Ibiza and Formentera by boat: anchoring and posidonia

27 October 20265 min read

Share on

Boats anchored in turquoise water off a white-sand beach

Short answer: in the Balearic Islands it is forbidden, in general, to anchor on Posidonia oceanica, the seagrass that covers much of the seabed around Ibiza and Formentera, and in three bays of the Pitiusas boats must tie up to regulated buoys instead of dropping an anchor. This guide explains the rule, the places where it applies, what it means for a day under sail and how our four Ibiza and Formentera trips fit in. It relies on the Balearic Government’s own information. At the time of writing none of our four trips has open dates, so this is an informative guide, not a sales page.

Quick answers

The rule: Decree 25/2018 prohibits uncontrolled anchoring and, in general, anchoring on posidonia.
Buoy fields in the Pitiusas: Platja de ses Salines (Ibiza); Caló de s’Oli, southern part, and Badia de s’Alga at s’Espalmador (Formentera).
What a skipper must do there: moor to the buoys provided.
Booking a buoy: the Government’s page mentions no booking system.
Our trips: four full-day sailing trips; none has open dates right now.

The rule: no anchoring on posidonia

Decree 25/2018 prohibits uncontrolled anchoring in Balearic waters, which the decree defines as anchoring, alone or in numbers, against the rules that protect posidonia. In general, anchoring on Posidonia oceanica is forbidden. Where a protected area has its own management plan, the stricter of the two texts applies, and the decree applies in the meantime in areas without a plan. The Government’s page adds that anchoring on posidonia using authorised low-impact systems (single buoys or a buoy field) does not count as uncontrolled anchoring.

Where boats must use buoys around Ibiza and Formentera

The Government lists the regulated buoy fields in the Pitiusas, under the management plan of the Ses Salines of Ibiza and Formentera Natural Park (Decree 132/2005):

Platja de ses Salines (Ibiza);
Caló de s’Oli, southern part (Formentera);
Badia de s’Alga, at the island of s’Espalmador (Formentera).

In these areas, skippers must moor to the buoys provided and not anchor on the seabed. Elsewhere in the archipelago, other fields exist (for example Cala Blava, Sant Elm and Cala Fornells in Mallorca, regulated by their Natura 2000 plans). The page mentions no reservation system for the buoys.

The catamaran’s net over clear water · Photo: our listing (Bókun)

What it means for a day trip

A classic day under sail around Ibiza and Formentera means swim stops at places such as Ses Illetes and s’Espalmador. Our four trips follow that route:

Full-day sailing trip: up to 9 guests, about 8 hours, leaving from Ses Salines beach at 10:30, with snorkelling gear, paddle-surf equipment and a captain. Gratuities are not included.
Private sailboat day trip: about 8 hours for your group; the captain and stewardess meet you at Ses Salines beach and take you to the boat by zodiac, then cruise along the coast of Formentera and anchor at Ses Illetes.
Small-group catamaran to Formentera: about 8.5 hours for up to 12 guests, from Cala Jondal, with a glass of champagne, snorkelling gear, paddleboards that convert to kayaks and a zodiac to reach the shore.
Private catamaran, full day: about 9 hours from Cala Jondal, with snorkelling gear, paddleboards and a bottle of champagne.

The captain chooses where to stop. As a passenger, you can ask where the boat will moor: a responsible skipper will use a buoy or a sandy bottom, never the meadow.

Dates: none of the four trips has open dates at the moment, and their listings show “new dates coming soon”. We publish this guide because the rules matter to anyone who sails these waters, with us or not.

Paddle surfing in turquoise water, one of the activities of the day · Photo: our listing (Bókun)

What we did not confirm

The amount of the fines and the area covered by the meadows: press reports give different figures, and we did not read the official decree text in the BOIB.
Any international listing of the meadows.
Which exact bays our captains use on each day.

For the island itself, read the Ibiza guide.

A sailboat at anchor in a clear-water bay, with its dinghy · Photo: our listing (Bókun)

Tips for passengers

Ask the crew where the boat will moor and whether it uses a buoy.
Do not throw anything overboard, and do not stand on or touch the seabed in shallow posidonia areas (a general precaution, not a legal rule we quote).
Bring sun protection and water: shade is limited on a sailboat.