reptiles, animals, insects or plants that were harmful to humans. They named the island “Ibosim“, island of Bes.

“Scattering Ibiza soil around your house, the Roman historian, Pliny the Elder wrote, would keep you safe from poisonous creatures. Perhaps when you name something, you give it power. Ibiza seems to have done its best to live up to Bes, whether through the chaotic hedonism of dancing or the eternal sanctuary the place has provided for the troubled and wandering across the centuries. It is an island of escape.”  (The White Island, by Stephen Armstrong)