Ses Salines Natural Park, Ibiza & Formentera

The Parc Natural de Ses Salines d'Eivissa i Formentera encompasses the salt flats, sea channels, coastal dunes, and marine habitats between southern Ibiza and northern Formentera, covering approximately 2,800 hectares of protected land and sea. The park represents the most biodiverse habitat in the Balearic Islands and one of the most important wetland ecosystems in the western Mediterranean. The salt flats themselves have been commercially harvested since at least Phoenician times — the Romans exported Ibiza salt across the empire — and the pink-hued pans continue to produce sea salt today, creating a striking industrial landscape within the natural reserve. The shallow, evaporation-rich environment supports flamingos, ospreys, herons, egrets, Audouin's gulls, and over 200 bird species recorded within the park boundaries. Es Salines beach on the Ibiza side is consistently ranked among the most beautiful beaches in Spain: 800 meters of fine white sand backed by pine forest and dunes, with water clarity that rivals tropical destinations thanks to the extensive Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows beneath the surface. The beach has a fashionable reputation alongside its natural beauty — a beach club operates at its northern end. The Formentera side, accessible by the La Savina ferry, adds the Ses Illetes sandbar to the complex, often cited among the best beaches in Europe. Snorkelling the marine protected zone reveals dense communities of bream, mullet, and cuttlefish above the Posidonia.