Cala Codolar Beach Review

Cala Codolar beach is a heavenly little turquoise cove tucked into the rocky cliffs of Ibiza’s south west coast. Access is via a dirt road or dirtier hike from neighbouring Cala Conta, ending in a winding hairpin road or flight of stone steps descending down the cliffs. The view from the top of the steps is beautiful and almost worth the climb back up to see it, but if you’re coming via car the other way is much more practical and there’s plenty of parking in a dusty area at the bottom. Of course the other option is to arrive by boat and anchor off the beach, bobbing happily on the clear water and plunging in when the mood takes you, but we can't all be that fabulous all the time.

The beach is a perfect crescent of soft white sand backed by cliffs dunes and rocks. The sunbathing space is not huge, but when the sand fills up people just clamber along the rocks to either side of the beach and camp out wherever they can, the rocks to the left of the beach have the added advantage of a wooden diving platform from which you can leap into the cool green ocean all day long. The sea is a mixture of sandy access and rocky patches so pick your spot carefully whether you’re wading or snorkelling, either way this bay is well sheltered so the water is almost always calm.

This beach is very remote and feels even more so due to the dusty desert tracks you follow to get there. You’ll feel a world away from civilisation and need to pack for the day accordingly; the beach is unpatrolled, you won't find a lifeguard here no matter the season and more surprisingly there’s no pedalo rental nor water sport centre. Neither are there any shops nearby so you’ll need to bring all your beach necessities with you for the day. You don’t have to bring a picnic unless you want one though because the one thing this beach does have is a nameless little beach restaurant selling surprisingly elegant and well-priced food and drinks from a stylishly rustic hut.

Cool refreshment is the name of the game at this little place and the white and beach wood décor compliments the simple food menu and mason jar juices and cocktails (€8) nicely. Grab a driftwood table or sun bed and enjoy a cold beer (€3), wine or sangria and peruse the menu which features mostly cold salads and sandwiches but with a few burgers there too. It's reasonably priced, starting at €5 for gazpacho and going up to €24 for an Iberian ham platter. It's a lovely unassuming spot to sit and soak up the beauty of this special little cove.

Head to Cala Codolar now to soak up the laid back atmosphere of a beach away from it all, surrounded by wilderness with only a bar that doesn’t need a name to cater to your needs. Stretch out on the white sand and plunge into the rocky green sea and snorkel and swim and dive to your hearts content, and do it this summer because alas, it’s all going to change soon.

High on the hills above this little cove, change is coming in the form of the 7Pines luxury resort and ‘hideaway’. Currently under construction with the view to being open for Summer 2017 this full-service complex is being built in the form of an exclusive little town with streets and cul-de-sacs of pure white villas cropping up next to the few residences that were already there. Whether you’re for or against this kind of development on Ibiza’s coastline the fact remains that when this place is open for business there is going to be a huge increase in the amount of people visiting Cala Codolar beach and its remote character will change quickly as presumably amenities and access will be improved to match the top dollar resort.

It’s hard to imagine that our nameless and humble little beach restaurant will weather the changes so in case it doesn’t, make sure you visit this year and enjoy it and the beach whilst you can.