IBIZA BEACHES
There
are over 50 beaches of variable size, shape, style and attitude
located around the coastline.
NORTH
Cala de Benirras
27km north of Ibiza Town/San An. Accessed from San Miguel
- San Juan road, this is a curving sandy cove, surrounded
by beautiful steep pine-covered hills. Benirras is the favourite
gathering beach of they 'alternative' crowd, particularly
at sunset, when hippies and percussionists like to bongo-drum
out the day in tribal style as the sun descends into the bay
behind a monolithic rock island in the entrance to the bay,
which is commonly referred to as God's Finger.
Cala
Xarraca
27km north of Ibiza Town. This sheltered cove is protected
from the elements by low-lying cliffs and has superb views.
Its rocky seabed is popular for snorkelling, while the beach
bar-restaurant is pretty well regarded.
Cala San Vicente
32km north of Ibiza Town. At the extreme north-east corner
of the island, this cove is entirely enclosed by pine-covered
hills, plus rocky cliffs at either end of it and a lovely
wide sandy beach, which is lined by fairly average looking
apartments and hotels. There are boat trips and beach sports.
Aguas
Blancas
30km north of Ibiza Town. Just north of San Carles off the
San Vicente road. It's a sandy strip narrowly stretched along
the foot of a low cliff face, famed for being the islands
'original' nudist beach and has long been a favourite with
cool north islanders for its laidback ambience, attracting
drummers and musicians to play at a couple of attractive chiringuito's
which are situated at various access points.
Cala d'en Serra
28km north of Ibiza Town. Accessed via a steep dirt track
off the main Portintax road, it's a very natural area, a fairly
deep coastal inlet surrounded by steep cliffs and with coarse
sand forming the beach. It's a secluded spot, encouraging
nude sunbathing, snorkelling and even the occasional outdoor
party.
EAST
Cala Boix
23km north of Ibiza Town. Close to San Carlos, follow signs
from there to where steps carry you down to a dark sandy beach,
well sheltered by surrounding mountains, with a restaurant.
Playa de's Canar
21km north of Ibiza Town. One of the major family resorts
(and home to the islands famous Wednesday hippie market) has
wide sandy beaches that are protected at the end of a shallow
inlet. There are quaint fishermen's boathouses, a small port
and plenty of water sports.
CalaLlonga
10km north of Ibiza Town. A deep and wide white sand beach,
at the end of a very scenic, deep cut inlet that has marvellous
steep pine-covered hills on each side.
Playa S'Estanyol
8km north of Ibiza Town. A relatively untouched area, with
the sandy beach set in a small, protected cove that is enclosed
by pine-covered hills.
PlayaTalamanca
1km north Ibiza Town. Close to Ibiza Town, it's a sheltered
bay, ideal for swimming, with a number of good lunching and
posing spots dotted along it, plus a rocky area at the north
end that's popular for nude sunbathing.
SOUTH
Playa de Ses Figueretas
1km south from Ibiza Town. The closest beaches to Ibiza Town
(and includes a very secretive and secluded gay nudist section
hidden beneath a spectacular high cliff face behind Dalt Vila).
The main sandy areas are a series of large open sandy stretches
and hotel fronts backed by a popular and busy promenade, with
plenty of cafes and restaurants.
Playa
d'en Bossa
2 to 3km south of Ibiza Town. The longest sandy beach on the
island, virtually a continuation from Figueretas, is lined
with large hotels, apartments, bars and other entertainments.
It buzzes with hyper-activity, including numerous water sports,
and varies from family style to wild style, being home to
club scene places like Ancient People, Pin Up and Bora Bora
(where barefoot dancing in the and to the pumping sounds of
DJ Gee & co proves irresistible.
Playa des Cavallet
9km south of Ibiza Town. The major nudist and gay beach is
a long stretch of sand, backed by scrub, sand dunes and bush
areas, within which there is often some fascinating human
interaction taking place. Home to a couple of the islands
most famous, and best bar-café-restaurant chiringuitto's.
