Ibiza Beaches South

Beaches South Intro

The beaches of the south coast of the island offer a range of choice. They vary from the long sandy beaches that stretch from Ibiza town all the way round to Las Salinas and the airport, to the pebblier beaches to be found along the rest of the coastline as far as Es Vedra. However, all have the benefit of maximum sunshine as they face south, towards nearby Formentera.

Cala Jondal

What the Ses Salines beach is to the south-east coast, Cala Jondal is for the south coast. The rich and famous flock to this bay in their droves. The beach restaurants have adapted to suit their customers: the range of food and services on offer is impressive. Private security guards are on duty to watch over visitors to the beach. Anyone who sails into this bay with their yacht can rest assured that they’ll be treated as well as any guest already sitting at the restaurant. In Cala Jondal, the customer is king. For years now, the Yemanja beach restaurant has been considered one of the finest along this stretch of the coast. The restaurant’s specialities include delicious salads, fresh fish and typical Ibizan rice dishes, plus a range of excellent wines, of course. Head chef, Sergio Roig, is a great believer in quality. One of the most popular choices is the cava sangria. Guests are happy to overlook that fact that Cala Jondal has no broad sandy beach to offer. After all, the bay with its pebbly beach has a naturally romantic charm that more than makes up for it... How to get there: take the road from the airport towards Sa Caleta. A few hundred metres after you pass the bay of Sa Caleta, turn left and follow the signposts. Alternatively, driving in via Sant Josep, take a right off the main road to Eivissa and follow the signs.

Cala Llentrisca

Cala Llentrisca is hard to find and, once found, hard to reach as the only way there is a narrow rugged path that skirts the steep hillside for some 800 metres before you get your first glimpse of the beach. However, the trek is well worth the effort as the waters in this bay are the most beautiful to be found anywhere around the island. They are crystal clear and renowned among the local diving community for the biodiversity to be found on the colourful seabed. The beach itself is 100 metres long by 10 wide, made up of small pebbles and dominated by the dozen or so boathouses. These provide the only proof of previous human presence prior to your arrival. This is the ultimate 'get away from it all' beach even at the height of summer when most other beaches offer 'standing room only!

Es Bol Nou

If you’re not on the beach, which is lovely in the summer, you’ll probably be visiting one of the few chiringuitos that stay open throughout the winter. The wooden floorboards and wall paneling, complemented by a bamboo ceiling and decorated with dozens of exotic seashells, create a perfect if slightly sophisticated ambience, reinforced by tasteful background music. The service is unobtrusive and perfectly timed out of season, when typically only half of the tables are occupied at any one time. The quality of the furniture is impressive and their ‘aquarium’ remains available to diners throughout the winter, guaranteeing a regular flow of local businessmen. This despite the fact that there is no population centre within miles of this almost unspoilt locality. People are prepared to travel to enjoy lunch at the 'Sa Caleta' restaurant, beside the beautiful beach which, according to the maps, is called 'Playa Es Bol Nou'. However, the only signposts refer to it as 'Sa Caleta', which is actually the name of the beach restaurant – so follow those. In between the airport and Cala Jondal, this beach is found by following the road from the airport towards San Jos

Es Botafoch

A tiny beach at the end of the peninsula upon which the Botafoch lighthouse stands. It offers peace and tranquility as well as good snorkelling, by all accounts. Very much the enclave of the few inhabitants of the Illa Grossa and Botafoc - to the extent that they've built a sun platform to make up for the lack of available sand. An unusual spot with its surreal concrete blocks...

Es Cavallet

The road to Es Cavallet is a real treat for the senses, provided that you don't visit the beach at the weekend in July and August, that is - otherwise the queues of traffic might cast a cloud over your plans for the day. In September, you have a good chance of being able to avoid the traffic and parking problems: enjoy the view of the salt flats and take in the song of the huge variety of different birds that have made this part of the island their home. The typical smell of the salt basins may be new to you, but it is an integral part of the scenery in these parts. The sandy beach and dunes of Es Cavallet are unique. It's not only biologists and other experts who wax lyrical over the local flora and fauna; even outsiders immediately realise that here Mother Nature still reigns supreme. Es Cavallet isn't just breathtakingly beautiful. For years now, it has been a magnet for the in-crowd and a favourite haunt of the rich and famous. Visitors appreciate its relaxed and international atmosphere, as well as its relative tranquility compared to the neighbouring beach of Las Salinas. Nude bathing is allowed and this is a place where tolerance rules and everyone does pretty much what he or she pleases. The "Chiringuito Es Cavallet" is located right next to the car park. Jos

