Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
This spot has been added by
Last updated on April 6, 2021
A gin-clear sea, a varied seabed and a nice diversity of fish and invertebrates: this is what awaits you at the foot of Punta Galera, a rocky point located in the north-west of Ibiza. A great snorkeling location where seabream, peacock wrasse, cardinalfish and red starfish are easy to sight!
Punta Galera is just a 15-minute drive north of Sant Antoni de Portmany. By car, follow the direction of Santa Agnès, then turn left at the sign “Punta Galera” and continue for about 2km.
Park along the track and continue on foot on the small path (starting here) which goes down to Sa Galera Beach (10 minutes, some steep passages in the rocks).
You can get in the water from the pebble beach or from the fishing huts that line the cove.
You can snorkel all over the cove, but we recommend that you mainly swim along the rocky point, which offers a rugged underwater landscape and pretty drop offs.
Just in front of the beach, there are rocky bottoms, a few stretches of sand and beautiful posidonia meadows (↕3-6ft/1-2m). Saddled seabream, sargo and sharpsnout bream are common sightings in this area. It is a great area for beginners.
Those who wish can then swim to the drop off, which stretches over 200m along the rocky point. You will quickly spot many ornate wrasses bustling around the rocks (↕3-9ft/1-3m), especially in late spring/early summer. Red starfish are common on the wall, sometimes hidden in small cracks.
If you skin-dive, take a look in the small caves that can be found in many places at the foot of the drop off (↕6-12ft/2-4m): it is the right places to look for cardinalfish, which can be recognized by their red color and their big black eyes.
There is no bar or restaurant near the beach, but there are a few options within a 5 to 10-minute drive from the spot (especially in Cala Gració and Cala Salada).
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
