ESPALMADOR ISLAND

Aerial view of Espalmador island

Just 150 meters from the island of Formentera lies Espalmador (S’Espalmador in Ibizan), a true earthly paradise belonging to the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza and Formentera. The island of Espalmador is a wild refuge far from the most well-known and crowded beaches of Formentera. With an area of just over 2 km², the island has a highly unspoiled appearance and is protected by the Consell Insular, which strictly prohibits the construction of any tourist facilities.

Espalmador belongs to the Balearic Islands archipelago, made up of the main islands: Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, and the smaller islands: Cabrera with its national park, Dragonera, Es Vedrà, Espardell and Tagomago. This archipelago forms an autonomous community where the official language is Catalan.

It is possible to visit it on an organized excursion (by catamaran or inflatable boat), usually departing from the port of La Savina. Excursions to Espalmador depart from both Formentera and Ibiza.

Historical notes

This island is devoid of inhabited centers or tourist facilities and the almost total absence of historical evidence suggests that it has been unexplored by humans for a long time. Currently, the only constructions are two large properties in pure Ibizan style, a small chapel, a lighthouse and, on the highest point of the island, there is an ancient watchtower, probably built for sighting pirates, known as Sa Guardiola. This two-story tower is located on the west side of the island and is visible during the ferry ride from Ibiza to Formentera.

The most important feature of Espalmador is the fact that it is a private island: its controversial history dates back to ancient times. The only recent news tells of its historical owner, the architect Normann Cinnamond. He and his sister Rosy, both of Catalan origin, inherited the island from their grandfather Bernard Cinnamond James, a wealthy businessman, descendant of a wealthy English family. The story goes that Sir Bernard, a passionate traveler, sailing in the Mediterranean waters fell in love with this island and, in 1932, bought it from the previous owner Carlos Tur Roig for 42,500 pesetas. A funny anecdote tells that, in the sales deed signed by the parties, Carlos Tur wanted to specify that, among the different fauna that populated the island, all cattle of all sizes remained his property, while ducks, pigeons and hens would have been sold together with the land.

Who owns Espalmador? In recent times, Espalmador, one of the few private islands in Spain, has once again changed hands: the Cinnamond brothers decided to put this little paradise located between Formentera and Ibiza back up for sale a few years ago, and after initial asking prices of around 30 million euros, the island was sold  in early 2018 to a wealthy family from Luxembourg. For the “modest” sum of 18 million euros, they secured a corner of paradise immersed in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The new owners, like the previous ones, must comply with current laws that prohibit any new construction.

Beaches

The sandy beach of Espalmador

Espalmador, despite having a mostly rugged coastline, still offers numerous beaches, all pristine and enchanting. The most beautiful is undoubtedly Es Racò de S’Alga (also known as Platja de S’Alga), a natural cove with fine white sand and crystal-clear sea. This 1000-meter-long beach is surrounded behind by a small promontory covered with vegetation and is located in the western part.

All the beaches of Espalmador have sandy and sloping bottoms, ideal for taking a relaxing swim and fully embracing the spirit of the island. Here, the presence of nudists is very high compared to all the other beaches of Formentera; the isolated position and the total absence of tourist facilities allow a total connection between man and the surrounding nature. In this regard, it is important to remember to bring everything you need to spend a few hours in this little corner of paradise, you will not find food or water!

How to get to Espalmador

Despite its proximity to the northern tip of Ses Illetes beach (called Es Trucadors), Espalmador is no longer reachable on foot. In the past, it was possible to cross the strip of sea that separated Formentera from Espalmador, depending on the tide conditions: the famous Es Pas, also known as “the crossing”. For some years now, it has been absolutely forbidden to attempt this experience and there is a much safer and more comfortable way to get there.

How to reach Espalmador island? The enchanting islet of Espalmador can only be reached by sea thanks to boats that offer a dedicated tourist service. Going to the port of La Savina, you will find numerous agencies that offer day trips by boat or catamaran.
You can choose whether to participate together with other people by joining a group or rent the boat just for yourselves. Often these solutions are accompanied by offers that include lunch on board or a sunset drink in the price. Alternatively, you can rent a dinghy or a small boat so you can reach it independently.

In the past, there was a public ferry, the Bahia boat, which ran between the port of La Savina, Ses Illetes and Espalmador. Unfortunately, this service was suspended in 2020. The local government has decided to discontinue it to preserve the delicate territory of the islet. The day trip to Espalmador is definitely an unmissable experience to do in Formentera.

The mud baths of Espalmador

The muddy lagoon of Espalmador

For many years, one of the main attractions of Espalmador has been the mud baths. Many people went to this muddy lagoon to immerse themselves and cover themselves in slime from the alleged healing qualities.

For some years now, the Consell Insular de Formentera and Ibiza has declared the area inaccessible for this kind of activity. In addition to bringing no benefit to the skin, it irreparably damaged the local fauna, in particular some species of birds that nested nearby.

This pond initially occupied an area of about four hectares, but has decreased considerably in recent years, due to increasingly rare rains.