Hardly what you would call a clubber's paradise, this delightful village nestles
in the crook of a valley and the beach itself is protected from the elements by
long cliffs that sweep out to sea. Cala Llonga takes its name from the simple fact
that it is the longest bay on the island. Many boats moor in its waters, and the
Santa Eulalia to Ibiza ferries stop here several times a day, but there is plenty
of safe swimming to be had and snorkelers, as long as you use a little common sense,
you'll find a paradise beneath Cala Llonga's blue waters.
For those amongst you wishing to delve even deeper into the gorgeous waters around
the coastline, there is also a dive school. Located on the north side of the beach
(left as you look out to sea) and situated beneath the first of those hotels, Punta
Dive offer trips for all level of practitioner, from expert to beginner. For the
complete novice, they offer tuition in a pool before taking you out into open waters.
You're in very safe, experienced hands here.
Though the beach is not the longest on the island, it can easily lay claim to being
the widest (from the shore to the back of the beach). It's very popular with both
the local Ibicencs and Spanish from the mainland both in season and out, and during
the summer the beach is usually pretty crowded, so you'll have to be quick if you
want a lounger and sunshade. Though crowded, the beach is so wide that you will
always find room here, particularly if you bring your own towel and umbrella.
For younger children, there is a play area which is thoughtfully situated in a shady
area at the rear of the beach.
The beach is serviced by not one, but two bars which sit on the sand itself. Two
further restaurants open onto the beach, butting right up against the sand. They
both serve a mixture of both traditional Ibicenc dishes and the ubiquitous English
fry-up, for that morning after pick-me-up. You don't have to look far for a Sunday
roast either, for when the roast potato cravings strike.
There are over a dozen further restaurants within the time it takes to cross the
street from the beach. There is at least one bar for every day of your holiday,
not counting the ones in the hotels, if that's where you're staying.
Also in this compact resort you'll find gift shops, a tobacconist, pharmacy and
two doctors, moped and car hire and an off-licence, for those quiet nights in (as
if!).
For your postcards home, you need to know that the postboxes here in Ibiza are bright
yellow, rather than red, and usually have the word 'Correos' stamped on them in
blue. Some hotels may have their own particular arrangements, but for the rest of
us, the postbox in Cala Llonga is located just outside Toni's bar, on the corner
(Toni's is the first bar on the left as you enter the village).
There's even a small funfair in the village, which offers the usual dodgems and
huge bouncy castle/slide thing for the kids. More unusual are the rodeo bull and
the bungee-assisted trampolining, both of which I can recommend to those of you
without heart conditions!
There are three large hotels here, built into the cliffs on either side of the bay.
Check out their prices and reservations on our hotel booking pages. There are also
numerous apartments and villas for hire in and around the village. On the hill facing
the bay there is a complex of apartments generically known as the Wild Asparagus,
which shares its name with the restaurant near the top of the hill. The complex
is a veritable rabbit warren, with a couple of swimming pools and bars to service
each of them. Well worth a visit, if you have the legs for the climb, as from up
here the entirety of Cala Llonga stretches out before you, offering perhaps the
best view of the resort you could wish for. Try it at least once, it truly is a
captivating sight.
If you are the adventurous sort, and don't mind a stretch of the legs, then there
is much fine, if strenuous, walking to be had in the hills around the resort. My
particular favourite is the long, winding track-cum-road that circles up and around
the cliffs on the left (as you look out to sea). To find the start of this track,
take the uphill turning before you reach Bar Toni (the first bar as you enter the
village). You'll see a sign for Can Rostit. Follow this, first right, up a steep
hill and then bear left towards the Monte Mar apartment complex. You can hardly
miss it, it's the great orangey-cream coloured arrangement on your left. When you
pass this you should find yourself in a dead-end turning circle with a sign saying
'No Turning' or something similarly ironic. Look to the top right and you'll see
a dirt road leading up around the mountain. Follow it. See, easy. About ten to fifteen
minutes later you'll be high over Cala Llonga and the views that await you will
fair take your breath away. Top tip: take a bottle or two of water along with you.
Cala Llonga is also home to a riding school, and it is not uncommon to see two or
three horses 'parked' in the woods on the south side of the beach (opposite SOS
restaurant or Richie's Bar) There is a car park here, albeit a small one, and the
sight of the horses in the wooded area above makes for a typically incongruous Ibizan
scene.
Fiesta day in Cala Llonga is on the 15th of August each year. There are many events
taking place throughout the day and long into the night, culminating in a firework
display around midnight. The official celebrations may end here, however the unofficial
parties run long into the small hours. If you're booked here in August, don't miss
it.
If you feel the need to escape Cala Llonga for a while, even after all their efforts
to keep you here, then there are four easy escape routes. Ferries leave for destinations
all over the island several times a day. There is more than one bus stop, and again
these buses will take you all over. Further to these options, you can either jump
into a taxi (they park outside bar Madison) or, if you feel the need to get truly
lost under your own steam, there are a couple of places where you can hire either
cars, motorbikes or mopeds.
So book into Cala Llonga early, as it's a very popular resort, increasingly so with
each passing year. Cala Llonga is one of those rare places that has the ability
to get right under your skin and stay there. Once it has you in its grip, you will
return to Cala Llonga time and time again. I know I did!
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