S’Espalmador (Formentera)

S’Espalmador (Espalmador in Spanish) is the small, uninhabited island just off the northern tip of Formentera, across a narrow channel from the sand spit of Es Trucadors. You can only get there by boat: a private boat, a boat trip, or one of the daily boats from the port of La Savina. Its main beach, the Racó de s’Alga, is about 1 km of fine white sand on the west side. The island is private land inside the Ses Salines Natural Park, and the famous mud pool is now off limits. It suits boaters and anyone happy with a beach that has no services; skip it if you need shade, food on site or a walk-in beach.

Quick facts

• Names: S’Espalmador in Catalan, Espalmador or Isla de Espalmador in Spanish. The main beach is the Racó de s’Alga, often just called s’Alga.
• Where: north of Formentera (Balearic Islands), off the tip of Es Trucadors and the Ses Illetes beaches. About 5.8 km in a straight line from the port of La Savina.
• Coordinates: 38.7862, 1.4238 (centre of the island, OpenStreetMap).
• Size: the Formentera tourist manual gives about 2 km²; it describes the island as protected and uninhabited, with hardly any buildings.
• Ownership: private. The island tourism portal describes s’Alga as a private beach that everyone may use.
• Protection: part of the Parc Natural de Ses Salines d’Eivissa i Formentera (natural park under Balearic Law 17/2001).
• Main beach: Racó de s’Alga, about 1 km long, on the west side of the island.
• Facilities: none listed by the official sources. Bring water, food and shade.

Access by boat (no walking across)

Boat trips: the Balearic tourism portal says you can reach s’Espalmador only with a private boat or one of the daily boats from La Savina, Formentera’s port, which also stop at the Illetes beach (illesbalears.travel). We could not confirm current operators, times or fares; check at the port in La Savina.

Do not wade or swim across. Many old guides mention walking over the shallow channel from Es Trucadors. Formentera’s official tourism site now says the currents are strong, “so crossing on foot is forbidden” (Formentera tourism, Trucadors).

Your own boat: the Balearic port authority, PortsIB, runs an ecological buoy field in the Badia de s’Alga in front of the island, one of eight in the Balearics set up to protect Posidonia seagrass. In 2025 buoys were booked online on the PortsIB booking site, from 1 June to 30 September (with a possible extension to 15 October), with passes for a swim stop, a day or an overnight stay and buoys for boats of up to 8, 12, 15, 20 or 25 m (Govern de les Illes Balears, May 2025). We could not confirm whether the field was in service in 2026 or what it costs, so check on PortsIB before you sail.

Getting to the boats: if you only want to look at the island from the shore, drive or cycle to Ses Illetes and walk north along Es Trucadors. Cars and motorbikes pay a small fee to enter the natural park there; on foot or by bike entry is free (Formentera tourism, Ses Illetes).

What to expect

The Racó de s’Alga is a long curve of very fine white sand backed by a large dune system with juniper bushes. The portal describes clear water and notes that the only buildings are Sa Torreta, an 18th-century guardhouse, and a farmhouse. The island has no village, no road and no beach bar listed by the official sources.

Inland lies a small lagoon of mud. It used to be popular with visitors who covered themselves in its mud, but bathing in it and using the mud are now banned. The park rules list “bathing and use of the mud of the S’Espalmador lagoon” among the prohibited activities (park leaflet), and the Formentera tourist manual adds that the lake is now a bird nesting area and that its use is discouraged for health reasons as well (Formentera tourist manual).

Park rules that apply

The natural park leaflet lists what is banned or needs a permit in the park, which covers s’Espalmador and the strait between Ibiza and Formentera:

• Banned: jet skis, spearfishing, bathing in or using the mud of the s’Espalmador lagoon, landing on the smaller islets and sea stacks, collecting plants or animals on land or at sea, and camping or sleeping in caravans.
• Banned: walking on the dunes and other sensitive habitats off the boardwalks and marked paths.
• Needs prior authorisation: scuba diving, filming and photo shoots, research and lighting fires.
• Park office: Carrer Murcia 6, Eivissa; tel. 971 30 14 60.

The PortsIB buoy field exists to protect the Posidonia seagrass meadows of the bay, so use a buoy where you can rather than dropping anchor on the seagrass.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

The PortsIB buoy field works in summer; in 2025 its season ran from 1 June to 30 September. Check at La Savina which boat services run outside summer. Calm days with little wind are best for the shallow anchorage and for the crossing from La Savina.

Nearby alternatives

• Ses Illetes beach, 3.3 km away: Formentera’s best-known beach, reached by road, on the spit that points at s’Espalmador.
• Dalt Vila, 13 km away: the walled old town of Ibiza, across the strait.
• Cala d’Hort, 21 km away: a cove on Ibiza’s west coast, in Sant Josep.
• Cala Comte, 26 km away: a cove in Sant Josep, on Ibiza’s west coast.
• Cala Saladeta, 27 km away: a small cove in Sant Antoni, Ibiza.

Distances are in a straight line from the centre of s’Espalmador.

FAQ

How do I get to S’Espalmador?

Only by boat: your own boat or charter, a boat trip, or the daily boats from La Savina that also stop at Illetes. Walking across from Es Trucadors is forbidden because of strong currents.

Can you walk to Espalmador from Formentera?

No. Formentera’s official tourism site says the currents in the channel are strong, so crossing on foot is forbidden.

Can you still bathe in the Espalmador mud pool?

No. The natural park bans bathing in the lagoon and using its mud. It is now a bird nesting area.

Are there bars or toilets on S’Espalmador?

None are listed by the official sources. Bring water, food and shade, and take your rubbish back with you.

Can I anchor at S’Espalmador?

PortsIB runs a buoy field in the Badia de s’Alga, booked online; in 2025 it ran from 1 June to 30 September. Check the 2026 status on PortsIB before you sail. The field exists to protect the Posidonia seagrass of the bay.

Sources and freshness