Pont Vell, Santa Eulària des Riu, bridge in Spain

Pont Vell is a stone bridge in Santa Eulària des Riu measuring roughly 87.5 meters in length, 4.75 meters wide, and nearly 9 meters tall. It features four main arches built from large stones fitted tightly together, creating a sturdy structure designed for durability rather than decoration.

Pont Vell was likely constructed in the 16th or 17th century, possibly on the foundations of an earlier Roman structure, with first written records appearing in 1720. When the modern Pont Nou was built in 1918 for vehicle traffic, this bridge shifted from being the town's main entrance to a pedestrian crossing.

Local legend tells of the Fameliar, a bad-tempered pixie sheltered by herbs growing under the bridge's arches. To capture one, you had to pick and bottle the flowering herb at first light on 24 June, the feast of Saint Juan. Released, it cries "Soc es familiar, vull veina o menjar" — work or food — and eats you out of house and home if left idle. In 1744 a man from Santa Eulària was imprisoned by the Holy Office for swearing he owned one.

Pont Vell now carries only pedestrians; all other traffic uses the modern road bridge beside it on the western approach to Santa Eulària des Riu. Walkers reach it on foot from the town side of the Riu de Santa Eulària, the island's only river.

The Fameliar legend tells of a herb found only under the bridge's arches, picked at first light on 24 June, the feast of Saint Juan, and sealed in a black bottle. In 1744 a man from Santa Eulària was imprisoned by the Holy Office after swearing under oath that he owned such a spirit.