CALA LLONGA & SOL D’EN SERRA
Cala Llonga is a friendly seaside resort on the East Coast of Ibiza, less than 10 minutes from Santa Eulalia. The cove is sheltered with one of the island’s larger areas of sand and shallow, gentle waters. These natural attributes make it the most child friendly beach on Ibiza. Vegetation of coastal pine woodland grows right down to the water’s edge and fills the surrounding valleys. The development of large hotels on the coastline diminishes what once was a Robinson Crusoe idyl but with recent improvements the resort is enjoying the fruits of international investment. A change of hotel management means fewer all-inclusive hotels, which may price some tourists out of their traditional holiday destination. This change should benefit the local economy as international guests spend their money in the many excellent family-run restaurants and bars.

INSIDER'S GUIDE

Cala Llonga is one of the main tourist areas of Santa Eulalia. It has multiple hotels, rental villas, public transport, shops, bars, chemists, watersports, restaurants, and leisure facilities for children. The resort is centered around the beach and a promenade overlooking the natural cove and expansive sand area of the shoreline which is up to 100 meters in breadth at the widest section. Beach bars and restaurants line the promenade with outdoor dining on picturesque terraces. The promenade comes alive with market stalls on balmy summer evenings.

The resort has been the benefactor of investment from global hotel brands, like Mondrian, which have changed the tourism model from all-inclusive to cater for high-end. This is a theme that can be seen in Santa Eulalia with the W Hotel, but it is particularly evident in Cala Llonga. The changing nature should be a positive for local businesses as tourists are enticed to spend outside of the hotel and local restaurants and bars have greatly improved their offering to capture new opportunities. The shoreline might be built-up, but it is easy to find solitude either by hiking, kayaking or paddle boarding. A memorable hike is the trail that passes through Valverde to Cala Blanca. The trail leads through a wide tunnel in the rock to a small plateau with a hidden bay below. Another shorter but equally suggestive hike is the one that goes to the restaurant Amante through the cliff on the southern part of Cala Llonga beach. Kayaking and Paddle boarding is also a fantastic way to explore this coastline with rental options available on Cala Llonga beach. Plan a romantic picnic with a takeaway from Moos Salads situated opposite the playground right next to Cala Llonga beach.

Golf Ibiza is the island’s only course. The club has an 18-hole course and a 9-hole course. The terrain is hilly and plays long so it is advised to take a buggy especially in the midday sun. The greens tend to be in fair condition, perhaps not to the high standards expected by some British players but they do a fine job. The driving range and putting green makes for a good rainy-day activity for the kids and the club is welcoming to non-members.

Cala Llonga is well connected to public transport with a bus that travels to Ibiza Town or Santa Eulalia. There is also the Ferry service. With the Ferry it is possible to explore Ibiza Town, Cala Llonga, local favorite beaches like Cala Pada, the hippy market in Es Canar, further north to es Figural and regular services to Formentera.

VILLA RENTAL REVIEW

Cala Llonga is popular with tourists and the resort’s parochial residents, some of whom may never have left since moving there! Many tourists are happy to return to Cala Llonga as it provides almost everything one could need for a family vacation.

The houses are therefore accommodating to families and groups of friends. There aren’t as many luxury properties compared to neighboring Roca Lisa and it is more likely that they are comfortable family homes that are walking distance to local amenities and served by public transport including a bus service and ferry. The surrounding areas of Valverde and Montaña Verde offers some striking homes with exceptional panoramic sea views.

AVAILABILITY

Cala Llonga serves a “broad church”. Whether you are travelling as a couple, within a group of friends, or with the family you will find a range of suitable accommodation. There are a range of villa options from front line properties looking over Sol d’en Serra to family houses in the village or perched in the hills of Valverde. Prices in Cala Llonga are reasonable priced, reflecting the family market it serves.

BEACH LIFE

The beach has fine sand, and the surroundings are spectacular. The cove has a natural symmetry with a wide breadth of sand sheltered by a high cliffs on both sides, providing the feeling of being in an estuary. It has hammocks and umbrellas for rent, pedal boats and you can practice all kinds of water sports. A good number of the bathers stay or have homes in the area, since the nearby mountains are home to some urbanizations with numerous foreign residents.

WHERE CHEFS EAT

Cala Llonga has some fantastic restaurants and in nearby Sol d’en Serra Amante rivals anywhere on the island. Amante Beach restaurant is an absolute Lush favorite therefore always at the top of our recommendations. The restaurant, once a humble chiringuito has been the subject of continued sophisticated over the years produces unforgettable meals and wonderful memories. Few restaurants can boast a terrace with a view as picturesque as Amante’s, which is distributed over three distinctly wonderful terraces in the dramatic cliffs of Sol d’en Serra.

Despite a famously intimate kitchen, the food is par excellence served with an effortless attention to detail. A day of true indulgence begins with the cocktail of the day on the luxuriant Sunbed, followed by a superlative lunch with chilled rosé and finishing off at the relaxed and fantastically inviting cocktail bar. Bookings are essential but if you aren’t lucky enough to enjoy a meal at Amante then Lush recommends a sundowner on the barstools overlooking the bay at the chilled cocktail terrace bar. The characterful façade of Casa Piedra reflects the fusion nature of their adventurous menu. What the “book cover” does not illustrate is the high cuisine and attention to detail in each of their eclectic Mediterranean-Japanese-Vietnamese inspired plates.

Can Nuts is a perennial favorite for imaginative tapas priced for locals and appealing to all. The small kitchen and street dining create a boho chic homely vibe. Healthy and tasty sharing meze plates, grilled meats and burgers make this a popular lunch destination.
MOOS provides a welcome reprieve from the rich foods and a nice way to break up the holiday indulgence. The salads are low carb, protein rich, tasty superfoods that are quinoa or rice based with a variety of freshly roasted, raw and pickled vegetables and finished with well matched dressings. The best thing is they deliver all over the island and last well in the fridge or cool box so make for a super picnic option, lunch on the boat or tasty poolside menu at the villa. The organic fruit and vegetable store at Can Muson is the closest and freshest produce to Roca Lisa. Their fruit and vegetables are varied and where possible grown on-site. An Islanders’ tip is the small Suma supermarket on the left as you past Siesta for Cala Llonga has an excellent butcher where you will find a surprising selection of fine cuts of meat.

HIGHLIGHTS

Amante Beach Restaurant
Hiking to Cap Blanca
Kayaking and Paddle Boarding
Picnics with a MOOS Salad
Child Friendly Beach
Golf Club

SURROUNDING AREAS

Valverde
Siesta
Jesús
Santa Eulalia
Cala Llonga
Sol d’en Serra

LUSH VILLAS

START BY FINDING A LUSH VILLA