A youth association in Ibiza is calling on residents to reclaim one of the island’s most popular beaches this weekend, turning a morning at Cala Saladeta into a public statement about overtourism and access to Ibiza’s shared spaces.
The Associació de Joves d’Eivissa has called for a “Xindriada Popular” on Sunday, August 30, inviting residents of all ages to meet at Cala Saladeta from around 8:00–9:00am for a morning of swimming, breakfast, watermelon and community activities.
“Everywhere You Look, It’s Tourists”
The event is being presented as a relaxed but deliberately symbolic response to the growing pressure tourism is placing on Ibiza's public spaces.
The association's message asks residents how often they feel that spaces once enjoyed by local people are becoming increasingly difficult to access during the summer. Its campaign uses the phrase “Everywhere you look, it’s tourists” and argues that Ibiza's beaches should remain places that residents can enjoy during the busiest months of the year.
The group is encouraging people to bring breakfast, food, drinks, sunscreen and anything else they need for the morning.
Rather than organising a conventional demonstration, the idea is to occupy and enjoy the beach collectively — swimming, eating watermelon, spending time with friends and family and making the act of using the public space itself part of the protest.
Why Cala Saladeta?
Cala Saladeta is one of Ibiza's most popular natural coves, located near Sant Antoni de Portmany and known for its clear turquoise water, small sandy beach and relatively undeveloped surroundings.
The cove is particularly busy during July and August, when its limited size means that visitor numbers can quickly transform the experience.
The pressure is already reflected in the way access to the area is managed.
Since May, Sant Antoni Town Hall has operated a vehicle-access control system for Cala Salada and Cala Saladeta, running daily from 9:30am to 5pm until October 15. Vehicles are allowed through only while the designated parking capacity remains available.
The municipality has also provided a pedestrian route from the parking area and promotes public transport and boat connections from Sant Antoni as alternatives to private cars.
A Wider Debate Over Ibiza's Public Spaces
The Cala Saladeta action comes as overtourism has become an increasingly visible issue in Ibiza.
Just days earlier, another group of residents announced a popular afternoon gathering and dinner in La Marina, calling for the streets and neighbourhoods of Ibiza to remain accessible to the people who live there. That initiative also highlighted concerns over tourist pressure, terraces occupying public areas and difficulties finding housing.
The two actions share a similar message: residents want to be able to use Ibiza's beaches, streets and public spaces during the summer rather than feeling that these areas are primarily designed around visitors.
“Public Spaces Are Not For Sale”
The organisers of the Xindriada Popular are framing the gathering as both a social event and an act of protest.
Their message is that laughing with friends, coming with family, swimming and enjoying Ibiza's beaches can itself become a form of civic action.
The campaign ends with a particularly direct statement: “Public spaces are not for sale, and Ibiza is not for sale.”
The planned gathering is therefore not simply about one beach.
It reflects a much larger question facing Ibiza: how can the island welcome millions of visitors while ensuring that residents still feel they have a place in their own home?
Source: Diario de Ibiza
