A private islet inside the park.

An islet inside the park

Espalmador is a low, sandy islet a short distance north of Ses Illetes, separated from Formentera by a narrow channel of shallow water. It lies inside Ses Salines Natural Park, the protected area that covers the south of Ibiza, the north of Formentera and the sea between them, declared in 2001 and listed as a Ramsar wetland. The islet is private land, and that single fact shapes every visit: nothing there is public in the way a beach is.

The islet is low: sand, dunes held by juniper, a shallow lagoon behind the first ridge, and seagrass showing dark through the channel water. There are no facilities, no bins, no shade to speak of and no fresh water. Birds use the lagoon and the dune edges, and the Pitiusan wall lizard, found only on Ibiza, Formentera and their islets, lives among the stones. It is a place to look at, not to settle into.

How to reach Espalmador

No regular ferry line runs to Espalmador. The scheduled crossings from Ibiza Town and the boat trips from La Savina land at La Savina, on Formentera itself. From there the islet is reached by kayak or paddleboard launched at Ses Illetes, on an organised boat trip, or in a private boat. Check what is running before planning the day, because most trips are seasonal. The distance is short; the planning takes the time.

The channel between Ses Illetes and the islet is shallow, and in settled weather people do cross the northern end on foot or by swimming. Conditions change with wind, tide and boat traffic, and the crossing is not a route to count on. Landing is controlled because the islet is private and protected, so ask the natural park office what is permitted before planning to step ashore.

• Boat tripSeasonal trips leave from La Savina and pass the islet; confirm before booking whether landing is included.
• KayakA kayak from Ses Illetes keeps the crossing short and allows stops only where the rules permit.
• Private boatAnchor only where permitted, use the summer buoys where installed and keep clear of the seagrass.
• On footThe shallow channel can be crossed on foot in calm weather, but never count on it for the return.

The best time to go

The islet is exposed and the channel is open to wind from most directions, so the day matters more than the hour. A calm forecast, light wind and no swell make the crossing simple; a northerly Tramuntana makes it rough and the landing wet, and it can blow for days. Mornings are quieter, with fewer boats moving through the channel and cooler sand underfoot. In July and August, afternoons bring the most traffic.

Late spring and early autumn give the best combination of settled weather and space. Sea temperatures run at about 18-19 °C in May, 22-23 °C in June and 23-25 °C in September. Boat trips and seasonal businesses on Formentera close roughly from November to April, so a winter visit means your own craft, a settled forecast and a check with the natural park office before setting out. Mornings in May and October are the quietest hours on this coast.

Calm water decides the day: the channel is short, but it is open sea with a private shore.

Crossing and landing

Start from Ses Illetes, where the water is shallow and the distance to the islet shortest. Cross with others rather than alone, watch for traffic in the channel between Ibiza and Formentera, and keep to the edge of the boat lane rather than the middle of it. A kayak crossing takes little time in calm water and far longer in wind, so turn back early rather than late.

On arrival, look before landing. Sandbars shift, the shore is uneven, and the lagoon margins are soft ground and nesting ground both. Land on open sand away from the dune vegetation, lift the craft clear of the water rather than dragging it, and stay off the lagoon edges where birds are sitting. If a landing place looks closed or is marked as closed, treat it as closed.

The rules that matter

The sea between Ibiza and Formentera holds the posidonia meadows that earned the islands their World Heritage listing, and anchoring over them is regulated by a Balearic decree. Mooring buoys are installed in some bays in summer. If no buoy is free, do not drop an anchor into dark seagrass: move on, or stay with the boat and swim. Ask the natural park office what applies in the channel this season.

Ashore, the islet is private land inside a protected area, which means no crossing fences, no picking plants, no taking sand, stones or shells, and no fires. The 112 emergency number works across the islands. Rules on landing, anchoring and buoy use change with the season and with the state of the meadows, so a plan that worked last year may not hold this year. Treat signs and markers as the current word on the ground.

Doing it lightly

Nothing is collected on Espalmador, so nothing should be left. Food scraps, fruit peel, bottles, wet wipes and packaging all go back in the bag and across to Formentera, where bins exist. Soap and sunscreen wash off in shallow water and stay there, so swim with that in mind. The island's beach etiquette applies here with less margin for error, because there is no one to clear up after a visit.

The dunes, the lagoon and the low vegetation are the reason the islet is protected and the reason it looks as it does. Walk on open sand, keep voices low near the water where birds feed, and give wildlife distance. A boat that idles quietly at the edge of the seagrass sees more than one that runs up onto the sand, and it leaves the meadow intact. Keep to the firm sand and the islet keeps its shape.

What to bring

There is no fresh water, no shade and no facilities on the islet, so the trip is only as comfortable as the bag that comes with it. Take more water than the plan suggests, food for the time intended plus an hour, and a bag that closes for everything coming back. Sun protection matters twice over on the water, where reflection adds to direct sun. A hat and a long-sleeved shirt are more reliable than cream alone.

Footwear makes a difference: sand and rock are hot by midday and the shore is uneven underfoot. A dry bag keeps phone, keys and papers safe, a light layer handles the wind on the return, and a mask lets you look at the seagrass edges from the boat without standing on them. A towel and a warm layer for the ride home are worth the weight. Leave the speaker behind.

• WaterMore than the plan suggests: there is no fresh water on the islet or on the crossing.
• Sun coverHat, shirt and high-factor cream, applied before leaving and again after swimming.
• FootwearSandals that stay on in the water and shoes for hot sand and rough rock.
• Rubbish bagA closable bag for everything, because nothing is collected on the islet.
• Dry bagFor phone, keys and papers, since the crossing is wet even in calm weather.

Nearby and practical notes

Ses Illetes is the natural base, with the shallowest water and the shortest crossing. La Savina, the port, has the seasonal boat trips and the ferries back to Ibiza Town, about 30-35 minutes by fast ferry. Es Pujols and Sant Francesc are a short cycle or drive away. The lagoons, Estany Pudent and Estany des Peix, sit inside the same natural park and make a quiet counterpoint to the northern beaches. The signposted green routes start close by.

Practical points: no facilities, no shade, no shelter from the wind and nothing to buy on the islet. Weather can turn in an afternoon, particularly with a northerly wind, and the return crossing is harder once it rises. The emergency number is 112. Ferries and boat trips are fewer in winter, and much of the seasonal business closes from November to April, so check operators and the Consell de Formentera before relying on a crossing.

• Ses IlletesThe beach and sandbar at the northern tip make the shortest start for a kayak or a swim.
• La SavinaThe port has the seasonal boat trips and the ferries across to Ibiza Town.
• The lagoonsEstany Pudent and Estany des Peix lie inside the same park, with birds and quiet paths.
• Sant FrancescThe capital has the fortified church, the shops and somewhere to eat out of season.