While Ibiza is well-known for having great parties and nightlife, it is first and foremost, a mediterranean island! Ibiza is filled with breathtaking nature, rolling hills, lemon trees, and beautiful white sand beaches. The two biggest cities on the island are Ibiza Town and San Antonio. No matter which you stay at, you’ll have close access to a nearby beach. Unfortunately, those beaches are often overcrowded and sometimes dirty. Fortunately, the island is small with tons of coastline, meaning the best Ibiza beaches are not far at all.
The Best Ibiza Beaches
Ses Salines
One of the best Ibiza beaches, as well as it being decently well known, is Ses Salines. When the celebrities and people with lots of money to blow come to Ibiza, this is where they come. This is one of the more expensive beaches, if you plan on dining at a beachside restaurant or going to a beach club. The beach is 1.5km long and features Beso Beach Club, Malibu Beach Club, and Jockey Club that are a good time! If you’re looking for clubs to party at, check out this post! There are a few adorable boutique hotels nearby as well if this area fits your vibe and price range.
Ses Salines is located on the most southern tip of the island, just below the airport (check out my Ibiza airport guide here). It’s a quick taxi or Uber away from the Ibiza airport. From Playa Den Bossa or Ibiza town, it’s about a ten minute ride. If you want to come via bus, you can take the 11 bus which will take you there for a few euros.
If you are looking to spot some celebs or have a more luxurious beach day, this is the place for you!
Cala Bassa
Cala Bassa is also high up there on the list of the best Ibiza beaches! It’s a little different from Ses Salines as it’s much smaller, but has a similar vibe. Cala Bassa has a beautiful beach club with tons of soft beds under tiki looking umbrellas. The beach club and restaurant are the only amenities around. Unlike Ses Salines, there are no hotels near by, but they have a cute boutique you can check out. Boat tours around the island occasionally come, but aside from that it’s normally a peaceful and uncrowded location!
To get to Cala Bassa, you need to take an Uber, taxi, or bus from your hotel. Cala Bassa is to the west of San Antonio, about a 25 minute drive. From Ibiza town it’s a 35-40 minute ride. If you opt to take public transportation, you can take the 8 and then 7 bus from Ibiza town. From San Antonio, it’s not as simple. You can take the 4 bus and then walk 30 minutes, so it might be easier to call a taxi if you are traveling from there.
If you are looking for a more quiet yet luxurious beach day, Cala Bassa might be your spot.
Cala Compte
Just a little further west from Cala Bassa lies Cala Compte, with a completely different ambience. This beach is on the smaller side and at some parts has smooth rock when you enter the water instead of sand! You have to descend down stairs to get to this beach, with a restaurant, pictured below, up top. Some days, people come and play music, often drums circles! There is definitely a more desert hippie vibe here compared to the previous two beaches mentioned. There also is a path you can take a walk on and explore the nearby area. Not too far is a nudist beach if that’s something you are interested in trying out! This beach is more remote than the other two with just two restaurants nearby.
From San Antonio, you can take bus line 4 to arrive in Cala Compte in about 40 minutes. Via Uber, rental car, or taxi it’s a 20 minute ride. Coming from Ibiza Town area, it’ll take about 35/40 minutes to drive to this beach, or an hour, 20/30 minutes taking bus routes 8 then 4.
If you are looking to embrace the hippie culture and vibe, Cala Compte might be one of the best Ibiza beaches for you!
Portinatx Beach
For a more relaxing and more local-like experience, check out these beaches, both next to each other at the north of the island. Portinatx Beach is in the heart of a small town called Portinatx. Since Portinatx is a costal town, there is much more around and to do in this area compared to all the other beaches mentioned prior. There are more options for restaurants, places to shop, and has a few hiking trails as well. This is one of the best Ibiza beaches because of it’s small town location and distance from the tourist areas on the island!
From Ibiza Town, you can take either line 20A to get to Portinatx in about an hour (it’s the end of the line), or with a car it will take 35/40 minutes. From San Antonio, it will take about the same time to drive as from Ibiza town. If you want to take the bus from San Antonio, the only way is to take a bus to Ibiza Town then to Portinatx, taking close to an hour-forty five minutes.
S’Illot des Rencli
This beach is right around the corner from Portinatx Beach, but has a bit more of a secluded feel. While Portinatx Beach is in the center of town, S’Illot des Rencli is a bit to the east just surrounded by a few restaurants and bars. Since it’s not in the center of the town, it’s less crowded. The beach here is smaller than Portinatx Beach, but surrounded by beautiful trees that flower and bars where you can buy a drink and bring it on the beach with you. This might be the most lowkey yet subtly beautiful beach on this list.
The directions are the same to get here as to get to Portinatx Beach, except you have to get off the bus a few stops earlier at Xarraca and walk a little. It’s not as easily accessibly as the Portinatx, but that adds to the exclusive secludedness!
Ibiza is filled with BEAUTIFUL beaches that can be enjoyed any time of the year (if you are coming in the winter, check out my winter clubbing guide)! Whether you go to the beach close to your hotel or venture out and explore the island to find another, you will have a great time regardless. People at times comment that Figueretes and Playa Dem Bossa are too crowded or dirty, so remember where ever you go to leave the beach cleaner than you found it to keep the Ibiza beaches clean and beautiful for future generations!
