Archaeological Museum of Ibiza and Formentera (MAEF)

The Archaeological Museum of Ibiza and Formentera, known as MAEF, is the main archaeology museum of the Pitiusic Islands. It is housed beside the cathedral on the Plaça de la Catedral in Dalt Vila, the walled upper town of Ibiza Town in the Balearic Islands of Spain. The collections cover the human history of Ibiza and Formentera from prehistory through the Phoenician, Punic and Roman periods, with a focus on the Phoenician foundation of Ebusus in the 7th century BCE. The museum displays finds from sites across the islands, including material from the Puig des Molins necropolis, the Phoenician settlement of Sa Caleta and Roman remains, so a visit links directly to the monuments of the UNESCO World Heritage listing. Typical exhibits include Punic pottery, terracotta figurines, jewellery, glass, coins, amphorae and tools, which show the island's role in Mediterranean trade between Carthage, Greece, Egypt and Italy. The presentation is broadly chronological, moving through the successive cultures that occupied the islands, and it is complemented by the Monographic Museum at Puig des Molins, which holds the necropolis material at the site itself. The museum building sits in the historic precinct that also holds the cathedral and the Renaissance walls, and its setting adds to the sense of continuity between the ancient town and the medieval and early modern city above it. The collection has grown through excavations since the 19th century and benefits from modern conservation of fragile objects. Opening hours are typically Tuesday to Saturday mornings and afternoons and Sunday mornings, with closure on Mondays. Admission is a low fee, reported at about EUR 2 to 4. The museum is part of a network of sites managed together, and a visit makes the most sense before or after walking the walls and the necropolis, giving context to what remains in the ground. Labels are normally provided in Catalan and Spanish with additional languages in some areas, and visitors may confirm language options on the museum website.