Cala d’en Serra is a beach in the northern part of the island of
Ibiza
Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...
. It is in the municipality of
Sant Joan de Labritja and is
["579 Regional Map, Spain, Islas Baleares. Pub:Michelin Editions des Voyages, 2004, ] north of the village of
Sant Joan de Labritja, and east of the beach resort of
Portinatx.
The beach of ''Cala d’en Serra'' is a small horseshoe bay with a further satellite coves near by. The sandy beach has clean clear water
[The Rough Guide to Ibiza & Formentera. Pub:Rough Guides, Penguin Group, 2003, ] and was once named in
''The Guardian'' newspaper, one of
Europe’s best beaches.
[Secret Beaches, Ibiza. Author: Robert Smith. Pub: One More Grain of Sand 2012. ] The bay is surrounded by steep cliffs.
Abandoned hotel
This building project was started in 1969 by acclaimed Catalan Architect
Josep Lluís Sert
Josep Lluís Sert i López (; 1 July 190215 March 1983) was a Catalan architect and city planner established in the USA after 1939.
Biography
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Sert showed keen interest in the works of his uncle, the painte ...
, who was exiled in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
at the time, was planned to be a luxury hotel resort complex. ''Sert’s'' clerk of works, ''Antonio Ferran'' signed off on his projects back in
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
to get around the fact that Spain's
fascist government ensured that Sert himself could not be accredited as an architect in the Catalonia & Balearic islands region. By the middle of the 1970s a lot of work had already been completed but project was put on hold, and then abandoned completely after ''Sert'' died of
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
in 1983.
In the years following ''Sert’s'' death there have been many proposals and heated debates over what should be done with the half finished project. Many islanders consider the half constructed hotel a blight on an area of outstanding natural beauty while others see the project as an important piece of cultural heritage, since ''Sert'' has now been elevated to one of Catalonia's most acclaimed
architects
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
. In the year 2000 plans were drawn up to complete the complex in the style intended by ''Sert'', for use as an exclusive tourist attraction and
Thalassotherapy
Thalassotherapy (from the Greek word ''thalassa'', meaning "sea") is the use of seawater as a form of therapy. Note: Thalasso therapy is a sub-definition under the listing for Thalasso. It also includes the systematic use of sea products and shor ...
centre. These plans were also eventually abandoned, mainly due to the
2008 financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
and the subsequent downturn in the island tourist economy.
Gallery
File:Cala d'en Serra - Eivissa - Ibiza - Spain.jpg
File:Cala d en Serra 31 May 2012.JPG
See also
*
Josep Lluís Sert
Josep Lluís Sert i López (; 1 July 190215 March 1983) was a Catalan architect and city planner established in the USA after 1939.
Biography
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Sert showed keen interest in the works of his uncle, the painte ...
, the architect of the abandoned Hotel
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serra Cala
Beaches of Ibiza
Beaches of the Balearic Islands