S'Espalmador

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WorldMediterraneanSpainMediterranean coast of SpainCosta BlancaBalearic IslandsIbizaS'Espalmador
S'Espalmador
38°47.16′N, 1°25.46′E Chart icon.png
lat=38_47.16_N | lon=1_25.46_E | zoom=13 | y
Espalmador.jpeg
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Espalmador beach

Espalmador is a small privately owned uninhabited island between Ibiza (Eivissa) and Formentera.

Charts

See Ibiza.

Weather

See Spain.

Passages

See Aegean to West Mediterranean Passages.

Communication

N/A

Navigation

After rounding the small Islet to the SW of Espalmador enter the bay favoring the north west side of the bay as there are submerged rocks to the SE. Once in the bay, depths shelve gradually towards the beach.

Take care of Rocks awash/wiki/S%27Espalmador#Rocks_awashDanger icon Rocks awash [[S'Espalmador#Rocks awash|Rocks awash]] 38°46.312'N, 001°24.872'E between S'Espalmador and Illa de Castevi and Rocks awash/wiki/S%27Espalmador#Rocks_awashDanger icon Rocks awash [[S'Espalmador#Rocks awash|Rocks awash]] 38°46.609'N, 001°25.069'E SW of Illa de Castevi.

Berthing

None.

There are a couple of marinas at Formentera but they are infamous to be amongst the most expensive in the Med.

Anchorages

Puerto del Espalmador

Puerto del Espalmador/wiki/S%27Espalmador#Puerto_del_Espalmador
Buoy icon Puerto del Espalmador [[S'Espalmador#Puerto del Espalmador|Puerto del Espalmador]] 38°46.739'N, 001°25.534'E

This anchorage is located at a protected area. In season (Jun-Sep) this anchorage is a managed buoy only field. See Balearic_Islands#Anchorages for more details.

The bay on the SW of Espalmador is a very popular anchorage. The bay is managed as a marine park and dozens of new moorings have been laid throughout the bay. Day tripper charter tour boats pull up at the SE end of the beach, and consequently the NW end is generally quieter. The moorings are free for day or overnight use so there is really no reason to anchor unless all the moorings are occupied, in which event there is a small anchorage area free of mooring balls.

Although the moorings are free, they can be reserved so make sure you check that your proposed mooring buoy doesn't have a reserved label on it before tieing on. This is a great overnight anchorage. It is almost completely protected from any direction, particularly the SE part of the bay (but see note regarding day trippers above). The bottom is light weed over sand with good holding.

This bay gets pretty full in season.

There is a designated "swimmers only" zone along most of the beach. There is an area at the SE end of the beach which is used for beaching dinghies and is also used by the tour boats. Despite the swimmers-only zone, most cruisers choose to dinghy to shore at the NW end of the beach. The beach has some gradient to it and perhaps because of this many cruisers anchor their dinghies in knee- deep water and wade in to shore.

This is a completely undeveloped beach with no facilities.

Amenities

Facilities
Water None
Electricity None
Toilets None
Showers None
Laundry
Garbage None
Supplies
Fuel See Formentera
Bottled gas
Chandlers
Services
Repairs
Internet
Mobile connectivity
Vehicle rentals

Provisioning

None

Eating out

None

Transportation

None

Tourism

Features of the island include pristine beaches, a lighthouse, and freshwater springs and the famous mud-bath.

This is a private island and visitors are only allowed on the beach areas, although many make the trek inland to the mud bath (see below). The beach is fine white sand and the water clean and sometimes weedy. During one visit the bay was plagued with small jellyfish. With the exception of another anchorage in the NW corner of Espalmador which we have not yet explored, this is the only protected anchorage on Espalmador or Formentera.

You are welcome to stroll along the beach, but the rest of the Island is off-limits. Despite this, there are a number of well trodden trails through the scrub and many visitors make the short hike to the mud salt flats in the middle of the island where the famous "Blue Mud" is found. The mud is reputed to do wonders for the skin and you shouldn't be surprised to find naked blue people wandering around! If indulging in the mud, the usual technique is to daub it on all over, let it dry, then wash it off in the sea. It comes off surprisingly easily and does not stain fabric as far as we can tell.

Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

References

See Balearics.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

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SailorSmiley.gifContributors to this page

Names: Alan Teed, Athene of Lymington


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