Ibiza is the Balearic island with the highest number of beach sampling points that fail to reach the “excellent” bathing water quality rating, according to the Balearic Sea Report 2026, which for the first time includes a specific chapter on beaches. The report, presented this Tuesday in Palma, analyses the condition of these areas based on three key factors: sanitary water quality, use and density of bathers, and pressure from anchored vessels.
In its 2025 assessment, the report notes that 70% of beaches across the Balearic Islands achieved an “excellent” rating, although with significant differences between islands. Formentera recorded 100% of its beaches in this category, while Menorca reached 80%. Ibiza, however, stands out for the higher proportion of sampling points below excellence: 32% were rated “good” and 5% “sufficient”.
Faecal contamination
The report also warns of an increase in episodes of microbiological contamination linked to faecal pollution. Across the Balearic Islands as a whole, incidents doubled in 2025 compared to 2024, rising from 46 to 92. These included 20 bathing bans and 72 recommendations advising against swimming.
Between 2020 and 2025, a total of 396 incidents were recorded: 313 recommendations not to bathe, 82 bans and one case in which the water was subsequently declared safe again. Among the municipalities that recorded incidents every year during this period are two in Ibiza: Sant Josep and Sant Antoni.
Another key conclusion of the report is that urban beaches consistently show poorer water quality results. It also points out that coliform sampling is carried out only during the summer months, leaving the rest of the year outside official monitoring.
Although detailed data on user pressure and anchored boats are currently monitored only in Menorca, the Balearic Sea report considers it “essential” to extend this monitoring to the rest of the archipelago. The aim, it stresses, is to improve management, protect marine ecosystems and ensure a safe and satisfactory experience for users, particularly in high-demand tourist destinations such as Ibiza.