Ses Salines Natural Park

The Ses Salines Natural Park protects a landscape of salt pans, lagoons, dunes and shallow sea that spreads across the southern tip of Ibiza and the northern end of Formentera in the Balearic Islands, with the strait between them, known as Es Freus, at its centre. It was declared a natural park in 2001, and most of its area is actually sea, with a protected marine zone covering several times the size of the land part. The park forms part of the area recognised by UNESCO in 1999 for the combined natural and cultural value of Ibiza and Formentera.

Salt has been collected here since ancient times. Shallow ponds are filled with seawater, which evaporates under the sun and wind, and the salt is harvested from the crust left behind. The activity gave the islands wealth and shaped the land, with ponds, channels and low mounds of white salt visible from the roads. On the Ibiza side, the salt pans are still worked, and the pale heaps contrast with the dark pines and blue sea. In Formentera, the lagoons of Estany Pudent and Estany des Peix and the salt flats near La Savina are part of the same landscape.

The wetlands are important for birds. Greater flamingos feed in the shallow water, sometimes in large groups, and many other species, from waders to herons and ospreys, stop here during migration, with autumn the best season for watching. The shallow lagoons attract avocets, stilts and sandpipers, and walkers can use observation points and paths along the pans. The water around the islands holds meadows of Posidonia oceanica, a seagrass that produces oxygen, shelters fish and keeps the sea clear. These meadows are one of the reasons the water here is so transparent, and visitors can help by not anchoring over them.

Cultural features include old watchtowers built to defend against pirate raids. The Sal Rossa tower on the Ibiza side is one of the best known, and it gives views across the salt flats and the sea. Several sites in the park have been prepared for visitors, with information and routes.

The flat terrain makes the area good for cycling, and there are routes by the coast, as well as bicycle rentals in the villages such as La Savina. The nearby beaches, including the long sand strips on both islands, make it easy to combine nature and swimming. Summer is hot and shade is scarce, so bring water and a hat, and in the nesting seasons keep to the marked paths so as not to disturb the birds.