The Rock Has No Official Name

The Rock Has No Official Name

Atlantis Ibiza — officially Sa Pedrera de Cala d'Hort — sits within the Cala d'Hort Nature Reserve on the island's southwest coast. It is an ancient sandstone quarry. The Romans cut the stone here and used it to build the walls of Ibiza Town. Two thousand years later the sea fills the cuts. What remains are labyrinthine caves, man-made rock carvings, and natural sea pools the colour of pale glass.

The name Atlantis came later, given by the people who found it in the 1960s and decided it was worth naming. They were right.

The Descent

There is no road to Atlantis. Drive toward Torre des Savinar, near Cala d'Hort, where a small parking area marks the start of the trail. Follow the markers downhill — steep, loose in places, forty-five minutes to an hour. The return climb is harder. Leave enough light and energy for it.

Wear shoes you trust. Bring more water than you think you need, sunscreen, and snorkelling gear if you want to go below the surface. The pools reward it.

What Waits Below

The cove faces west, directly in front of Es Vedrà — the magnetic rock island that rises from the sea to the southwest and gives this stretch of coastline its particular charge. The flat limestone is good for lying still. The pools are warm and clear.

Because the trek keeps the numbers down, Atlantis retains what most of Ibiza's coastline has lost: quiet. A hippie and spiritual atmosphere from the 60s and 70s still holds. People come to swim, to snorkel, to boulder, to watch the sun drop into the sea. Not to be seen.

DEESSA at Atlantis

Editorial shots BTS by Photographer Jordi Gomez / Brother Productions for Ibiza Icons - One Ibiza Suites.