Ibiza and Formentera Beaches

Strip away the club mythology and Ibiza's coast is the argument that endures: coves of extraordinary clarity strung around a pine-backed island, from Cala Comte's layered blues and islet views to Cala d'Hort, where the mysterious offshore rock of Es Vedra stages the Mediterranean's most theatrical sunsets. The luminous water is no accident - vast meadows of Posidonia seagrass, part of the island's 1999 UNESCO listing, filter the shallows to a Caribbean brightness. A 30-minute ferry crosses to Formentera, the flat little sister whose Ses Illetes sandspit - bone-white sand shelving into impossible turquoise - is routinely ranked among Europe's finest beaches, best explored by rented scooter or bicycle between salt pans and dunes. Together the two islands hold the Balearics' clearest swimming, and out of high season they empty into something close to serenity.

What you actually see

• Ses Illetes - Formentera's white sandspit in turquoise shallows.
• Cala Comte - layered blues, islets and famous sunsets.
• Es Vedra from Cala d'Hort - the offshore rock at golden hour.
• The Posidonia meadows - the protected seagrass that keeps the water glass-clear.

When to go

June and September hit the balance of warm sea and thinner crowds; July and August are peak everything - people, prices and parking. May and October are quiet and still swimmable in good years.

Honest expectations

High summer tests patience: famous coves fill by mid-morning, beach clubs charge resort prices, and hire cars book out. Formentera day-trips need the ferry timetable respected, and its best corners really want your own wheels. Anchoring and treading on Posidonia is restricted - the clarity you came for depends on it.

Nearby

Ibiza Town's walled Dalt Vila, the Ses Salines flats and the island's north-coast coves.