Sant Mateu d’Albarca lies in a green valley in the north-west of the island, in the municipality of Sant Antoni, about ten kilometres from Santa Gertrudis. It is little more than a church, a few scattered houses, a bar and a couple of restaurants, surrounded by vineyards and fields of red earth.
What it’s like
The church dates from the late 18th century and has the enclosed porch typical of the period. The red soil of the valley is some of the most fertile on the island, and this has long been Ibiza’s main wine-growing area, where many families still make their own vi pagès, the island’s homemade country wine.
What to see and do
In December, the village holds the Festa des Vi Pagès, organised by the neighbours’ association, with free tastings of local homemade wines, sobrassada and botifarra sausages, music and traditional dancing. The exact date is announced each year. In September it celebrates its patron saint, Saint Matthew, around the 21st.
Walkers can follow a path down to Cala d’Albarca, a wild cove on the north coast with a natural rock arch. Nearby, too, are Santa Agnès and its almond valley.
Getting there
Sant Mateu is reached by country roads from Santa Gertrudis or Sant Antoni. The T7 bus, which runs between Sant Antoni and Sant Joan, stops in the village, though services are limited and a car gives you more freedom to explore.
Good to know
The December wine festival is one of the most authentic local celebrations on the island, and one of the busiest days in the village’s year.
