Playa de Cala Pi

From the top of the steps you look straight down the inlet: clear turquoise water running out to sea between two high walls of pale rock, like a corridor, with a strip of sand at the very end.

The cliffs close the cala off from the open sea, so the water inside lies calm and clear enough to see the bottom. That makes it an easy place to swim and a good one for children. Fishermen's boat sheds are tucked into the rock along the sides, and the old watchtower stands on the headland at the mouth.

The beach itself is small. The inlet around it is the reason to come, and the view on the way down is worth the steps on its own.

• The sand is limited and fills as the day goes on; by late morning a free spot is hard to find.
• The beach has no toilets; one is marked about 60 m away in a straight line.
• There is no drinking tap nearby. Bring water, or buy it at the shops at the top of the steps.
• In spring, banks of dried seagrass can lie over part of the sand and leave even less room to spread a towel.

You arrive in Cala Pi, the settlement on the clifftop above the inlet. Two car parks lie about 220 and 240 m away in a straight line, and there is street parking as well; arrive early and a space is easy to find. The Cala Pi bus stop is about 160 m away.

The cars stay at the top. From there, steps lead down to the sand, and the descent is an easy one. The same steps bring you back up, with the shops and restaurants waiting at the top.

Best: early morning, before the sand fills.

Avoid: late morning through the afternoon, above all in July and August.

The beach is small and grows busier as the day goes on, and in high summer the whole island is at its fullest; in spring the sea is still cool.