In between parties, relax at these favorite and little-known Ibiza beaches
With over 200km (124 miles) of glittering coastline, it’s possible to escape the White Isle’s crowds – often by heading out on foot – even in peak summer; shoulder season (May/June, September/October) is quieter yet still warm enough for lying out.
Outdoor adventures abound year-round, from sunset kayaking to thrilling snorkeling to hiking along the island’s rugged shores. Some of the island’s most blissful stretches of sand sit within fiercely protected nature reserves, and local beach clean-ups offer the chance to have a positive impact. Here’s our list of the best beaches in Ibiza.
Head to Ses Salines & Es Cavallet for natural beauty and beach parties
Sweeping across southeast Ibiza to Formentera, the Unesco-listed Parc Natural de Ses Salines takes in the island’s two most unbelievably beautiful beaches, awash with pine groves, salt flats, dunes and underwater Neptune grass. With silken, sugar-white sands, Platja de Ses Salines is loved for its toes-in-the-surf Balearic-beat parties, hosting legendary bars such as Sa Trinxa along its turquoise shores. Equally divine Es Cavallet is Ibiza’s prime LGBTQ+ beach, centered around buzzy Chiringay bar-restaurant. Parking is a nightmare in high season, so head out early or catch bus 11/11B. For a change of pace, walk out to the 18th-century Ses Portes watchtower on Ibiza’s southeast tip.
Enjoy a beachside feast at Cala Mastella
Electric-green pines, gentle jade waves and a no-frills kiosk mixing up zingy mojitos make for an irresistible northeast-coast cove near pretty Sant Carles. But tiny, tranquil, silver-sand Cala Mastella is also the setting for one of Ibiza’s most sought-after xiringuitos (beach-shack restaurants), El Bigotes, where (if you’ve booked ahead) fuss-free feasts of bullit de peix (fish-and-vegetable stew) and fresh grilled fish end with a spiced café caleta (a hot coffee with brandy and sugar).
Take the kids to Talamanca
It’s all about taking it easy on sheltered Talamanca, just northeast of Ibiza Town, whose shallow waters, seafront promenade, golden sands and lively restaurants (simple seafood at Fish Shack, uber-glam offerings at Nobu Ibiza Bay) make it a top pick for families. Talamanca is also one of Ibiza’s most accessible strands, with wheelchair-adapted boardwalks, amphibious chairs and more.
A little further west lies pebbly S’Estanyol, a hidden jewel where ibicencos go swimming off a wooden jetty and relax at stylish Cala Bonita restaurant.
Escape the crowds at these rugged north-coast beaches
Some of Ibiza’s dreamiest secret beaches are folded into the wild-feeling north coast. After a 20-minute stroll, you’ll emerge beneath spine-tingling cliffs in a blissfully quiet turquoise bay with just a few sun-bleached wooden fishers’ huts. This is Es Portitxol, one of the island’s most secluded rocky coves, 5km (3 miles) northwest of Sant Miquel.
It’s a similarly peaceful scene at nearby Cala d’Aubarca, a 3km-wide (1.8-mile) horseshoe where paddling straight off the rocks is the reward for arriving on foot (20 minutes), and at lovely, cliff-edged Port de Ses Caletes, on Ibiza’s northeast tip. Pack water, picnic supplies and walking shoes.
Feel the bohemian vibe at Benirràs
A bohemian, off-grid vibe obtains at Benirràs, which is wedged into a pine-wooded valley along Ibiza’s untamed northern shoreline. Sunday sunsets happen to the sound of bongo drumming, against a backdrop of crackling bonfires, orange-pink cliffs, and myth-rich Cap Bernat islet. This beach is as popular with families as with gangs of friends, with loungers, three restaurants, and pale-gold sands folding into an aquamarine bay. Read More…
