Leave the tourist crowds in Ibiza and explore the island to find unique beaches that feel a world away from the parties and clubs.
(Photo: h.guendra via Flickr.com/ CC BY 2.0)
Ibiza has a reputation for pulsating clubs, rowdy strips, and being awash with a sea of tourists. But there are plenty of places to enjoy the real sea – the Mediterranean that is – in perfect peace and harmony. Get off the crowded expanses of sand of San Antonio to find unique beaches that are often only accessed down secret(ish) paths and enjoyed by an intrepid few. Others have stunning natural features, wonderful local restaurants, or just simply look like they have been frozen in time. Here’s our guide to the most unique beaches in Ibiza.
Cala Mastella
Cala Mastella is a beach in Santa Eulalia, an area in the northeast that is the island’s third-largest resort. Setting off to find this beach, you probably wouldn’t guess that, however. It’s located in a pocket of the island where life seems to stand still, apart from a few bikes trundling by and locals heading out for pa pagés. Take a dirt road flanked by pine trees to find Cala Mastella, a small beach that feels like going back to the 1960s when the first intrepid travellers started visiting the Balearic Islands. At just 60m wide it feels like a secret spot – however, there is a restaurant so you don’t have to lug all your food and drinks with you, but make sure you book in advance.
Cala Mastella 07850. Santa Eulalia del Río, Illes Balears.
Cala Bassa
(Photo: Zaloa Etxaniz via Flickr.com/ CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cala Bassa is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful beaches on Ibiza with one feature that makes it pretty unique. Two rocky outcrops jut into the sea on both sides, protecting the waters and squaring it off into almost a perfect natural swimming pool. Fine sand and perfectly calm, transparent aquamarine waters make this one of the most idyllic places to swim in Ibiza, all flanked by a leafy pine wood that wafts the odour of tamarinds and juniper berries through the air. It does get busy at peak times but it’s always easy to find a secluded spot away from the crowds at Cala Bassa.
Carr. de Cala Conta, 07820 Sant Antoni de Portmany
Punta Galera
One of the most impressive natural wonders of Ibiza is Punta Galera, a beautiful beach surrounded by stone formations that protrude from the cliffs like a giant’s staircase. The beach is found in the island’s northwest and is well worth the trip for anyone staying in the south. This is not so much a sandy beach as flat rocks where you can sunbathe, lizard-like, intermittently diving into the azure waters. It is truly unique and a great place to be for sunset too. This is a spot loved by yoga gurus and nudists, so prepare yourself for positive energy and a very laid-back vibe.
Carrer Núm. 3 Punta Galera, 5, 07820 Sant Antoni de Portmany
Cala Llentrisca
It can come as something of a shock to get out of the more densely populated areas of Ibiza, around San Antonio and Ibiza Town, to find that this is still in part a charmingly ramshackle island where the pace of life is as slow as your average hard-partying teenager waking up with a hangover. Hidden among tree-covered steep rocks, this secluded fishing cove is a bit like Ibiza’s version of The Beach, albeit with more fisherman’s huts. This small strip of sand, located on the south-west of the island near Cap Llentrisca, has near mythical status because it’s so tricky to get to – you have to leave your car in a small hamlet before taking a stony, narrow, steep track over the rocks. The reward is to be transported back in time – the rows of fisherman’s huts and a small jetty for lounging on if you get there first are like a different world and time. It is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the party side of Ibiza.
Signposted from Es Cubells, 07839
S’llot des Rencli
Restaurant S’Illot des Renclí (Photo: Facebook.com)
In many ways S’llot des Rencli is unique in that it feels like the best of both worlds. On one hand this tiny, pebbly beach, with its rows of fishing huts, rocks gently sprinkled in the turquoise sea and a secluded location on the northwest of the island, feels secret and special enough. On the other, you don’t have to hoick a load of bags and a cold box through an abandoned single track to get there. There is a free car park and a good restaurant, selling grilled local fish – it has everything apart from the Ibiza glitterati, although you can sometimes see them bobbing around on their yachts not far from the shore.
Carretera Vénda de Portinatx, Km. 25,300, 07810 San Juan Bautista