Es Codolar

Salt flats, rare species of birds, Mother Nature at work - the Ses Salines nature reserve gives you a clue as to how traditional Ibiza used to look. A narrow camino leads through the salinas up to the coast of Cap des Falco. The Cape of the Falcons is a unique natural area with countless numbers of animals that call it home. On the pebble beach you will find the restaurant of Cap des Falco, which has been a popular meeting spot for the scene for years. Good music, chill out seating, Mediterranean cuisine with a hint of Italian influence. This is a great place to relax and leave all your cares behind. The terrace provides a magnificent view of the sea and the southern coast. Right by the restaurant a path leads up the pine covered hillside. The effort made ascending the hill is more than worth it, as the view from the top is spectacular. This is not a beach for swimming. Often the waves break spectacularly on the grey rocks worn smooth and round by the waves. It is particularly gorgeous when a storm comes in from the south - if the sun's out the water glows green as it breaks on the beach. The blue hour is another highlight, when the sun sets into the sea in winter, in summer it sets behind the hills. Fantastic! We suggest you stay after sundown then simply turn around and take in the view over the salt flats - the play of colours on the Salinas is as heavenly as the setting of the sun itself. This place can get busy, especially at sunset on weekends. The narrow camino can get somewhat chaotic, so it's better to park further back and walk the rest of the way to avoid the parking chaos. Don't forget that the road to the restaurant runs through a nature reserve, so, please drive slowly so as not to disturb the birds, as they may be brooding, and keep an eye out for the distant flamingos who stay as far away from the party as possible. To get there take the road to Es Cavallet/Ses Salines then turn right at the sign just before the salt mountain. Keep this to your left and you're on your way to the cape.

Es Cubells

This beach at the foot of steep cliffs is actually a set of small coves. These are separated from each other by tumbles of broken rock that have fallen from the cliffs towering high above. The beaches themselves are of pebbles and gravel and very narrow. The sea here is pretty lively too, being exposed as it is to the open sea to the south. However the seabed, which slopes similarly steeply into cystal clear waters, is very popular with underwater explorers. There are facilities at the little beach restaurant, including sun shades and beds. However, parking can e tricky in the peak of summer...

Es Cuco

Yet another south coast beach that remains almost completely unknown, even amongst long term residents. The reason for this is that it lies at the bottom of a steep cliff that drops down from the road into Porroig. Unless you knew it was there, you'd be unlikely to find it even if you did peer over the cliff edge from the roadside. The easiest way to get there is by boat, but there is a steep path that winds its way down the cliffside.

Es Fruet

This tiny beach is actually two beaches separated by the rocks that reinforce the causeway out to the lighthouse. There are no facilities here as the place remains almost untouched by tourists. Few locals even use it, except when the prevailing wind comes from the south east. Then the wall alongside the road provides shelter from the wind.

Es Torrent

You won’t be having a party in this particular bay, nor sunbathing to the rhythms of the dance floor. There’ll be no perfectly toned bodies prancing about playing beach ball either. On the contrary: peace and quiet are a must at Es Torrent. The beach bar owners have put up signs in various languages that expressly forbid radios and beach balls. The older crowd that flocks here to relax appreciate the ban. It’s not everyone’s idea of fun to have a rubber ball bounced off their belly just as they’re about to nod off. Es Torrent is definitely not one of the in crowd’s hot spots, where the disco bunnies come to hang out. The atmosphere on the beach and its picturesque setting is much more exclusive and reflects its proximity to Porroig and the neighbouring villa district. The air of dignity around the place suggests that a few here have used money and influence to reserve their beach recliners and are regular guests at the local restaurant. Guests on the shady terrace adjoining the cosy beach bar can choose from a selection of traditional Ibizan fish dishes. The meal is complemented by a lovely view of the red, cliff-lined coast, the crystal clear sea and adjacent pine grove. If you’re looking for a soft, white sandy beach, you will have to look elsewhere: the beach is stony and full of pebbles. However, there is a sandy stretch outside the beach bar. All in all, this location is a well kept secret that is definitely worth a visit. Es Torrent: located on the south coast. Can be reached via Cala Jondal or the Sant Josep/Es Cubells road. Follow the signposts. And make sure that you don’t get it mixed up with Port des Torrent by Sant Antoni Bay!

Es Viver

A pier encloses this sandy beach making it a popular mooring for pleasure craft nowadays, and fishermen in times gone by. It is eminently safe for small children as the water is shallow and much more peaceful than its neighbouring beaches to either side. A shell shaped beach approximately 160 metres long and up to 50 metres wide at points, it can be found by following the coast from either Playa d'en Bossa or the adjacent Figueretas beach.

