Sa Caleta de Ciutadella

The water is the reason to come. It is clear down to the sandy bottom and so calm that it barely laps at the shore, and the sand shelves gently into it, which makes for an easy swim.

The beach itself is a narrow strip at the head of the inlet, with a small beach bar and rows of hire sunbeds. Beyond them, flat rocks run all the way around the cove. When the sand is full, spread a towel on the rocks and slip into the water from there. Every so often a faint smell of sulphur drifts across the cove.

• Crowds: the beach is narrow and very popular; come early in the morning or late in the day for space on the sand.
• Sunbeds: there are a couple of dozen for hire; once they are taken, the flat rocks around the cove are free to sit on.
• Underfoot: the sand on the beach is firm and rough; it turns soft once you are in the water.
• Fish: small fish nip at swimmers' legs. It startles more than it hurts.
• Water and toilets: there is no drinking fountain nearby, but the beach bar sells drinks; toilets are about 75 m away.

Sa Caleta lies within Ciutadella, so the last stretch is short whichever way you come. The car park sits right at the cove, about 30 m in a straight line from the beach, and from there you step straight onto the sand. It has few spaces, so on a summer day come early.

Without a car, take the bus to the Sa Caleta, platja stop, about 350 m away in a straight line, and walk the rest.

Best: early morning or late afternoon, from late spring to early autumn.

Avoid: the middle of the day in July and August.

The beach is narrow and busy, and in high summer both the sand and the rocks around it fill by midday; the calm, clear water is at its best with fewer people in it.