Walking in Ibiza

Lazy Saturday Walk in Ibiza: Sant Jordi market to Ses Salinas Nature Reserve Park and Es Cavallet beach

Walk in Ibiza to disconnect

Just the other week I wrote about different types of walks you can do. The walk we had with Nora, a friend from Germany, was to one of the nicest and historically and culturally important place to walk in Ibiza, the area of Ses Salinas Nature Reserve Park with the salt lakes, mountains to climb, Las Salinas beach for fashionistas and a nudist beach Es Cavallet, separated by the Tower of de Ses Portes and pine woods. The day-long  lazy Saturday walk was a nice way to see the Ibiza, get some sun and relax from the week behind us. Total of the walk must have been somewhere around 10-15 km.

Since we didn’t have a car, we took a bus from Ibiza to Sant Jordi, bright and early, at 10 am. Since it was a lazy walk, we popped by the local and very popular second hand market at the hippodrome of Sant Jordi. It was busy as ever. I am not a huge fan of those types of markets, but what I do like is the local food they offer. Cala Llenya market had the best paella in Ibiza and Sant Jordi market is a place where I go for churros. Though they are probably as good or even the same in other places in town as well.The walk towards Las Salinas beach started from the market place, we crossed the roundabout and headed towards the Nature Reserve, he salt harvesting area on the big car road. Difficult to miss. You can get there also by Playa d’en Bossa beach, but we decided to leave that for our way back.

walk in Ibiza
On the road again. Entering the Ses Salines area
walk in Ibiza
Sal de Ibiza branded house
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
The salt mountain
walk in Ibiza
What do we have here? Es Vedra! It is so cool how you can see
that symbol of Ibiza from variety of places.
walk in Ibiza
Locals on a wild asparagus search. Very popular activity this time of year.

The first path was on the main highway which leads straight to and through the Ses Salinas Nature Reserve Park. It is a place very important for Ibiza and it’s history. This is where the all famous salt from Ibiza comes from, harvested from 800 BC and could easily be the longest ambassador of Ibiza. Yo can even see a salt mountain right by the road. Unfortunately it is barb-wired now so nope, you can’t take the salt with you.

DID YOU KNOW:
Nowadays more than 90% (!) of the world’s salt output is used for industrial purposes, not for food as you would think. Salt from Ibiza is a completely natural sea-salt with no additives of any kind and is obtained solely by the natural evaporation of seawater, containing more than 80 minerals and trace elements detectable in seawater, all of which are essential for the human organism. You can read more about the Sal de Ibiza brand and history. I have bought a nice small gift salt box with that salt for myself as well, though most likely you can get the same sea salt with a normal price, if you are not into the brand.


Las Salinas beach

From the salt mountain, it is also possible to continue for Cap des Falco, but this time we continued for the Salinas beach. On my vacation walk in Ibiza in October 2012, this was one of the main goals to get. I didn’t reach it back then, because I got stuck to the bushes after Playa d’en Bossa. Now you know the reason why I was so eager to get to the Las Salinas beach. I do not like goals not-reached. Plus, I had heard a lot of good words about the beach.

We found the beach with ease, few Saturday dog walkers and couples were strolling at the beach and towards the Torre de Ses Portes. The season is not here yet and for me the beach was not cleaned and not really what I had hoped for. I am sure it will change with the coming of summer. It was couple of hours from our start which meant brunch time and sunbathing. The latter was useless, because the wind was far too strong and cold and we made it a short stop hoping to see nicer places on our way.

walk in Ibiza
Las Salinas beach
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza

Next stop on my walk in Ibiza, Torre de Ses Portes

We started heading towards the Tower where I had been once before and knew, that the coast to it is just amazing, rocky, cliffy with waves crashing against the low but wonderfully poetic cliffs. Thanks to the waves, the scenery was even more amazing. Surely we did some tourist photos and also some bikini shoots. I really need to learn how to use my camera in the bright light. That resulted in 400 pictures. Lot of learning to do…

walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza

Right next to the Torre Ses Portes are the small and adorable boat houses and we some of the local birds.

walk in Ibiza
Good company on a walk in Ibiza is always a huge fun
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
Using your local area for tripod.
walk in Ibiza
View to Torre de Ses Portes from our little private beach

Walk in Ibiza to find hidden beaches

We were really hoping to get our first sunbathing this day, to overcome the grey and cold weather we had had the days before. After some 2-3 minutes walking towards Es Cavallet we found our little hidden place some. It was blocking the wind, we were right on the edge with the most amazing view. Perfect! That became our lunch and sunbathing place for an hour. It was like having our own private beach (or cliff, to be correct) where nobody disturbed and yet it was in the center of the one of the most popular walking trails in Ibiza, both for locals and tourists. There are plenty of shelters, small places to take a breath in Salinas. Find your own, if you come here!

