Broken fences, detached ropes, deteriorating wooden walkways and unofficial paths cutting through protected dunes. This is the situation along numerous stretches of coastline in Ibiza and Formentera, despite improvement works announced in recent years.
Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition has recently awarded a new maintenance contract worth €105,837, including VAT, through the state-owned company Tragsa. However, neither the Ibiza nor Formentera Island Council, nor the Balearic government, knows precisely where the work will be carried out, when it is due to take place or whether it has even started.
All three administrations say they have received no information about the project. The lack of communication is particularly striking given that the works concern environmentally valuable coastal areas whose deteriorating condition has prompted years of complaints over inadequate maintenance.
Last September, Tragsa awarded contract TSA0083391 to Proyectos Medioambientales Eivinatura SL, the only company to submit a bid. The contract was worth €87,468 excluding VAT, representing a 16.9% reduction on the original tender budget of €105,248 before tax.
Formentera accounts for 61.4% of the awarded contract value, receiving €53,741, compared with €33,727 allocated to Ibiza.
On Formentera, the plans include replacing 380 metres of rigid fencing at a cost of €14,056 and repairing a further 350 metres for €12,947. The work should also include the renewal of 402 metres of flexible fencing, made up of posts and ropes designed to prevent people from entering protected dune areas.
A specific intervention is planned for s’Espalmador, where a further 200 metres of flexible fencing are due to be replaced at a cost of €6,032. This part of the contract includes transporting workers and materials by boat to the islet, reflecting the logistical challenges of accessing the site.
In Ibiza, the contract covers repairs and replacement of protective fencing, as well as work on wooden boardwalks, stairways, sand-trapping structures and signage. It also includes removing deteriorated structures and installing barriers to prevent people from crossing environmentally sensitive dune areas.
Although the tender documents specify quantities and technical requirements, they do not identify the individual beaches where each intervention will take place, with the exception of s’Espalmador. The technical management team will have the authority to adjust the measurements and decide on the precise locations.
Tragsa is responsible for supplying the materials, while Eivinatura will provide the workforce, machinery and transport. Consequently, the awarded contract value does not necessarily represent the total cost of the project.
Half a Million Euros Allocated in 2025
This is not the first state-funded investment in the Pitiusas islands whose results remain unclear.
In June 2025, the Ministry commissioned Tragsa to carry out a €500,000 programme to maintain and conserve beaches and dune systems across the Balearic Islands, with a six-month completion period.
There is documented evidence of work being carried out in Mallorca. In June 2025, Tragsa workers repaired the boardwalk through the dune system at Cala Mesquida, in Capdepera, which had been closed for more than two years because of its deteriorating condition.
However, it has not been possible to establish whether any work was carried out in Ibiza or Formentera under that programme.
The deterioration of Formentera’s coastline goes back several years. Between 2022 and 2023, Spain’s Coastal Authority carried out a €2.5 million project to improve beach access and signage. The Formentera Island Council subsequently complained that some of the work had been left unfinished, old boardwalks had not been removed and steps had been installed that made access more difficult for people with reduced mobility.
In October 2024, Spain’s Council of Ministers approved emergency works worth €310,000 to repair damage caused by the August DANA storm in Formentera and Menorca. Of this amount, €100,000 was allocated to Formentera and €210,000 to Menorca.
On Formentera, the planned interventions covered ses Illetes, s’Algar, s’Espalmador and Migjorn, with the aim of restoring dune formations and repairing boardwalks, ramps and other protective infrastructure. Contract 07-0667 was awarded to Tragsa in September.
At its June 2025 plenary session, the Formentera Island Council unanimously approved a motion put forward by Councillor for the Environment Verónica Castelló, calling on the Spanish government to carry out repairs along the island’s coastline.
According to the official minutes, the council had requested permission on 4 April to repair the damaged structures itself. The Coastal Authority responded on 15 April, refusing authorisation because it expected to carry out its own project before the summer.
By June, however, the island council still had no information about the scope of the planned works or when they would begin.
Complaints were particularly concentrated in Ses Salines Natural Park, where damaged fences and ropes had left dune areas unprotected and allowed unofficial paths to develop through sections where access is prohibited.
In April 2026, the Formentera Island Council documented the deterioration with photographs and announced that it would undertake repairs itself.
In May, Castelló confirmed that some repairs had already been carried out. She also revealed that the Coastal Authority had warned the council that it could face a fine for carrying out work without prior authorisation.
No Information on Whether the Latest Works Have Started
The latest tender was published on 13 May 2026, awarded on 16 September and formally signed on 23 September.
The contract specifications allow six weeks for completion from the date of formal signing, although the original schedule covered the period from May to November.
As of the beginning of November, there is still no confirmation that any work has actually been carried out in Ibiza or Formentera. The numerous damaged fences and boardwalks still visible along Formentera’s coastline suggest that considerable work remains to be done.
The lack of transparency also extends to those directly responsible for the project.
Tragsa has declined to provide information, referring enquiries to the Ministry, while Eivinatura has not responded to repeated attempts by Diario de Ibiza to obtain comment.
The Ministry’s press office has acknowledged receiving a request for information several days ago but has so far limited its response to saying that it will reply.