Playa de las Salinas
9km south of Ibiza Town. Ibiza's most popular and easily most
'trendy' beach, the hipsters generally liking to let it all
hang out here, literally. The large, pale expanse of sandy
beach is lined with four quality, musically chilled, bar-restaurants.
Sa Trinxa is the clubbing crowd's choice, with cool funky
sounds served up by DJ Jon Sa Trinxa, with equally popular
Jockey open 365 days a year, Malibu and Guarana having slightly
more of a Euro-trash glamour crowd, and all filled with gorgeous
tanning flesh. Beyond the bar beach areas to the east are
more intimate little rocky areas caused by age-old quarrying
and the elements.
Playa
d'es Codolar
9km south of Ibiza Town. A long stretch of secluded bolder-lined
beach at the western end of the airport runway, with outstanding
views over to the dramatic cliffs at Cap D'es Falco.
'Sa Caleta
10km south of Ibiza Town. There's a cute chiringuito at this
compact beach, located in a small protected bay. It was once
very popular for free outdoor trance-style parties.
Cala Jondal
12km south of Ibiza Town. Relaxing, away-from-it-all sand
and pebble bay. The Jockey On The Beach venue has been becalmed,
as has the lush and lovely Particular, but the bars are still
cool, the sea still inviting, and it's a highly popular hideaway
for those who 'know'.
WEST
Cala d'Hort
20km south of San An. Becalmed and relaxing picture-postcard
location (with two especially highly regarded seafood restaurants)
which benefits hugely from its spectacular views out to the
striking offshore rock island of Es Vedra - which is reputedly
the third most magnetic place on earth (and substituted for
the 'magical' isle of Bali Hai in the 50s movie musical; South
Pacific).
Cala
Vedella
17km south of San An. Town beach, set at the end of a deep
inlet-bay, surrounded by dramatic hills and filled with boats
and yachts. It's a busy, lovely, yet still somehow relaxed
and quite offbeat corner of the isle. Buddha Mar is a cutely
decorated and cool musical sunset bar that has been attracting
a connected Ibiza Town type club crowd.
Cala Tarida
14km s/w of San An. A very large, populist tourist beach,
with good restaurants, boat trips, water sports and general
beach entertainment, plus a number of secluded little coves
and inlets nearby for the mildly adventurous.
Cala Conta
12km s/w of San An. With ferries from San An, it's an extremely
popular spot, with a number of rock-backed sandy areas, and
busy café-restaurants for long lazy lunches. Otherwise
it's an away-from it all area with little housing development
in the area. The sandy beaches are quite gritty, and one section
is nudist, with a striking panoramic view of the offshore
islands. Atmosphere regularly fried by constant arrival of
party 'fun-boats' just offshore which blitz the area with
loud music and screaming mega-mouth Brits.
Cala Bassa
11km west of San An. The primary destination for San An boat
trips, and the most popular tourist beach for the west coast,
with big looping protected sandy bay backed by undeveloped
bush surroundings and lots of fun mainstream beach and water
sport entertainments.
Calo
Des Moro
San An. Popular little sandy bay, conveniently situated on
the northern outskirts of San An, with sunset views from nearby
Kanya, Arena and Kasbah café-bars.
Cala Gracio/Cala Gracionetta
1km north of San An. These adjacent, peaceful, sheltered deep
sandy inlets are popular with families from the nearby hotel
complexes. The smallest (the 'netta) has with a chiringuito
which evolves into a cool away-from-it-all beach restaurant
at night, with candle-lit tables attractively placed at the
sand edge and around the low rock face.
Cala Salada
4km north of San An. Very busy, yet still restful, sandy cove,
protected by high cliff faces. It has crystal clear water,
is a popular resting place for yachts, and has gorgeous surrounding
scenery.
All text & photos cRR / NATIVEIBIZA - not to be used without permission
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