Dreaming of Ibiza? These books will transport you to the island right now.

The guidebooks that Ibiza and Formentera were waiting for, written by a true island insider. Hjordis Fogelberg has spent her whole life on Ibiza, raised with her siblings in an ancient finca by her Danish father and Australian mother. Her insight into the &lsquo;real&rsquo; Ibiza is second to none, as is her taste in lo-fi, out-of-the-way hidden gems. A must-buy for any island newbies.
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/myibizaandformentera/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">My Ibiza &amp; Formentera by Hjordis Fogelberg</a>

My Ibiza & Formentera by Hjordis Fogelberg

The ultimate deep dive into Ibiza&rsquo;s chequered (and exotic!) history, featuring Phoenician settlers, Moorish rulers, Catalan conquistadors and everyone in between. Kaufman unpacks the religious practices of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, including a detailed investigation of deities as Bes, Baal-Hammon and Tanit. Kaufman&rsquo;s prose is witty and accessible, allowing both scholars and novice history buffs to discover the fascinating story of Ibiza&rsquo;s historical position at the very centre of Mediterranean life.
<a href="https://lagaleriaelefante.com/product/the-history-buffs-guide-to-ibiza-by-emily-kaufman/#:~:text=The%20History%20Buff's%20Guide%20To%20Ibiza%20by%20Emily%20Kaufman.,Emily%20Kaufman%20reviews%20Ibicenco%20history." target="_blank" rel="noopener">A History Buff&rsquo;s Guide to Ibiza by Emily Kaufman (Barbary Press)</a>

A History Buff’s Guide to Ibiza by Emily Kaufman (Barbary Press)

Written by L&rsquo;Officiel Ibiza Editorial Manager Maya Boyd and created by Dutch fashion stylist Renu Kashyap, Ibiza Bohemia has become a cult classic. The hot pink coffee-table book, published by Assouline, is a tribute to the culturally rich community of Ibiza and to the spell that island has cast upon the world. The text explores the cultural history of Ibiza from the Phoenician settlers up to the present day and is peppered with stories and quotes from Ibiza&rsquo;s most fascinating adopted citizens, including the architect Rolph Blakstad, Dadaist Raoul Haussman and poet Janet Frame. 
<a href="https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/shop/product/assouline/accessories/books/ibiza-bohemia-by-maya-boyd-and-renu-kashyap-hardcover-book/22831760542860649" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ibiza Bohemia by Renu Kashyap + Maya Boyd (Assouline)</a>

Ibiza Bohemia by Renu Kashyap + Maya Boyd (Assouline)

A visual journey into the hidden corners of a Mediterranean microcosmos in which man has lived in close communion with nature for millennia, and where customs and folklore from the distant past have survived right up to the present. Since the 1930s, Ibiza and Formentera have been known as a refuge for writers and artists, but it is the photographers who have perhaps done most to record the archipelago&rsquo;s unique beauty and charm. The present anthology celebrates the vision of seventy such &lsquo;light-painters&rsquo;, enabling today&rsquo;s reader to roam again through the islands that time forgot.
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eivissa-Ibiza-Island-Out-Time/dp/8460940950" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eivissa-Ibiza: Island Out of Time by Martin Davies (Barbary Press)</a>

Eivissa-Ibiza: Island Out of Time by Martin Davies (Barbary Press)

The authoritative study on the origins of Ibiza&rsquo;s vernacular architecture and its clear links to the ancient buildings of the Near East. Rolph Blakstad was a renaissance man, a self-taught historian and architect who settled on the island in 1956 and became fascinated with the similarities he saw between the island&rsquo;s fincas and the traditional dwellings in neolithic settlements such as &Ccedil;atalh&ouml;y&uuml;k, in Southern Anatolia. Blakstad devoted his life to the study of Ibiza&rsquo;s folk architecture and this book is his magnum opus, crammed full of drawings and descriptions of his mysterious and fascinating world. 
<a href="http://blakstadibiza.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The House of Ibiza: The Key to a Millennial Tradition. Rolph Blakstad (Loft)</a>

The House of Ibiza: The Key to a Millennial Tradition. Rolph Blakstad (Loft)

The House of Ibiza: The Key to a Millennial Tradition by Rolph Blakstad (Loft)

An absolute classic, written by an American who was living quietly in the north-eastern town of Santa Eulalia when the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936. Paul, along with other foreigners, was forced to flee, and this intimately written book is poignant tribute to the men and women whom he left behind in his adopted homeland. Paul describes in poetic prose the simplicity and beauty of Santa Eulalia&rsquo;s pre-war community, while offering an unflinching account of the horrors wreaked by the Civil War upon ordinary islanders.&nbsp; 
<a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/the-life-and-death-of-a-spanish-town/author/elliot-paul/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Life and Death of a Spanish Town by Elliot Paul (The Modern Library)</a>

The Life and Death of a Spanish Town by Elliot Paul (The Modern Library)

An excellent new-ish novel set in the dawn of Ibiza&rsquo;s settlement. In the Phoenician golden age (around the 7th century BC) golden age, only the western reaches of the Great Sea remain uncharted. Kaly, a restless teenager from the ancient port of Tyre, escapes the clutches of her fiendish grandmother, high priestess of the Goddess. She flees west with her father, a famed helmsman and explorer. Together they discover the fabled Pine Tree Island ('Iboshim' in Phoenician), where they build a new home with a crew of fellow adventurers.
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pine-Tree-Island-Novel-Ibizas/dp/8409343681" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pine Tree Island by Ben Dunwell (Barbary Press)</a>

Seven must-read books about Ibiza

Tags

Related Articles

Ibiza

Ibiza: an island past and present

Ibiza

The season is here - time to hit up these classic Ibiza chiringuitos.

Ibiza

Ibiza Summer 2024: Balancing Health and Hedonism

Recommended posts for you

Culture

The Many Lives of Carla Bruni: Model, Musician and First Lady

Design

Style and functionality: objects that redefine your interior

Portraits

Emma Chamberlain, the voice of Gen Z: "I always have a Swiss Army knife in my bag"

Ibiza

Baubles, Twirls & Holiday Curls - Bringing Christmas nostalgia with the 60’s beehive

Fashion

The Most Beautiful Red Dresses for New Year's Eve 2024

Soul

Open the tarot card, receive a holiday gift dedicated to the 12 Zodiac Signs

Beauty

The hottest makeup trend of the year: Freckles that sparkle like stars

Fashion

Calvin Klein Returns to New York Fashion Week with Veronica Leoni's First Show