PORTINATX • NORTH
At the very northern tip of Ibiza sits Portinatx, a place I return to again and again. It is one of the first places I take visitors when they come to stay with us. The north of the island carries a different energy entirely. Slower, softer, and without pretence. Families, old Ibiza bohemians and day-trippers all drift here for the same reason: the water is impossibly clear and the rhythm of the place feels unhurried.
Two beaches sit almost side by side here, just a short walk apart: Playa S’Arenal Gran and Playa S’Arenal Petit. Each has its own character, but both share the same shallow, luminous water that makes Portinatx such a dream for children.
DETAILS
– Child-friendly beach with shallow water
– Restaurants and small shops in the village
– Parking available but fills early in summer
Portinatx, 07810 Sant Joan de Labritja
Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain
Playa S’Arenal Gran
The larger of the two beaches is Playa S’Arenal Gran, a wide crescent of white sand framed by low pine trees at the back of the bay. The water here is incredibly clear and stays shallow for a long stretch, which is exactly why so many families gravitate here. There are sunbeds spread across the sand and a handful of small beach restaurants just above the shoreline. Before you descend the steps down to the beach there is also a little supermarket, useful for grabbing water, snacks or the inevitable packet of crisps children seem to crave after a swim. Parking can be a little more challenging here, particularly in the height of summer, but once you arrive the bay opens out in that calm northern way. No rush, no pretence, just families settling in for the day.
Playa S’Arenal Petit
Just opposite, almost tucked away in comparison, sits Playa S’Arenal Petit, and this is the spot I tend to gravitate towards. The beach itself is smaller, which somehow makes it feel more relaxed. Parking is usually easier here and the bay feels gently contained, with the same shallow water stretching out in front of you. Children paddle for hours along the shoreline and older ones rent paddle boards, gliding quietly across the glassy water. Behind the beach there is a small supermarket which becomes surprisingly essential as the day unfolds. Cold drinks, ice creams, the occasional bag of Lays crisps. The small rituals of a beach day with children.
Lunch nearby
When it is time to step away from the sand, Rebrots just behind Playa S’Arenal Petit is one of those places that quietly exceeds expectations. The menu leans towards Balearic flavours with subtle Asian influences. Interesting enough for the adults, yet still easy for children with simple dishes like burgers or chicken fingers. If you prefer something quicker, the beach bar El Cigüe is perfect for grabbing a sandwich and a drink to take back down to the sand.
Sunset above the bay
Later on, Niu sits a little higher above the beach. It is one of those places where you can linger over dinner while the light softens and the sea shifts through its evening colours. In this northern corner of Ibiza the sun sets across the land as opposed to the sea, but the glow across the bay is beautiful all the same.
WHAT LINGERS
The charm of Portinatx is the feeling that the north still moves at its own pace. Families spread across the sand, children wandering between sea and shore, and the water always impossibly clear.
What lingers here is how easy the day feels. Clear water, children happily occupied for hours, and the kind of beach you find yourself returning to again and again.
PORTINATX • NORTH
Portinatx sits at the very northern tip of Ibiza, where the island feels slower and wonderfully unpretentious. Two beaches lie just moments from each other here, Playa S’Arenal Gran and Playa S’Arenal Petit, both with shallow, crystal clear water that makes them ideal for long, relaxed family beach days.