Playa des Talaier

The path comes out of the pines almost at the water's edge, and the cove opens up in front of you: pale sand, then turquoise water, shallow and clear enough to see the bottom as you wade in.

Pines grow right down to the back of the beach and rocks close in on either side, so the sand has some shade from the trees and the rock. After the walk in, that matters. The walk itself is part of the visit, a stony path through Mediterranean pine and scrub that smells of resin in the heat, and there is also a coastal walk over from Cala en Turqueta for anyone who wants a longer day on foot.

• Nothing is sold at the beach. Bring food and plenty of water: there is no drinking water nearby.
• There is a toilet at the entrance to the beach.
• The beach is small and fills early on summer weekends, and excursion boats put in to land more people.
• Jellyfish sometimes drift into the cove. Look at the water before you swim.
• The path in is stony. Wear shoes with some grip for the walk.

You arrive at Son Saura or Cala en Turqueta, by car or by bus, and walk the rest. The Son Saura car park is the nearer, about 1.2 km from the cove in a straight line; the Cala en Turqueta car park, on gravel, is about 1.5 km away. Bus stops of the same names sit beside each.

The quick way in is the path through the pine wood, 10–15 minutes on stony ground. Following the shoreline instead takes about 40 minutes. In summer the walk is hot, so carry water from the start.

Best: June and September, or a weekday early in the day.

Avoid: Weekends in July and August.

On a Saturday in July the sand can be full before 9 in the morning, and excursion boats land more people on top of those who walked in.