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Accommodation nearby

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Cala Bassa is a pretty golden sand beach surrounded by old juniper trees, located on the west coast of Ibiza. The famous Cala Bassa Beach Club gives a lively atmosphere to the beach, with its luxury restaurants, lounge chairs, shops and massage tables. Snorkelers can explore the cove’s underwater world, including the small rocky pools and underwater caves found at the southern edge of the beach.

View of Cala Bassa best snorkeling area
Cala Bassa boasts calm, crystalline waters.

How to go snorkeling at Cala Bassa

Cala Bassa is a beach located on Ibiza’s west side. From Sant Antoni de Portmany, allow 15 minutes by car to reach the well-signposted beach. A large parking area (5 euros per day) is available near the beach. It is also possible to get to Cala Bassa by boat or bus from Sant Antoni (more info in town).

Cala Bassa snorkeling map, Ibiza

Water entrance for snorkeling Cala Bassa

We recommend that you enter the water at the southern end of the beach, near the rocks.

Cala Bassa snorkeling exploration tips

You can snorkel throughout the cala, but we especially recommend the beach’s rocky southern edge (see map). Here, the very rugged coast forms several small coves and caves, which are a great environment for snorkeling.

East-Atlantic peacock wrasse in Cala Bassa's posidonia meadows
The East-Atlantic peacock wrasse is fairly common in Cala Bassa’s posidonia meadows.

Cala Bassa is home to various types of seabed. Facing the beach, there are shallow sandy bottoms (↕2-8ft/0.5-2m), visited by many saddled seabream and grey mullets. A little further, 25-30m from the shore, you’ll find amazing seagrass beds (3-12ft/1-4m), where annular seabream, salema, peacock wrasse and painted combers are common sightings.

Along the rocky coast, you can explore a mineral landscape made up of drop-offs, ridges, pools and small underwater caves. Sargo, saddled seabream and wrasse appreciate these rocky areas, as well as the cardinalfish, which hide in the shade of the rocky overhangs.

Cardinalfish in a cave in Cala Bassa
Most of the bay’s small underwater caves are inhabited by cardinalfish.

Cala Bassa is a sheltered cove where the water is generally calm, with excellent underwater visibility. When swimming along the rocks, be careful, as kids enjoy jumping in the water from the small cliffs. Snorkeling may be less enjoyable in summer, when the beach is crowded and noisy.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

The famous Cala Bassa Beach Club, which has 4 snacks and restaurants, is set all along the beach.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth15ft/5m
  • Water entranceFrom a sandy beach or rocks
  • LifeguardYes, in summer
  • Visitor numbersHigh
  • Access costsFree
  • Restaurants nearbyYes

MAP Spot

These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.