A fine place to walk in Ibiza: Es Cavallet beach

Es Cavallet is one of the nudist beaches in Ibiza. And we learnt it rather quickly. There was a butt-naked man drying from the dip in the water. We, shy continental-Europeans were happy, when he put some clothes on and left. Just so we could get in the water ourselves and stay for a while. Because this beach – me gusta! It was beautiful – big enough, clear enough, clean enough … one of my favorites now. The water though was still too cold. But the first dip this summer was made! Que frio!!! Very cold. Next time will be rather later than sooner.

walk in Ibiza
Es Cavallet beach. It looks nicer when you are there 🙂
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
Good way to cool yourself down
walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
From one end of the Es Cavallet beach to the view on the Torre de Ses Portes

WEAR SUNSCREEN ON YOUR WALK IN IBIZA

To continue our slow-mo walk, we still had to get to Playa d’en Bossa. We slowly, mildly (yeah …) burnt, headed towards the other end of the Es Cavallet. The restaurant at the end was packed. And our road, along with the hopes to be able to walk back to the town, got cut. Hmm, tough case. We could not find a way over the mountain to reach Bossa beach from Es Cavallet. We were forced to take the main road again. Which we didn’t want to because surely there is a way through the mountains and bushes?
But we had to admit the defeat. With the time we had spent on sunbathing and being all struck out from the heat, we decided to take the “easy” way and go the main road to Playa d’en Bossa. We only managed to walk a bit when a car stopped and three nice Germans offered us a ride. We were tired. So we took the ride up to the middle of the Bossa beach. The “tough” – lazy Saturday walk was done. After 5 minutes in the car, all the muscles were slowly going to sleep. On my longer hikes I try to take very short breaks because I know that if I take more than 10-15 minute pauses, the muscles get lazy and it is difficult to start again. It is better to keep moving until you reach the end and can completely rest.
Oh yes, wear sunscreen. The hour for us was enough to make us feel every cm of our skin. Even with cream (30).

Enjoy the finish line!

We still had a quest and goal in mind – JD’s. After all, it was a cultural-lazy-Saturday walk and the point was to see what makes Ibiza IBIZA. Beaches, mountains, salt, sun, torres. And coffee and having a café con leche is a norm.
I have heard JD’s Beach Bar Bistro name of that bar for many times and I could remember seeing it on Bossa beach but never visited. To give our legs some rest, enjoy the company and the weather, we decided to have our end of the walk cold coffee drink there. If you ever have a graving for homey fish and chips, the famous British dish, go there.

walk in Ibiza
walk in Ibiza
Thank you, legs! Until the next walk in Ibiza.

Read what walks can you do in Ibiza:

More reading: Tips for walking in Ibiza or elsewhere

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Walking lifestyle – keeping you fit, mentally and physically

Don’t forget we all need time-off from our daily lives. Walking is the easiest and accessible thing to do that. Go out for a walk, share your thoughts and inspirations with me via e-mail. My aim is to show how easy it is to find little walks, little time-off-chunks in life to keep you mentally and physically fit. Wherever you are.

Liisi Toom

walking clothes by ISCLiisi Toom is a communication executive and lifestyle coach who spent 9 months in Ibiza walking, doing walking tours and blogging about it. She has also done and blogged about walking in Estonia and Norway. She coaches people on finding their lifestyle. If you wish to find and live your lifestyle, e-mail at liisitoom (at) gmail. com or follow her Twitter @liisi.

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When in Ibiza, be sure to enjoy at least one walking route, it is worth it!

About the Author

liisi

Performance coach, blogger and activist.

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