Aigües Blanques is a long narrow strip of golden sand at the foot of steep cliffs on the north-east coast, and it is naturist along much of its length. You get to it down a long flight of steps from the car park above, which is the thing that keeps it as quiet as it is.
It is a wilder beach than anything on the south coast. There is little shade, the facilities are minimal, and the sea is more open here than in the sheltered bays. Those are the reasons to come rather than drawbacks to work around.
The beach
The cliffs behind it are high and reddish and they give the beach its shape: a thin ribbon of sand that narrows at high water and in places disappears against the rock. The sand is coarse and golden, and the water is clear and gets deep reasonably quickly.
Because it faces north-east, it catches the morning sun and goes into cliff shadow in the late afternoon, which is the opposite of most Ibiza beaches and worth knowing if you are planning a full day.
At one end there is a bank of grey clay that people dig out, mix with sea water and put on their skin and hair before rinsing it off in the sea. It is a long-standing habit here rather than a spa treatment, and it is free.
Naturism
Much of the beach is naturist, and it has been for decades. It is not signed or segregated in any formal way, and the stretch nearest the steps tends to be the more mixed. If you are coming with children or would rather not, this is worth knowing before the walk down rather than after.
The steps, and the sea
The staircase from the car park is long and steep, and it is the only way down. Everything you bring comes back up it at the end of the day, which is a good argument for travelling light.
The other thing to take seriously is the water. This coast is more exposed than the south and a northerly brings real swell and a current along the beach. On a flat day it is beautiful swimming; on a rough one it is not a beach to be in the sea at all.
Quick answers
Is Aguas Blancas a nudist beach? In large part, yes, and it has been for many years.
How do you get down? A long flight of steps from the car park above. There is no other access.
Is there parking? Yes, at the top, and it is not large.
Are there facilities? Minimal. Expect a beach bar in season rather than a row of them, and bring water.
Is it good for children? Not especially. The steps, the lack of shade and the exposed water all count against it.
What is the clay for? People use it on skin and hair and rinse it off in the sea. It sits at one end of the beach.
Is it sandy? Yes, coarse golden sand.
Where it sits
The beach is on the north-east coast above San Carlos, about fifteen minutes from the village and forty-five from Ibiza Town. Las Dalias is on the way, so a Saturday that takes in the market and then the beach works well.
For the calmer, easier beaches on this side of the island, there is our guide to the best beaches in Ibiza.