Platja de Son Bou

From the car park the sand runs west in one unbroken line towards Sant Tomàs, and the further you walk, the emptier it gets. The water is clear and turquoise, and cold even in summer. Near the shore it is shallow enough for small children, with deeper water further out for swimming.

The crowd thins along the western stretch, where nudism is common. Behind the beach, dunes give way to reed beds and wetland, and near the eastern end lie the stone foundations of an early Christian basilica (Basílica paleocristiana de Son Bou). Son Bou itself is a quiet resort with little nightlife: the beach is what people come for.

• Any southerly wind — south, south-east or south-west — drives sand across the beach hard enough to break umbrellas. On those days go elsewhere.
• The car park fills by 10–11 am in summer. Arrive early for both a space and a good spot on the sand.
• Walk west towards Sant Tomàs for quieter sand; nudism is common along that stretch.
• Lifeguards watch the beach in summer, and the shallows near the shore suit small children.
• There are no public toilets at the beach, and none nearby.

Most people arrive by car. Parking de Son Bou sits about 150 m from the beach in a straight line, with a second parking area about 335 m away; both lead straight onto the sand, and the last stretch is soft sand underfoot. By bus, the stops Passeig del Prat and Son Bou – Platja are about 320 m and 370 m away in a straight line. Once on the beach, turn west and keep walking for the quieter stretch towards Sant Tomàs.

Best: early morning, on a day with the wind from the north.

Avoid: any day with a southerly wind, and late morning onwards in high summer.

The beach faces south, so a southerly wind blows straight in and fills the air with sand, while a northerly leaves it sheltered. By 10–11 am in summer the car park is full and the sand near it crowded, and there is no shade on the open beach at midday.