Es Xarcu

Less is more appears to be the motto of the beach restaurant at Cala Xarco on the southern coast of the island. At least this is the case for the signs pointing the way, not to mention the condition of the sandy camino leading there. 'Understatement' is an understatement. One small overlooked sign and you'll end up missing the turn to this beach refuge and/or your car will have hit a very deep pothole. You'd think from our description that this cove would be very sparsely populated, but you'd be wrong. Cala Xarco is an insider's tip for all those for whom money is no object. This rustic restaurant terrace is a comfortable place to enjoy fresh fish or Mediterranean cuisine, but it's not for the stingy. The difficult drive to the cove isn't a problem for a majority of the guests, as many prefer the water route and arrive in their yachts. The cove is surrounded by pine forests and totally unspoilt, which is why it's still a popular place although it doesn't have a sandy beach and it's rocky getting into the water. A few fishermen's huts offer a touch of romantic flair, but the few loungers are reserved for restaurant customers. Cala Xarco can be reached from Cala Jondal or Sant Josep. Coming from Cala Jondal head up the hill at the western end of the beach till you reach a T-junction where a very small sign to the left points the way to the cove, but be careful as the camino is a bit rough. From Sant Josep you head towards Es Cubells first and then make a left towards Poirroig. Just before you arrive at Poirroig there's a camino off to the left by the dustbins, which is equally rough, but brings you to the chiringuito.

Figueretas

Because it is so close to the town, Figueretas beach attracts a varied but mainly young crowd, and because some of the nearby hotels have tailored their holiday packages to attract the gay and lesbian community, it is safe to say that gender equality rules in Figueretas. The beach is well maintained and the municipality has built an attractive promenade for people to stroll along. There is also a charming view of the sea, a tiny island off the coast and the endless backdrop of the horizon to admire. Figueretas bay is much more attractive than you would expect, given its urban location, and there are plenty of places to eat out. Claudia owns the Haddock Caf

Playa D'en Bossa

Platja d'en Bossa (a.k.a Playa den Bossa) presents a variety of different faces along almost three kilometres of beach. The middle part, near to the Jet apartment building, offers one of the meeting spots for the club and party scene par excellence - Bora Bora. A high-end sound system makes for hot times and when it gets too hot just run down to the water and go for a swim. After long club nights and mornings the party people come here to continue to party the day away. Not for party poopers! Take a walk a few hundred metres towards Eivissa along the shore and the atmosphere changes. It becomes more peaceful. Around Hotel Garbi beachgoers can find a little more tranquility. Heading the other way along the beach towards the pirate tower it’s amazing how quickly the hectic hordes of tourists dwindle away the further south you go. It’s well worth walking a little further to get away from the crowds. The final stretch of the beach is known as Coco Beach and here the atmosphere is completely different. Once the salt flats start, there’s not a hint of the raucous parties that characterise the rest of Platja d’en Bossa. The landscape surrounding the Torre de sa Sal Rossa watchtower is relatively unspoilt. If you’re looking for a good place to eat, you can’t go wrong with Jimmy’s restaurant, and if all you want is to laze around on the beach, then there’s plenty of soft sand and comfortable beach chairs to choose from. However, we recommend you also try out a third option: namely the wide range of water sports on offer. Just a few yards away from Jimmy’s, you will find the Palladium Palace hotel’s sports centre, where you can sign up for a diving course, practice your sailing, hop on a surfboard or hire a canoe. “We offer courses for kids and adults and for all levels, from beginners to advanced – but we also hire out equipment on an hourly basis,” says Stefan, who is there to tend to the needs of visiting water sports fans. The water sports centre on Coco Beach is open daily, except for Sundays, from 10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. How to get there: simply drive from Figueretes right to the end of Platja d’en Bossa

Playa Niu de S'Aguila

Playa Niu de s'Aguila is a well hidden and almost completely inaccessible beach half way along the sea's edge between Es Cubells and Cala Llentrisca. Villa owners on the cliffs high above the steep slope down to the beach have made access as difficult as possible. The only way is to clamber along the rocky coastline from Es Cubells. The beach of coarse sand and pebbles is named after the nest of the eagle that was perched on top of one of the rocks in the picture above.

Porroig

This is not really a beach, more of a sheltered bay for the many fishermen's boathouses. During the summer the huge bay is full of visiting yacht owners, as it forms a natural shelter on the occasionally weather battered southern coast. However, it does have a sort of picture postcard quality that makes up for the lack of sand.

Sa Caixota

Another beach which lies well hidden and far off the beaten track along the south coast of the island. It is accessible through the Vista Alegre urbanisation between Es Cubells and Porroig, but is not well signposted. The beach itself is some 400 metres long and strewn with rocks that have fallen from the surrounding cliffs over the centuries. Nevertheless it has an unspoilt beauty and a uniquely peaceful ambience disturbed only by the sound of the waves rolling the pebbles up and down the narrow beach.

