Ask a charter skipper where he goes on his day off, and the honest answer usually points east. Seeing the east coast of Ibiza by boat — Cala Llonga, Cala Mastella, Cala Boix, Aguas Blancas, with the island of Tagomago on the horizon — means short hops, sheltered morning water and coves most visitors never reach, simply because the charter fleets head the other way. It also happens to be the water we know berth by berth: Balearic Waves departs from Marina Santa Eulalia, right in the middle of it all. This is the route we run when guests tell us: just show us your favourites.
The east coast of Ibiza by boat: why the calm side wins
Most boat traffic on the island runs the same loop — south past the Dalt Vila skyline, then on to Es Vedrà or across to Formentera. Wonderful routes, and we run them all season. But they involve longer stretches underway and anchorages you share with everyone who had the same idea. The east coast plays a different game. The distances between coves are so short that the day flips from mostly cruising to mostly swimming, and the pine ridges and red-rock headlands give genuine shelter on the many summer days when the breeze blows from the west or southwest.
The practical result: while boats on the far side of the island are rolling in chop, our side often stays glassy well into the afternoon. On the water, that kind of local knowledge is worth more than any extra metre of boat.
The route: morning to afternoon out of Santa Eulalia
We slip out of Marina Santa Eulalia around 10:00 — Berth H17, parking right at the marina, your coffee from the promenade still warm. Our skipper handles the lines; your only job is choosing between the bow sunpads and the shaded aft bench. Within minutes the town falls astern and the first decision of the day arrives: a quick first swim to the south, or straight north into the quiet.
Cala Llonga: the first swim
A short cruise south of the marina, Cala Llonga is a deep horseshoe of a bay walled by high, wooded ridges — one of the most sheltered anchorages on the island. Early in the day, before the beach fills, the water inside lies still and pale green. The anchor goes down outside the swimming line, the ladder goes in, and the day has officially started.
Cala Mastella and Cala Boix: the fishermen's coast
Heading north past Es Canar, the coastline turns rural: terraced hills, pines running down to the waterline, and tiny inlets holding whitewashed fishermen's huts and wooden boat ramps that haven't changed in decades. Cala Mastella is barely wider than the ramps it shelters — the smell of pine resin drifts down off the slopes — and in its corner sits a legendary little fish shack where locals reserve their bullit de peix days ahead. Next door, Cala Boix stretches a ribbon of dark golden sand beneath a steep stairway; few people make the climb, so arriving by water you often have the anchorage to yourself.
Aguas Blancas: cliffs and the clearest snorkelling
Carry on north and the coast grows taller: crumbling ochre cliffs above a long, pale strip of sand. Aguas Blancas catches the morning sun full on, and the rocky edges of the bay are exactly where the snorkelling gear we carry on board earns its keep — the fish stack up where the cliff drops into the sea. If the group would rather paddle, this is usually where the inflatable SUP goes in the water.
Tagomago: lunch off a private island
Then the finale. Tagomago, the privately owned islet with its lighthouse, lies about 20 minutes from our berth — close enough that we save it for when the light is at its best. We anchor in its lee, where the water turns an improbable, glassy blue. This is where the folding teak table earns its place: the rattle of the anchor chain fades, the Mediterranean lunch boards of the food package (€45 per person) come up from the cooler, and cold glasses sweat in the sun with the lighthouse looking on. The cruise home along the cliffs, sun already low, has you back in the marina by 18:00.
When the wind is up, go east
Here is the honest version of Ibiza boat planning: no coast is best every day. When a westerly or southwesterly breeze builds — as it often does on summer afternoons — the east coast is the sheltered choice, and this route delivers flat water while the famous west-coast spots turn bumpy. When an easterly swell rolls in instead, our skipper simply flips the plan toward the south and west. That flexibility on the morning of your charter, rather than a fixed printed route, is the real advantage of a private boat — and it is how you end up in the kind of coves we describe in our guide to Ibiza's boat-only beaches.
Practical details for an east-coast day
- Departure: Marina Santa Eulalia, Berth H17 — parking at the marina, a short stroll from town and minutes from Es Canar, Cala Llonga and Roca Llisa.
- Duration: full day, 8 hours, typically 10:00–18:00 and flexible.
- Boat: NAVAN S30 for up to 10 guests, professional skipper always included — nobody needs a licence.
- On board: shade sails fore and aft, quilted bow sunpads, snorkelling gear, Bluetooth sound system and a private toilet below deck.
- Extras: drinks package €35 pp, food package €45 pp, inflatable SUP €50, Seabob €250.
- Rates: from €999 in low season up to €1,600–1,750 in July and August, fuel charged by actual use — full details on our prices page.
One last tip from the crew: this route is at its very best late in the season, when the sea is at its warmest and the anchorages empty out — we wrote about why in September and October are Ibiza's secret boat months. Whenever you come, tell your skipper how your group likes its day — long lunches, long swims or as many coves as the sun allows — and let the home water do the rest.
