First Almond Flowers

Another gloriously sunny day and the first almond blossoms are out! Almond flowers are some of the prettiest flowers, dazzling white and occasionally pink, they flower briefly in early Winter, stunning us with their delicate beauty.

The area of Santa Agnes, just 7 kilometres above San Antonio, is the most famous area in Ibiza to see the annual spectacle that is the almond blossom. The plateau of Santa Agnes, 250 metres above sea level, with its rich, Fauvist red soil is the largest concentration of almonds on the whole island. People come from all over Ibiza to Santa Agnes to see the almond trees when they are in bloom. In fact, the only time one might find a traffic jam in Santa Agnes is on a Sunday afternoon in January when the almond trees are flowering. The rest of the year Santa Agnes moves at a much more leisurely, natural, pace, the kind of place where only the sheep and goats crossing the road on the way home slow traffic down.

Walk among the almond trees of Santa Agnes at full moon

There is a lovely tradition developing of walking among the almond trees of Santa Agnes at full moon. The walks are continuing this year as the excellent Ibiza Walking Association are once again facilitating this unique event, this Sunday 20 January at 8pm, meeting at the Church.

We should be in luck for the moonlit walk, as the first almond trees are just in blossom. The almond trees in the most sheltered and sunniest spots are those flowering now. The main body of trees will all be blossoming this week, just in time for the full moon and a moonlit walk. I think that the timing is exactly perfect & look forward with excitement to this rare treat.

Ibiza in Winter is gorgeous

Ibiza in Winter is gorgeous when it is sunny – and we do have 300 days of sunshine every year – so the odds of sunshine here are always high! The island may be resting, but there an abundance of flowers everywhere. The oranges and lemons are hanging ripe on the trees. The almond trees are starting to flower. When we stop and listen, we hear the bees are out there, busily working away. There are butterflies taking the nectar from almond blossoms – it is January. This may be Winter, but Winter in Ibiza is soft, warm & colourful. We feel grateful to be here.