After last week's Ibiza beach surfing adventure in the north-east of the island, we were hungry for more! So this week, your intrepid Spotlight beach connoisseurs set off to explore some of the beautiful south.
We began at the airport, taking the old road to San José off the airport roundabout. We simply followed the winding lane for a couple of kilometres before taking a left towards Cala Jondal. A couple of minutes later we hit a sign on the left saying ‘Parking for Soul Beach.'
Es Codolar
Following a short but winding sandy path through the forest for about 100 metres, we emerged onto the breathtakingly beautiful Ibiza beach of Es Codolar. Smooth pebbles were surrounded by pine forest and the crystal clear sea, ideal for confident swimmers, had a steeply sloping shore.
The sense of wild nature is very strong in Es Codolar, with elegantly Bohemian Soul Beach Café providing a strikingly beautiful visual contrast with its plush beds and elaborate cocktails. The beautiful people lounging around on the beds and clearly enjoying the splendour were looking about as chilled-out as it's possible to be. We loved the fact that the bar kept a stock of sunscreen for clients!
It was around 6pm and we counted only 12 people sunbathing on the beach and that's in July! Perhaps partly due to pebbles not being as comfortable as sand to lie on and partly because this beach is quite well hidden. Over half of the sunbathers were taking advantage of the beach's nudist-friendly status. This Ibiza beach is truly heaven for nature lovers and those wanting to escape the crowds.
Taking note of Soul Beach's Saturday sunset sessions of soul, funk and rare grooves and vowing to return at 6pm that weekend to check it out, we headed back to the Spotlight-mobile.
Sa Caleta
Continuing along the country lane, we soon hit the left hand turn for Sa Caleta. Tip: there are two car parks. The first one you come to is free, whereas if you continue down the steep path to the second closer to the beach, there's a charge. We parked in the first one, it's only about 20 metres more to walk to the beach.
And what a beach it is. Sa Caleta's beauty really is outstanding. Its ancient, rich, red cliffs contrast sharply with the clear blue sky, the vibrant greens of the pines and the deeper azure of the sparklingly clear, shallow sea. There are two parts to the beach - one immediately to the left at the bottom of the wooden walkway and one to the right, a short walk over the rocks. Just follow the path, you'll see it.
It was by now 7pm and the beach was still full of people. It was a young, funky, international crowd with lots of Spanish and Italian groups, quite a few young families and an unfeasible amount of amazing looking tattoos! What's more, the gorgeous restaurant at Sa Caleta is well-known on the island for its excellent seafood dishes and there's a lovely little boutique at the side selling wonderfully Bohemian attire. On the beach itself, there are neither beach bars nor music and not that many sun-beds. Nature takes precedence here.
Also worth knowing is that Sa Caleta was the location of the very first known human settlement in Ibiza by those prosperous, peace-loving Phoenicians, some 700 years before Christ. No wonder it's a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Cala Jondal
We literally dragged ourselves away and continued along the winding coast road to that most glamorous of Ibiza beaches, Cala Jondal. We parked at Blue Marlin (of course) which was typically stuffed with the most incredibly beautiful people with more super yachts anchored along the coastline than you could shake a champagne cocktail at. The sumptuous sun-loungers were packed out with bronzed, perfect bodies, the smell of Christian Dior wafted in the air and house music blasted out from the DJ booth.
Feeling a tad underdressed in our cut-off shorts and dusty flip-flops and having left the Ferrari at home, we beat a hasty retreat in the humble Spotlight-mobile before the fashion police appeared to reprehend us severely…
Our last stop for the day was Tropicana beach, a bit further along Cala Jondal. We continued along the road from Blue Marlin for 2 minutes and we were there. Spacious, free and easy parking facilities are always a bonus and Tropicana beach is great for that.
I'll be honest. I love Tropicana Beach Club. The cuisine in this Ibiza restaurant is excellent and the hospitality is old-school luxury - attentive and polite. It's lined with comfortable sun-loungers and the super-efficient staff there run a great beach service. There's a cool little boutique selling a range of beautiful clothes and jewellery and whilst this Ibiza beach is busy, it's also very relaxed.
It's been run by the same family for many years and once discovered, its happy visitors tend to return, year in, year out. The Tropicana beach crowd seemed quite mature, and it's obviously popular with families and those who prefer high-quality without the bling.
This entire area, protected by strict environmental and building regulations is home to some of the most beautiful villas around too. With barely a hotel in sight, it's a genuinely privileged location. Just check out this gorgeous collection.
So there you have it dear reader. Another sun-drenched day of Ibiza beach surfing! We hope this inspires you to get out and about on the island next time you visit. You do really need transport to do this particular collection though - so as always, rent a car, scooter or a bike, go boldly forth and explore our incredible island! You'll be so very glad you did.
Photos | Jane Charilaou Words | Jane Charilaou
