Platja Sa Mesquida

The tower on the headland is the first thing you see: a squat stone Torre de Sa Mesquida, put up by the British in 1799, watching over the bay. Below it the sand curves for about 300 metres, roughly the length of three football pitches, and the water is clear enough to see the bottom on a calm day.

The beach stays clean and well kept. Most of the people on it are from Maó, and some of them bathe nude. The right-hand side turns to rock and deep underwater shelves, good for snorkelling, and local divers work the drop-offs there. There are no hotels, no promenade and no bar on the sand.

• There are no showers, sun loungers or fixed bar on the sand. In summer a van usually sells ice cream and cold drinks.
• There is no drinking water at the beach — fill up before you come.
• Bring food and your own shade. The nearest sit-down meal is at Cap Roig, a seafood restaurant on the nearby cliffs, or back in Maó.
• Nude bathing is common, mostly among locals.
• Jellyfish turn up on some days, and after rough weather the shore can be thick with seaweed.

Sa Mesquida is five to ten minutes by car from Maó. The last stretch runs through the village on narrow, winding streets, so take it slowly and watch your mirrors. Carry on to the end of the road, past the river and the tower, to reach the two car parks, about 325 m and 435 m from the beach in a straight line. From there it is a walk of five to ten minutes down to the sand, and uphill on the way back. When the car parks are full, spaces open up as people leave. The nearest bus stop, Aturada Sa Mesquida, is about 560 m away.

Best: a calm weekday in summer, or early in the day at weekends.

Avoid: hot weekends in July and August, and days when the Tramontana blows from the north.

The car parks fill early on summer weekends, when people from Maó come out, and the north wind turns the bay choppy and churns up seaweed.