© Trine Bregstein
© Trine Bregstein
© Trine Bregstein
© Trine Bregstein
© Trine Bregstein
© Trine Bregstein
An Afternoon at S'Illot Beach
A hidden gem on the Victoria peninsula
A secret was revealed to me this past weekend and I thought long and hard about sharing it with you, readers..
A friend of mine, a long term resident of the island, asked if I’d been to La Victòria, and as I hadn’t he promptly whisked me away in the car on a magical mystery tour. We drove through Alcúdia, following the signs for Mal-Pas, Bonaire and La Victòria. After a short drive you arrive at the marina at Bonaire.
Driving past the big houses of Bonaire and find yourself on a narrow road leading out into the wilderness; this is the promontory that separates the Bay of Alcúdia from the Bay of Pollença in the north-east of the island. The landscape is magnificent, mountainous pine groves and small rocky coves, turquoise water and a stunning view towards Formentor.
The beach is called S’illot, meaning “small island” in Catalan, and is so called because of the chunk of rock in the sea directly in front of the beach, which gives shelter from the breeze. There are a series of rocky coves and then there’s the main S’illot beach, which is shingle, pebble and rocks, making the sea really clear and a real draw for snorkellers and scuba divers. (Whilst there, I saw two groups of divers heading into the crystalline waters to explore).
There is parking on either side of the road and there is a beach restaurant with stunning views out over the water, perfect for a long lingering lunch in the shade during the hottest part of the day. If you are the kind of people who like to bring a cooler picnic with you to the beach, then you’re well catered for as there is a lovely picnic area at the top, with lots of picnic benches under the shade of the tall pines.
The beach flies the flag of the ISO 14001 environmental management standard and the information board goes into details about how the beach and area are managed in an environmentally sustainable fashion, this should lead to the area remaining safe from over-development and maintaining the cleanliness and unspoilt beauty. [read more about blue flag beaches]
There are no sunbeds, parasols or lifeguards at S’illot beach and that’s what makes it great to me, it has a very un-touristy feel, as though you’ve strayed off the beaten path and found a little slice of heaven.
A good place to stop for a cocktail is the chillout bar 5 Océanos on the way back from the beach.
