The main beach of S'Arenal de San Antonio
Location: In the centre in the resort of San Antonio, the second largest town on Ibiza
Facilities: Sunbeds, parasols, showers (turned off to save water), beach ashtrays, lifeguards, restaurants, bars, shops, access for the disabled (also into the water under supervision of the lifeguards with amphibious wheelchair and special crutches)
Activities: Pedalos, sailing, kayak, SUP, jet-ski, diving, boat trips and much more (book activities here online)
Size: 500 metres long, 50 metres wide
Getting there: Walk round the promenade from either San Antonio or San Antonio bay resort. On the left end (looking out on sea) you can park for free along the surrounding streets, which in summer might be more difficult. On the right end, there is a paid parking opposite the start of the promenade. If you don't mind walking 10 minutes, there is a free car park at the Lidl roundabout at the entrance of the resort, coming from Ibiza Town (Google maps)
The beach
Below the busy promenade, the authorities of San Antonio have created a long, wide beach of fine, white sand drawn from the sea. Being easy to walk to, and backed by holiday accommodation, this beach is popular but never appears too full.
The waters are shallow, safe, and great for messing about in - perfect for what is largely a youth-focused beach in the summer. Being the closest beach to San Antonio workers' blocks and youth hostels (meaning plenty of PRs on the prowl), in summer it is full of twenty-somethings socialising and relaxing, with music often spilling out from the many bars along the promenade.
There are good watersports facilities, and boat trips can be caught to other beaches from the nearby harbour. In the evenings, the beach is awash in a golden light, and becomes a great place to watch the sun set behind the many boats moored further out in the bay.
If you follow the promenade around the bay to the south, you'll reach the Bay of San Antonio resort with several small sandy beaches.
Restaurants and bars
There is a great choice of restaurants and bars near the main beach. After a long day on the beach people mingle in the popular bars along the beach promenade for a sundowner and some pre-party action.
Accommodation
You'll find lots of cosy small hotels, hostels and self-catering apartments - the perfect choice for travellers on a budget who prefer to spend their money in the clubs or on excursions. But if you want to spoil yourself, there is also a good selection of more upmarket 4-star hotels.
A fantastic alternative to a traditional hotel are the beautiful villas with own pool, barbeque corner and private garden - if you travel in a group you'll be surprised how inexpensive they are per person.
Caló des Moro beach
Location: In the resort of San Antonio, at the end of the famous sunset strip
Facilities: Non-smoking beach (please respect this!), showers (turned off to save water), lifeguards, restaurants, bars, small supermarket, shops, chemist, ATMs, access for the disabled (also into the water under supervision of the lifeguards with amphibious wheelchair and special crutches, from June till mid September), roofed wooden platform and toilet for the disabled (please ask the lifeguards for the key to the toilet)
Size: 60 metres long, 20 metres wide
Getting there: Walk from San Antonio centre; the nicest way is along the promenade which goes all the way from the harbour to Caló des Moro, passing the famous sunset cafes. If you come by car, there are parking possibilities in the nearby streets, and there is a large sandy car park only a five-minute walk away (Google maps)
Caló des Moro is situated on the north side of town around the bay; follow the promenade along the harbour, climb a few steps and you'll come up to the sunset strip with the famous sunset bars - at the very end there is a snaking stone path leading to the back part of the sunset strip, with a tiny beach nestled in the rocky coastline.
This beach has grown in popularity over the years and, though very small, is now a busy and lively part of Ibiza in the summer months. The sandy cove has limited space, but there also is a lovely decking area just above the sand with lots of space to put down your towel.
The water is shallow and warm, a great place to have a dip, with rocks along the side for exploring. Along the rocky coastline you can also find a more private spot for sunbathing. Bring bathing shoes for the descent into the water!
Spotlight tip
Walk further along the coast, away from the town centre, to reach the Aquarium situated on a small promontory. Here you can view local marine life - and the small snack bar is also a great sunset spot away from the hustle and bustle of the sunset strip.
Beach bars and restaurants
Come to the sunset strip and know the true meaning of 'spoilt for choice'. Right by Caló des Moro some cute pizza and ice-cream bars have popped up with a beach-style feel. You can get more traditional meals in one of the lovely restaurants situated nearby, and there are hotel restaurants which are open to the public as well. And from most of them you can enjoy fantastic views of the stunning sunsets.
