Cala Comte is not one beach but a run of small coves along 800 metres of the west coast, most of them 15 to 30 metres deep, with two islets sitting a few hundred metres offshore. The water is shallow, pale and unusually clear even by Ibizan standards, and the sand shelves gently enough for children.
It is also where the island watches the sun go down. The coves face due west with nothing between the shore and the horizon but the islets, so this is the sunset most people mean, and they fill for it from about an hour before.
What is there
Sunbeds and parasols along the main coves, showers, a beach boutique, lifeguards in season, and a run of restaurants and bars above the sand. Sunset Ashram sits on the rocks at the northern tip and is the best known of them.
Parking is free and there is a lot of it, on the flat ground behind the coves. In August it still fills by the middle of the morning.
Which cove
The southern coves are the sandiest and the busiest. Walk north along the rock and they get smaller, rockier and quieter, with the same water. Most people stop at the first one they reach, which is why five minutes on foot makes a real difference in July.
When to come
Morning for the swimming, late afternoon for the light, and the hour before sunset for the reason everyone else is there. The middle of a summer day is hot and crowded, and there is very little natural shade.
Out of season this is one of the best beaches on the island to have to yourself. The water stays clear and the light does the same thing in March as it does in August.
Quick answers
Is Cala Comte sandy? The main coves are, with rock between them.
Is it good for children? Yes. Shallow, calm and gently shelving.
Is there parking? Yes, free and plentiful, though it fills in summer.
Is the sunset worth it? It is the best on the island from a beach, and the reason the coves fill in the evening.
Can you snorkel? Yes, along the rock between the coves and out towards the islets.
Is it busy? In August, very. Walking north thins it quickly.
Nearby
Cala Bassa is ten minutes north and Cala Tarida fifteen south, both larger and more developed. How the coast compares is in our guide to the best beaches in Ibiza.