Es Cavallet: Where Nature Rules
At the southern tip of Ibiza, between the salt flats and the sea, stretches a strip of wild sand that is, for me, one of the most special beaches on the island. Es Cavallet is nature in its purest form: undulating dunes covered with native vegetation, crystal-clear waters and a horizon where Formentera seems to float on the sea.
It's a beach that hasn't been tamed, that maintains its wild character despite being just a few kilometers from Ibiza City.
Es Cavallet is part of the Ses Salines Natural Park, the protected area that encompasses the ancient Ibizencan salt flats. From a large car park among the pines, a wooden boardwalk leads you to the sand, crossing the dunes.
The Dunes: A Fragile and Precious Ecosystem
The dunes of Es Cavallet are a natural treasure that must be protected. They're formed by sand swept by the wind for centuries and held in place by plants like marram grass, sea lily and rush.
These species, adapted to salinity and constant wind, are what prevent the dunes from shifting and disappearing. It's a fragile balance: please respect the wooden walkways and don't walk on the dunes.
Walking through the dunes of Es Cavallet early in the morning, when the low sun illuminates the shrubs and shadows lengthen across the sand, is an experience that reconnects you with nature. The silence here is almost absolute.
The Beach and Its Different Zones
Es Cavallet is almost a kilometre long and naturally divides into several zones with very different personalities.
Beach Bar Zone
The area closest to the car park has a couple of stylish beach bars with a lively atmosphere. It's a social and fun zone, popular with local Ibizencan residents looking for a relaxed but chic vibe.
Naturist Zone
If you walk to the right, the beach becomes wilder and quieter. This zone is traditionally frequented by naturist bathers who take advantage of the dune vegetation to enjoy nude bathing with discretion.
Further on, the beach fades into a rocky area with dried posidonia where there's rarely anyone around. It's the wildest end of an already unconventional beach.
A Swim in Protected Waters
The water at Es Cavallet is exceptionally clean thanks to the protection of the natural park and the extensive meadow of Posidonia oceanica. This marine plant is responsible for the clarity and purity of the water throughout southern Ibiza.
Swimming here is immersing yourself in water that seems filtered. The tones range from pale turquoise near the shore to deep blue further out.
- Posidonia oceanica: the marine plant that guarantees water transparency
- Marine life: schools of fish, rays hidden in the sand and, with luck, sea turtles
- Visibility: extraordinary, perfect for snorkelling with goggles along the shoreline
- Temperature: refreshing even in the height of summer thanks to southern currents
- Sea bed: fine sand with patches of posidonia meadow
Practical Information
- How to get there: same road as Ses Salines, turn right before the main beach
- Parking: spacious, among the pines; paid in summer
- Access: wooden boardwalk over the dunes (respect the walkways)
- Zones: beach bars to the left, quiet/naturist beach to the right
- Best time: early morning for the dunes; late afternoon for the atmosphere
- Important: don't walk on the dunes, don't leave litter; it's a protected Natural Park
Es Cavallet is a gift that the island gives us. Come with respect, walk the marked paths and enjoy one of the last coastal paradises of the Mediterranean. It's up to all of us to preserve it.