Salinas

Salinas is one of the best known and most popular beaches on Ibiza, and rightly so. The vast expanse of sand is almost completely covered in sun bathers throughout the summer months. However… Looking for a place to get away from it all at the height of the summer season? Want to escape from the hordes that have taken over the beaches and find your own little hideaway by the sea? No problem: just grab a packed lunch and a bottle of water, slip into some comfortable shoes and head out to discover the eastern section of the beach by the salt flats. We recommend taking along a hat for extra protection from the sun. It’s not a particularly short walk but you won’t get lost en route. Just follow the beach towards Torre de Ses Portes. This part of the coast is breathtakingly beautiful and unspoilt: full of strange rock formations and tiny bays surrounded by cliffs. The straits of Es Freus and Formentera seem so close that you could reach out and touch them. Seagulls circle in the blue sky, the cicadas chirp and the air is filled with the perfume of juniper and rosemary. It’s a real treat for the senses. If you feel like venturing further out to the watchtower, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of Es Cavallet beach. Treat yourself to a swim in the cool waters of the sea and enjoy the peace and quiet. No one cares whether you’ve packed your swimsuit or not, but please don’t forget: you are in a nature reserve so please don’t litter and when you’re walking in the dunes, be sure to keep to the existing paths! How to get there: leave your car in one of the salt flat beach car parks, and then follow the coastline on foot towards the watchtower. Malibu, located towards the western end of the beach, is one of the most popular hangouts in the south of the island for celebrities and big hitters. It offers a unique view of the sea while the nearby buildings that house the salt works in the tiny village of Sa Canal provide rustic charm. But if you opt to walk a little further down the beach towards Sa Canal, you will discover a rather less exclusive but still charming and much more personal atmosphere. It is amazingly peaceful, too. Here, at the end of the beach, you will find the C. C. Cats water sports centre, a small sailing club that does more that just tend to its members’ catamarans. Water sports fans can hire a catamaran, a surfboard or a canoe. Beginners can enrol on a course. “No motor boats or jet skis are allowed inside the nature reserve,” explains Guillermo, the amiable manager who runs the centre and, of course, you will inevitably stumble across some celebrity or other on the tiny terrace outside the cosy clubhouse. For example the well known Spanish basketball trainer, Manel Comas, who has been a regular visitor to Ibiza for 30 years and stops off at C. C. Cats to take his catamaran out for a spin. As we said before, the air around the Malibu bar is guaranteed to be thick with celebrities. How to get there: take the Ses Salines/Es Cavallet exit from the main road from Eivissa to the airport, then follow the signposts. Look for a parking space by the roundabout or use the pay and display car park. The Jockey Club on Ses Salines beach is where the in-crowd meet up. This beach location is just as popular with the locals as it is with the tourists. It may not be as exclusive as Malibu, but the visitors have Style.

Ses Figueres

This quiet cove lies at the opposite end of the bay of Talamanca to Ibiza town. It has a placid atmosphere and is rarely busy, occupied predominantly by the residents of the nearby hotels in Ses Figueres. Only about 35 metres long and some 10 metres wide at most, the beach is sandy and well sheltered making it safe for children and good for snorkelling. The palm trees provide welcome shade too when the sun gets hot during the height of summer.

Talamanca Beach

You could call it an urban beach: Talamanca bay is just a stone's throw away from the centre of town. If you live in Ibiza or are staying in one of its hotels, all you have to do is to take a boat over to the Botafoch yachting marina and then walk the few hundred metres to the beach, but the long sandy beach that stretches all the way around the bay has a lot to offer, and not just for city residents. Families will also feel at home here. The promenade is tidy and the bars, restaurants and shops are easy to reach. The sea is easily accessible with no stones on the beach or the sea bed. Colourful sun umbrellas provide shade and comfy recliners are there for the taking. If you're feeling more active, you can go for a walk down to the end of the bay to see the rockier and more romantic part of the coast. The sheer length of the beach means that it is not overcrowded with recliners - a common sight on many of the island's beaches in the summer season and there's no need to worry about the crowd. On the contrary: even at the height of summer, Talamanca beach is a surprisingly peaceful place. Maybe this is because most of the travel guides don't mention it, or give it a worse rating than it really deserves. The beach is particularly popular with bright young things taking “after-club breakfast” served by the sea in the morning sun and the “after-beach drink” that rounds off a perfect day at the beach. The sandy beach is the perfect place to sun yourself or to get in a little sport. How to get there: It is at the far end of the Avenida 8 d’Agost from Eivissa.

Vista Alegra

This beach is somewhat hidden away on the southern coast, where the Vista Alegre housing development meets the sea. It can be found by travelling through this hilltop urbanization, but access is not always easy since a couple of years ago a dozen or so of the seafront properties slid down the steep and treacherous cliffs. Arguments continue as to who is responsible for fixing the damage...